Welcome to the February Network Newsletter!

​​​​Welcome to the February edition of the Network newsletter and a big hello and welcome to any new subscribers! In this month's news, we are very excited to launch our new films which showcase the work and impact of CLWs across Scotland. Find out more in our Network highlights section.

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.

SCLWN Annual Conference and Awards - get nominating! 
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. The Conference will include awards for the first time and the nomination process for the awards is now open. Please find further details on how to enter on our Conference webpage. We have also opened bookings via Programme Leads and Senior CLWs to ensure that every CLW programme can be represented on the day.

Introduction to Neurodiversity Workshop for CLWs - 1 April 2025
Neurodiversity refers to the natural variations in the human brain and encourages us to recognise the strengths of individuals who think, feel and experience the world differently. 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 Nelly Whaley, Training Manager from 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.

Knowledge Exchange - Key messages and presentations
Our 9th Knowledge Exchange took place last month. Thanks to all the CLWs who came along to listen to our speakers from the Singing for Health Network, Making Music and Breast Cancer Now. You can download the key messages and presentations here. 

Other Events, Training and Resources

The Cost of Living Crisis and Polish Community in Scotland - 11 March
The cost-of-living crisis has affected communities across Scotland, but Polish migrants, many in low-paid, precarious work and struggling with rising housing costs, face particular challenges. This event, from Feniks, will launch a research report which highlights the financial insecurity, language barriers, and difficulties accessing support services that impact this group. Find out more.

CHEX Annual Conference - 12 March
The CHEX Annual Conference will take place at the Barracks Conference Centre, Stirling, with a focus on turning knowledge and learning into action. Find more information and book your place here.

Continuing the Conversation: Population Health Framework - 20 March
VHS will be hosting a follow-up event with Public Health Scotland on the Population Health Framework. Continuing the Conversation on the Population Health Framework will take place online on 20 March and we would really encourage CLWs to join in this discussion, given the role of social prescribing in population health.

Applying a 'Missingness Lens' to Health Inequalities - 26 March
Join VHS at this event to explore missingness in healthcare and the impact on health inequalities. The event will feature guest speaker, Professor Andrea Williamson,  Professor of General Practice and Inclusion Health at the University of Glasgow.  Book your place here.

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 2025. Keynote speakers include Professor Sir Michael Marmot.

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.  This year’s programme will be delivered in a hybrid format, giving delegates the option to attend in-person or remotely via their virtual platform.  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.

The Scottish Recovery Network
The Scottish Recovery Network works with communities, organisations and services to support mental health recovery. The Network's latest newsletter is out now and you can read it 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.

Highlights from across the Network

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 and in the links below.

The Power of Community Link Workers

Community Link Workers-Patient Stories 

GP interviews-Community Link Workers' role in primary care

Overview of CLW service and SCLWN

We will be promoting these over the next few weeks, so please do share across your networks!  Huge thanks to everyone who took part and especially to Laura, Liam, Sophie and Rachel (pictured above with her client Peter) for all their help with filming last year.

Social Prescribing Day - share your celebrations and photos!
Social Prescribing Day will take place this year on 19 March. We want to hear what you are doing across to mark the day so that we can share your photos and stories on our webpage and across social media. Remember to use the hashtag #SocialPrescribingDay.  The National Academy of Social Prescribing has also created a useful Social Prescribing Day Toolkit.

Edinburgh CLW Network supports 1,400 Edinburgh medical students
Four years ago, Edinburgh's CLW Network and Edinburgh University delivered the first of many sessions introducing link working and social prescribing to medical students.  4 years on, they have reached nearly 1,400 aspiring doctors. Read more about this fantastic partnership in Alison's blog where Alison Leitch, Assistant Service Manager for Edinburgh CLW Network (pictured below) talks more about how the partnership started and where it has got to today with 1,400 medical students learning about social prescribing.

Other News

Mortality inequalities widen in England and Scotland
A new report reveals unprecedented widening of mortality inequalities across England and Scotland since the early 2010s. For the first time, city-specific mortality inequalities - that is the difference in death rates between the wealthiest and poorest areas - have been analysed across ten major British cities. The study was led by Dr David Walsh, Senior Lecturer in Health Inequalities at the University of Glasgow, in collaboration with Public Health Scotland.

Rural Delivery Plan survey published
We wanted to share the survey on RDP which has now been published. The survey is gathering views on a proposed vision for mainland rural Scotland; the draft Rural Delivery Plan Strategic Objectives; and the proposed key performance indicators which would be used to monitor rural Scotland; these views will be used to inform the final Vision, Strategic Objectives and Key Performance Indicators featured in the Rural Delivery Plan. The survey runs until 17 March 2025.

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill to be renamed 
A daily list of amendments has been published for the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill from Monday 17 February, with the bill set to be renamed as the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill. The amendments also provide further detail around measures to enshrine Anne’s Law into legislation, introduce universal information standards across the health and social care sector, create a National Chief Social Work Advisor post and retain measures to establish a legal right to breaks for unpaid carers. 

£60 million funding for child poverty charity pilots
The Scottish Government has announced more than £60 million for pilot projects on essential services and eradicating child poverty through the Fairer Funding pilot. The pilot will provide additional multi-year funding through 45 grants to organisations across Scotland. 

Petition to prioritise health and wellbeing at sporting events
Obesity Action Scotland and the Scottish Obesity Alliance are leading a petition to prioritise health and well-being at sporting events in Scotland. High fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) food are detrimental to public health and contribute to Scotland’s rising obesity rates, particularly among children.

Improving lives for people with learning disabilities
People with learning disabilities will be supported to reach their full potential through a £1.6 million fund.  The Learning Disability Support Fund will be available to third sector organisations to enable them to promote equality and inclusion and improve access to health services and social activities for people with learning disabilities.

British Liver Trust  - Big Yellow Friday Campaign
On Friday 7^th March, the British Liver Trust is holding its Big Yellow Friday Campaign to raise awareness and funds for Children’s Liver Disease. More information about how to get involved or register an event can be found here.

UK Poverty 2025: The essential guide to understanding poverty
The report from The Joseph Rowntree Foundation sets out the scale of the action necessary from the government to deliver the change it promised in the lead up to last year’s general election.  Read the report here.

£5 million funding awarded to Glasgow to tackle health inequalities
Glasgow has been awarded £5 million research funding over the next five years to help improve the lives of citizens and tackle health inequalities. Following a successful development year, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has now confirmed the grant to the partnership consisting of the Council, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS, the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde. You can read more information about the research here.

£1.5 million to support delivery of compassionate, high-quality care
Women can expect improved miscarriage care Public Health and Women’s Health Minister Jenni Minto has pledged, after unveiling a new framework, backed by £1.5 million funding. Read more about the framework.

Report shows 3 million people living in homes bad for their health
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has produced a report A Place for Health in which 3 million people say that they live in homes which are bad for their health.  The RSPH is calling for a step change in how we consider health – embedding it across every area of our society, rather than leaving it as an issue solely to be considered by medical professionals in the NHS.

Ethnic Minority Development Fund
The Ethnic Minority Development Fund (EMDF) is available to any ethnic minority-led voluntary or community organisation in Scotland. The EMDF has been developed in partnership between CEMVO Scotland and The National Lottery Community Fund.  More here.

The Robertson Trust - Small Grants
Small Grants focuses on work that addresses the impacts of poverty and trauma.  More information here.