Welcome to the March Network Newsletter!

​​​​Welcome to the March edition of the Network newsletter and a big hello and welcome to any new subscribers! We hope you all managed to celebrate and enjoy Social Prescribing Day on 19 March.

The Scottish Community Link Worker Network is the national network, developed and facilitated by Voluntary Health Scotland for primary care community link working in Scotland.

Please visit our webpage for the latest blogs, reports and information about the Network. You can follow us on Twitter @ScotCLWnetwork and don't forget to share your news and updates with us. 

Events, Workshops and Training

Scottish Community Link Worker Network Events

Don't forget that you can find details, presentations and key messages from all of our SCLWN events on our events page. We will be putting together our programme of events for 2025-6 in the next few weeks, so please watch this space!

Introduction to Neurodiversity Workshop for CLWs - 1 April 2025
Approximately one in seven people in the UK is neurodivergent, meaning you will be extremely likely to be supporting neurodivergent individuals in your role as a Community Link Worker. In this session led by Salvesen Mindroom Centre, we will cover the following session objectives:

• Define what neurodiversity means.
• Recognise and use key terminology associated with neurodiversity.
• Provide an overview of common neurominority groups and their prevalence rates.
• Identify key traits, differences, and strengths of various neurotypes, with a focus on ADHD.
• Engage in an interactive case study.
• Apply approaches that are known to support neurodivergent individuals.

Find out more information and book your place here.

SCLWN Annual Conference and Awards - 7 May 2025 - book your place!
Our 2025 Annual Conference will take place on Wednesday 7 May at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow featuring keynote speakers Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and Gordon MacRae, Assistant Director, Shelter Scotland. Thank you to everyone who has submitted a nomination for an award. We have now opened bookings to everyone across the Network.  Network members should all have received a booking link from Roisin. If you are not a member of the Network and are interested in finding out more about the Conference or taking up one of our exhibition places, please email Roisin or Lauren.

Other Events, Training and Resources

Versus Arthritis information sessions
Versus Arthritis is offering free information sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the afternoons and evenings, starting in late March. These sessions are for people with arthritis or a musculoskeletal condition.  Find out more information here.

Social Security Scotland Pension Age Disability Payment Events - April
Pension Age Disability Payment launched in October 2024 and is currently available in Aberdeen City, Argyll and Bute, Highland, Orkney and Shetland.  It is rolling out to more areas on 24 March before becoming available across Scotland on 22 April. Social Security Scotland is hosting two events for stakeholders in April, which will provide an overview of the benefit for national roll-out with a policy background. 

Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK - 3 April 
Join this webinar on 3 April from The Alliance ahead of their conference later in the month.  David Walsh and Gerry McCartney will share key messages from their book Social Murder? Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK.

Child Poverty and Health Inequalities in Scotland - 9 April
The Scottish Health Equity Research Unit (SHERU) is hosting a webinar entitled Our Future at Risk: Child Poverty and Health Inequalities in Scotland on 9 April which will focus on child poverty and its relationship with health inequality.  Find out more and book your place.

The Health and Social Care Alliance Annual Conference - 30 April
Registration is now open for The Alliance Annual Conference 2025 'Our Voices Matter' which will take place on 30 April. Keynote speakers include Professor Sir Michael Marmot.

Cerebral Palsy information session - 14 May
Cerebral palsy information sessions are educational CPD events offered for those working with children, young people or adults who have cerebral palsy. The session will give an overview of the different types of cerebral palsy and principles for treatment using the Bobath Concept. Click here for more information and to register.

NHS Scotland Conference - 9 June - save the date!
This year’s NHS Scotland Event will take place on Monday 9 June at the
Technology & Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.  The programme will be delivered in a hybrid format, giving delegates the option to attend in-person or remotely.  Further information will be available when registration goes live at the end of April.

Obesity Action Scotland Conference -10 June
Obesity Action Scotland and Scottish Obesity Alliance are holding an in person conference on 10 June in Glasgow. The theme of the conference is 'Healthy Food Environment: Time to Deliver'. Find out more about attending here.

Action Against Stalking
Stalking is a serious crime with devastating effects, yet it often goes unrecognised.  Action Against Stalking is Scotland’s only dedicated anti-stalking charity, committed to supporting and empowering victims and raising awareness. Their Throughcare Support Service offers free, confidential, and professional support to those affected by stalking, ensuring they are heard, validated, and guided through their journey. For complex cases, they also provide Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help victims rebuild their confidence and well-being.  If you or someone you support is experiencing stalking, reach out by email, complete the referral form or call 0800 820 2427.  You can also contact them via their general enquiries email.

Scottish Recovery Network Peer Support Hub
The Scottish Recovery Network's aim is to make mental health recovery real and their Peer Support Hub is now a year old. Read their March newsletter here. 

Social Prescribing courses on TURAS
Don't forget we have a dedicated courses page for social prescribers on the TURAS website which you can access here. You just need to set up a TURAS account which is very easy to do.  If there are courses you would like to see on the page, please contact Roisin.

News from across the Network

Social Prescribing Day 2025
Social Prescribing Day took place on 19 March and it was lovely to see so many photos and stories from CLW teams shared across social media. The photo above shows Laura Campbell from Dundee CLW team at Dundee University's 'All Things Social Prescribing' run by the Students' Union. The photo below shows the CLW team from Perth and Kinross celebrating the day. Thanks to everyone who shared photos.  

Launch of films showcase the work and impact of CLWs
Following on from our filming over the summer and autumn, we are so excited to launch our series of films which showcase the amazing work that CLWs do across the country. We have 4 films - one each from the perspective of CLWs, patients and GPs - and an overview film which looks at the current context for CLWs in Scotland and the role of the Network. You can find all the films on our VHS YouTube channel.

Stirling CLW team recruiting for a new lead CLW
The Stirling CLW team is looking for a new Lead Community Link Worker. Closing date for applications is 7 April 2025. Find out more here.

West Dunbartonshire CLWs at Scottish Parliament
West Dunbartonshire CLWs delivered their petition against job cuts to Scottish Parliament earlier this month. The petition which has been signed by local residents and patients is in response to the proposed reduction in numbers to the CLW service in West Dunbartonshire. 

SPICe Blog on Community Link Working in Scotland
The Parliament's SPICe team has published a blog on Scotland's community link workers. The blog will awareness of the role of community link workers among their readership, which is mainly MSPs and their staff.

Other News

Three in four Scottish pensioners lived in cold homes this winter
Three in four Scottish pensioners said they were cold in their own homes over the winter, according to research published by Age Scotland.  A poll of people over the age of 66, carried out by Age Scotland’s partner Age UK, found that in Scotland 75% - the equivalent of 780,000 older people – said their homes were cold some, most or all of the time during the winter months.  More here.

Participants wanted for PhD research study
Ashleigh Main is a PhD student at Strathclyde University and is looking for participants to share their experiences and opinions to support her research into designing and developing a digital tool for the self-management of chronic pain. If you know someone who may be interested in supporting this piece of work, then please feel free to email Ashleigh Main to find out more information.

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. We all know that the earlier bowel cancer is spotted, the more treatable it’s likely to be.  More than 9 in 10 people survive bowel cancer when it is diagnosed at the earliest stage. Get involved this April and help spread the word.  Join one of Bowel Cancer UK’s free online awareness talks delivered by a volunteer with a personal experience of bowel cancer. Use their toolkit to share important information about bowel cancer. The toolkit includes social media graphics, videos and posters. 

Boost Small Grants Programme
The Corra Foundation Boost Small Grants Programme is for local community organisations across Scotland supporting children and families affected by poverty.  Find out more information about the fund here.

Call for Papers: Using Integrated Approaches to Support Community Wellbeing in Rural and Urban Areas
Emerald Publishing is calling for papers that showcase integrated approaches to supporting community wellbeing. Their special issue will serve as a valuable resource for practitioners, researchers, and higher education institutions, providing robust empirical evidence from implementation research and evaluations, alongside insights from practice. They particularly encourage submissions that highlight the lived experiences of individuals who benefit from social prescribing.  Find out more information about the resource here.

Scotland to benefit from Plan for Neighbourhoods Funding
Several Scottish local authority areas are among 75 local authorities across the UK which are about to benefit from the UK Government's Plan for Neighbourhoods £1.5 billion funding. The Funding is designed to support communities that have been left behind.  Read more about the Plan for Neighbourhoods Funding. 

Chance to Change Mental Health Peer Support Group
Chance to Change is a mental health peer support group based in Drumchapel in Glasgow which supports people to influence the services they need to access. The Group was an integral part of the Scottish Government's Primary Care Health Inequalities Short Life Group, ensuring that the voice of living experience was front and centre of discussions.  You can read the group's booklet which provides more information about its work.

Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults
The Scottish Government has confirmed community-led mental health and wellbeing projects are to benefit from £30m in Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults funding over the next two years. The fund, first launched in 2021, supports local groups to deliver programmes for adults which build resilience and tackle social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities. It is expected the fund will open to applications this autumn. 

Social Prescribing in Ireland
An article in the Medical Independent talks about the growth of social prescribing in Ireland and the evidence of its impact on people's health and wellbeing. The article states that the long-term objective is to have a social prescribing service in every community healthcare network in Ireland.

The Giving Lottery
The Giving Lottery is free and organisations can start raising funds from the sale of their very first ticket.  They provide the licence, all reporting and marketing materials.  With 27 supporters organisations will be on track to raise over £1,000 per year.  Tickets are £1 each and organisations' supporters are in with a chance of winning £25,000

Meaningful Community Engagement - A Deep End Perspective
A recent article in the British Journal of General Practice has showcased the work of Deep End General Practitioners and the support they receive from community link workers to reach those most in need. You can read more here.