Welcome to the September

Network Newsletter!

​​​​Welcome to the September edition of the Network newsletter and a big hello and welcome to new members of the Network.

Our latest edition has all the latest information on useful resources, events and updates from the Network

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 booking details, presentations and key messages from all of our SCLWN events on our events page. 

VHS Consultation Event: Chronic Pain - 7 October
The Scottish Government has opened a consultation looking at its Quality Prescribing for Chronic Pain guide for improvement 2026-2029. One of the areas it would like views on is non-pharmacological approaches to chronic pain, including social prescribing. VHS is planning to respond to the consultation reflecting the views and experiences of our VHS and SCLWN members and stakeholders. Sign up here to an online event on 7 October, where you can hear more about the consultation and share your views.  

VHS Annual Conference - 28 October
Booking is still open for Voluntary Health Scotland's annual conference,  'Collaboration for Change'. The event will explore how collaboration is used within the sector to define priorities, strengthen partnerships, and lay the groundwork for a healthier, fairer Scotland. Members of the SCLWN benefit from a discount.  For more information about the conference, please visit VHS Annual Conference – Collaboration for Change.

YGam Gaming and Gambling Harm Prevention Training - 6 November
Following a successful training event in June, YGam is offering another opportunity for CLWs to benefit from their City and Guilds accredited Gaming and Gambling Harm Prevention Training. Find out more and book your place here.

Knowledge Exchange - 25 November 2025
Our next Knowledge Exchange will take place on 25 November and will feature presentations from Social Security Scotland, Beat which is the UK's eating disorder charity and the team from Edinburgh and Glasgow universities who support people living with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Find out more and book your place here.

TURAS Social Prescribing Landing Page
We have added some new courses to the TURAS social prescribing landing page including courses supporting people with Long Covid, support for unpaid carers and emotional wellbeing. The page is available for link workers, social prescribers and colleagues in the third sector, so please do share with your colleagues. If there are other courses you would like included on the page, please get in touch with Roisin.

SCLWN Knowledge Exchange - Key Messages and Presentations
Our September Knowledge Exchange featured speakers from Versus Arthritis and the the Baby Loss Collaborative. Download the presentations and read the key messages here.  

SCLWN and Macmillan ICJ Event - Key Messages and Presentations
We held our first joint event with the Improving Cancer Journey Link Workers and teams from Macmillan to share learning and good practice. Download the presentations and read the key messages here.

Other Events, Training and Resources

Bipolar Scotland National Conference 2025 - 9 October
Bipolar Scotland is hosting Time for Transformation – a landmark national conference at the COSLA Conference Centre in Edinburgh. This one-day event will bring together professionals, academics, clinicians, and those with lived experience to explore urgent issues facing people with bipolar in Scotland. Find out more and book your place. 

Carers Parliament Event - 30 October
With a new Scottish Parliament to be elected next year, Carers Scotland will be looking at 2026 and beyond to address the main priorities for unpaid carers and how their lives can improve. Carers Scotland has online places available for this event and you can find out more and register here. 

Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care Conference - 12 November
As someone approaches the end of life they may need a range of supports – from health services, social care services, the welfare system, and from family, friends and their communities. This event will explore how this complex web of supports can work more effectively to improve people’s experiences of living with serious illness, dying and bereavement. View the Conference Programme and book tickets here.

NHS Education Scotland Annual Conference - 23 and 24 April 2026
NES is hosting its Annual Conference online over two days on Thursday 23 & Friday 24 April 2026.  The theme of the 2026 Conference is Collaborate. Innovate. Transform: Delivering change towards improving health, social care and other public services in Scotland. Further details can be found on the website here including information on how to submit a proposal to host a seminar at the event.

Emilie's Blog - The Story So Far with Social Prescribing Research
Emilie McSwiggan, a PhD student at The University of Edinburgh, has written a blog looking at what we have learnt so far from research into social prescribing. Research on social prescribing is booming just now, but what more do we know as a result?  Read her blog here.

Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis
Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis is a national UK charity, bringing people together to drive change so more people affected by pulmonary fibrosis can live well for longer. People living with lung scarring, their loved ones and the professionals caring for them are at the heart of everything they do. They provide support, information, education, help a growing network of support groups and raise awareness of pulmonary fibrosis. To find out more about the organisation and its services and how it can support link workers, please contact Alison Stewart who is their Support Network Co-ordinator in Scotland.

News from across the Network

The Health and Social Care Alliance launch Humans of Scotland report
The ALLIANCE recently hosted an event to launch its Community Links Worker edition of Humans of Scotland which brings together a collection of stories that reflect the diverse experiences of those who have engaged with the link worker programme. It is well worth a read!

Scottish Government National CLW Review
Over the next three months, a number of CLWs along with Programme and HSCP Leads from across the Network will be participating in a series of workshops led by Evaluation Support Scotland. The aim of the workshops is to start to develop a set of high-level outcomes that describe the impact of Community Link Workers in Primary Care at a national level. This work will support the data, evaluation and outcomes work stream of the Scottish Government's national review of community link working which is due to report next year.

Network Teams Channels - sign up and start chatting
Just a reminder that we have two Teams channels, one each for community link workers and programme leads to enable everyone to ask questions and share resources. If you want to be added to one of the Teams channels, please contact Roisin.

Edinburgh CLW Service launches 2024-25 report
Edinburgh Community Link Worker Service launched its annual report for 2024-25 at a recent event in Edinburgh which celebrated the incredible impact of community link workers in primary care.

Other News

Annual alcohol-specific deaths for Scotland published
The National Records of Scotland revealed that 1,185 people died from alcohol-specific causes which is a 7% decrease from the previous year. However, these alcohol-specific deaths do not include all deaths that can be attributed to alcohol. These outcomes have a devastating impact on the families and loved ones affected by alcohol harm. Read the article by Rebecca Bradley from Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs about Scotland's deeply unhealthy relationship with alcohol and its impact on families.

Partnership urges action over Scotland's mental health
Leaders across health, care and charitable organisations are calling for 'bold and decisive action' from Scotland’s next government to tackle what they say is a nationwide mental health crisis.  In a joint election manifesto ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, 17 organisations have demanded the next set of ministers improves mental health literacy, increases early intervention and prevention and support patient care and treatment choice.

RCGP Scotland launches manifesto
The Royal College of General Practitioners (Scotland) has launched its manifesto ahead of the Scottish Parliament's elections next year. Among its manifesto asks are restoring general practice's share of NHS funding and making preventive care a priority across all parts of the system.

SPICe briefings published
SPICe has published two briefings recently which may be of interest to CLWs - one is a briefing on barriers to physical inactivity and potential policy solutions and the other is a briefing on men’s mental health in Scotland. 

Scottish Government highlights Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
The Scottish Government has highlighted at least 880,000 pensioners will receive the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment from November to help with heating their home. Most people will receive their payment automatically and will receive between £101.70 and £305.10.

Poverty in Scottish Rural and Island Communities Report released
The Office of the Chief Social Policy Adviser at Scottish Government has released their report. It is focused primarily on understanding the changing nature and context of poverty in Scottish rural and island communities since 2010. 

Scotland’s drug misuse deaths fall by 13% in 2024
The Scottish Government has highlighted that the number of deaths caused by drug misuse fell by 13% to 1,017 in 2024 – the lowest level registered since 2017. According to statistics published by National Records of Scotland, there were 155 fewer deaths in 2024 compared to the previous year.

SCVO Scottish Parliamentary election manifesto
SCVO has published its manifesto for May’s upcoming elections, setting out the important role the community and third sector play in our society. The focus is on delivering fairer funding, creating a partnership of equals between sectors, commissioning with communities, modernising regulation, securing volunteering, and amplifying the voice of the sector.

Scottish Government announces new service to support veteran health
The Scottish Government has announced veterans will now have access to an independent clinical review on long-term military-related injuries or conditions through a new service called Veterans in Service Injury Network. The new service which is supported by £50,000 annual Scottish Government funding will be hosted by NHS Highland and will be available across Scotland.

Scottish Health Equity Research Unit - 2025 Inequality Landscape Report
Scottish Health Equity Research Unit (SHERU) launched their 2025 Inequality Landscape report at the recent Fraser of Allander Institute Conference. The report looks at health and socio-economic inequality in Scotland in 2025, highlighting the persistent policy blind spot affecting a subset of younger men at risk of dying from drugs, alcohol or suicide.