Welcome to July's Newsletter

We had a very busy June with Healing Arts Scotland 2026 and the Realistic Medicine Conference, to name just two events where members of the Network participated to showcase the vital role of CLWs and social prescribing in supporting people's health and wellbeing.

As always our newsletter has the usual roundup of news and events, including the latest about our 2026 Conference and our autumn events schedule.

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. Don't forget to share your news and updates with us.

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Events, Workshops and Training

Scottish Community Link Worker Network Events

You can find booking details, presentations and key messages from all of our Network events on our dedicated events page.

Compassionate Conversations Training - 9 September
Our last Compassionate Conversations training event with Cruse Scotland will focus on how to talk compassionately about death, dying and bereavement. The course is designed to build confidence and insight on the differing expressions of grief responses following bereavement.

September Knowledge Exchange - 17 September
Our regular Knowledge Exchanges offer Community Link Workers the opportunity to hear from organisations and services that can support them and their clients. Our September event will feature presentations from MISS – Miscarriage Support, Breathing Space and Children in Scotland.

SCLWN Conference and Awards 2026 - 22 September
Booking is now open to everyone for our 2026 Annual Network Conference and Awards, which is taking place on 22 September at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. Maree Todd, Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol and Drugs will be delivering the first keynote speech of the day.

Carers' Awareness Training for CLWs - 6 October
Join us for VOCAL's Think Carer training, which is designed to support Community Link Workers across Scotland to confidently identify and support unpaid carers.

Good Practice - Gypsy/Traveller Communities - 22 October
Public Health Scotland's Good Practice Guide for engaging with Gypsy/Travellers supports health professionals to tailor public health messages to the community. We will be running a joint event with Public Health Scotland and Progress in Dialogue to support Community Link Workers in their work with gypsy/traveller communities. Save the date for now!

November Knowledge Exchange - 12 November
Our regular Knowledge Exchanges offer Community Link Workers the opportunity to hear from organisations and services that can support them and their clients. Our November event will feature presentations from Public Health Scotland's Confidence and Equity Teams (Vaccination and Screening), Action Against Stalking and Elevate Autism.

Peer Support and Wellbeing Session for CLWs - 25 November
Community Link Workers can only help others if they are looking after themselves. This session, led by Hilda Campbell from Cope Scotland, will focus on different support techniques, including mindfulness, to support Community Link Workers to manage their own mental health and wellbeing.

Visit our events page for more information on all of our events and to book your place!

Other Events, Training, Resources and Funding

National Autistic Society Training - August to October
National Autistic Society: Learn is hosting a number of training courses with places currently available across August, September and October. Whether you are looking to build confidence, strengthen inclusive practice, or develop specialist knowledge, their courses are designed to provide practical strategies that can be applied immediately within professional settings. Visit their website for more information.

Supporting Refugees in Healthcare Settings - 18 August
Join the Scottish Refugee Council for a Supporting Refugees in Healthcare Settings online learning session. This session is aimed at healthcare professionals and third sector organisations supporting refugees and people seeking asylum to access healthcare. Register for your free space here.

Public Health Scotland Winter Vaccines Webinar - 18 August
Public Health Scotland (PHS) is inviting you to hear more about this year’s winter vaccine programme and how they can support you to raise awareness and encourage uptake amongst those most at risk. This webinar is aimed at professionals and organisations who work with and support those who are eligible for the flu and/or COVID-19 vaccines. Please register here.

Community Safety and Trauma Webinar - 26 August
The Improvement Service is working with colleagues at Safer Communities Scotland to facilitate a webinar focusing on the interlinks between trauma-informed practice and community safety. This session will explore how adopting a trauma-informed approach can support effective and efficient community safety responses. Register your interest here.

Discovering New Perspectives in Suicide Prevention - 10 September
For World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, suicide prevention partners are collaborating with Abertay University to host a full-day conference which will create a space for shared learning on what makes a difference in suicide prevention. More information and book your place here.

Social Isolation and Loneliness Forum - 16 September
The Social Isolation and Loneliness Forum is co-chaired by Befriending Networks and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland. The September meeting will focus on loneliness amongst children and young people. Book now.

NHS Scotland Conference - 21 September
The annual NHS Scotland Conference will take place at Strathclyde University's Technology and Innovation Centre. The event's programme will showcase work towards transforming health and care services through collaboration. Find out more information here.

Voluntary Health Scotland Annual Conference - 2 November
Mark your calendars for this year's Annual Conference taking place at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. More details to follow soon.

MS-UK Awareness Session for Community Link Workers - 6 November
MS-UK is hosting an awareness raising session for community link workers and social prescribers to support their knowledge on multiple sclerosis. The session will explain the symptoms and impact of MS as well as provide details of how CLWs can get support for patients. Find out more information.

PSDS 2026 Bereavement Conference - 11 November
Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSDS) will be hosting their Bereavement Education Conference on 11 November. The conference will be a free, virtual, one-day event. Find out more information here.

Public Health Scotland Conference - 24 November
The Faculty of Public Health is partnering with Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Directors of Public Health Group on this year’s Conference. Join them to explore the theme – From Frameworks to Future: Realising Scotland’s Population Health Ambitions. Find out more and book your place here.

Connected Lives Dementia Training Events - August to February
Connected Lives Dementia Training is a series of training events which will run from August through to February. Go to Connected Lives Dementia Training for more information and to book your place.

Comedy Workshops - Supporting Wellbeing, Confidence and Connection
Anna Devitt runs workshops which use creativity, comedy and laughter to support wellbeing, confidence and connection. She incorporates elements of creativity and laughter-based approaches, including laughter yoga therapy. She is keen to work with CLWs. To find out more, please email Anna.

Equally Safe in Practice Training
Equally Safe in Practice (ESiP) aims to equip the Scottish workforce with the knowledge, understanding and the tools necessary to strengthen their practice, and to build and deliver robust services and systems that improve outcomes for women, children and young people.

Open Book Shared Reading and Creative Writing Sessions
Open Book runs over 1000 shared reading and creative writing sessions each year, for a diverse range of community and public participants across Scotland. They work in libraries, community centres, multicultural projects, healthcare settings, and prisons, to share the enjoyment of reading and use literature as a tool for building community.

Love to Move from Scottish Gymnastics
Love to Move is an age and dementia friendly, seated movement and exercise programme. The programme has its roots with gymnastics and uses specially designed coordination and bilaterally asymmetrical movement patterns, which are thought to increase a person’s cognitive reserve. Find out more here.

Scottish Government Funding for Grassroots Mental Health Projects
The Scottish Government has announced that it will invest an additional £15 million to support grassroots projects working to improve mental health and wellbeing in local communities. £99 million had been invested since the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund was launched in 2021 to help organisations support people earlier and closer to home.

£1 million Funding Boost for Charities Tackling Loneliness
The Scottish Government has announced an additional £1 million of funding for charities supporting people at risk of loneliness. The Equalities Minister Simita Kumar said that 52 organisations have had their funding extended to 2027. The money will support various community projects that support older people, carers, disabled people, and young parents.

News from across the Network

Engagement on National Outcomes for Community Link Workers
All SCLWN members should have received an invitation to join an optional online event in August to feedback on the draft national outcomes for CLWs which have been produced as part of the Scottish Government's review into the programme. Please contact Roisin if you need more information.

Roisin's Visit to North Ayrshire CLW Team
Roisin recently spent the afternoon with North Ayrshire's CLW team in Irvine to find out more about the work the team has been doing to support the Collaboration for Health Equity Scotland (CHES) work. She also heard about some of the team's recent successes and challenges. Thank you to everyone for making me so welcome. I am keen to visit other CLW teams, so please do get in touch if this would be of interest.

Social Prescribing Centre Stage at Realistic Medicine Conference
Social Prescribing featured prominently at the Chief Medical Officer's Realistic Medicine Conference in Glasgow last month. VHS delivered two workshops, 'Gender Related Inequalities and 'Missingness' in Health' and 'Connection at the Heart of Prevention: A Social Prescribing Approach'. Both sessions featured panels including SCLWN members Leeanne Killen from the North Ayrshire CLW team and Roseann Logan from The ALLIANCE (pictured above with VHS Chief Executive Tejesh Mistry and other panel members).

Primary Care Phased Investment Programme Report
The Primary Care Phased Investment Programme Reports, commissioned by the Scottish Government, worked across four sites (NHS Ayrshire & Arran; NHS Borders; Edinburgh City Health and Social Care Partnership; NHS Shetland) to test whether additional funding and structured quality improvement support could support multi-disciplinary team services.

The Art of Health - Weaving Wellbeing Across Scotland
Healing Arts Scotland 2026 events took place across Scotland from 15-19 June. As part of the week, we were delighted to host an evening reception 'The Art of Health: Weaving Wellbeing Across Scotland'. Gemma Pritchard-Woollett, Lead CLW for Clackmannanshire took part in a panel discussion focusing on the importance of arts and culture in health and wellbeing.

Subsidised Breaks in the West Highlands for CLWs
We have a longstanding partnership with Turadh which offers subsidised accommodation to CLWs in one of 3 beautiful properties in the West Highlands. We have had a number of CLWs take advantage of this offer previously and they have welcomed the opportunity to get away and relax. Please visit their website to find out more about the accommodation and costs. Please ensure you reference your job title as a community link worker on your application.

Other News

What Our New Prime Minister Thinks About Social Prescribing
Read this article from The National Academy of Social Prescribing to find out what the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, thinks about social prescribing.

Open Letter to the First Minister on Third Sector Reform
The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has published an open letter to the First Minister arguing that his personal involvement will be crucial to deliver the upcoming Third Sector Partnership.

Arthritis UK Survey on Osteoarthritis
As part of the development of the Osteoarthritis (OA) Hip and Knee Pathway with NHS Scotland CfSD ( Modernising Patient Pathway programme), Arthritis UK has worked with the Pathway Lead to develop this short survey to get people's views about living with OA of the hip and knee. Click here to access the survey.

2026 Election Policy Insights - Social Security Landscape
2026 Election Policy Insights, from the Centre for Public Policy, focuses on the social security landscape in Scotland. It provides an insightful overview into the impact of current policies and the way social security is financed, concluding that to sustainably tackle inequality in Scotland, the government must bolster its existing approach with preventative, system-level change.

State of Caring Survey 2026
Please help Carers Scotland to increase the reach of their State of Caring Survey by sharing it with your networks. They have created a Media Pack with sample text and graphics for you to use and you can download it here.

Exploring the Intersections Between Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Substance Use
Over the past year, the Protecting People team at the Improvement Service have led on a research and engagement project exploring the prevalence of, and relationship between, Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Substance Use. Their Learning Report, outlining the key findings, learning and recommendations for this work, is now available to read here.

LGBT+ People Facing Significant Health Inequalities
The Glasgow Centre for Population Health, has published a new report which sets out the significant health inequalities LGBT+ people face in Scotland, based on analysis of the latest census data. Issues relating to mental health were a particular concern, with gay and lesbian people reporting mental health conditions at twice the rate of heterosexual people - and bisexual and other sexual orientation groups reporting at rates three times higher.

Arts Engagement: A Public Health Lifeline
In this blog for Public Health Scotland, Dr Shahnoor Minhas Amin, Public Health Registrar, explains the powerful link between the arts and health, and why it’s a critical tool for tackling health inequalities.

Scottish Recovery Network Insight Report Published
The Scottish Recovery Network has published its second in a series of Insight Reports developed to increase knowledge and understanding of peer support in Scotland. Peer Support in Prevention and Early Intervention Insight Report sets out the role, impact and opportunities of embedding peer support in prevention and early intervention mental health services and supports.

Chief Medical Officer for Scotland Publishes Annual Report
The Chief Medical Officer for Scotland has published his annual report 2025-26: Our Path Ahead, framing the road map for the country’s health and care system. Across five chapters Professor Gregor Smith argues that Scotland is facing both “long-standing” and “rapidly emerging” challenges that are reshaping how systems respond to the change in what the public needs from health services.

Rural Communities Living in Quiet Crisis
The Poverty Alliance has published a new report: Taking Action on Rural Poverty Key Learning, which summarises a three-year project on the additional costs that people living in rural communities have to pay for, including food, transport, heating, childcare, and health and social care.

Report Highlights Stark Inequalities in Cancer Deaths Across Scotland
Cancer mortality rates were 74.4% higher in Scotland’s most deprived areas compared to its most affluent, according to a report published by Public Health Scotland.