Welcome to the August Network Newsletter!

The Newsletter brings together news, stories and events which we hope will be of interest to the Network. 

In this month's edition we have details of a Network event in September to support community link workers' wellbeing and resilience, as well as exciting news about a panel session on Realistic Medicine at VHS's annual conference which will feature Alison Leitch and Elaine Lamont from the Network's working group.  We hope you enjoy reading the Newsletter and please do send us your ideas of stories for future editions. 

The Scottish Community Link Worker Network is the national network, developed and  facilitated by VHS, for primary care community link working in Scotland. Please visit our webpage for the latest blogs, reports and information about the Network.

Events and Training

Scottish Community Link Worker Network: Knowledge Exchange Event - 1st September 2022 

We will be holding our first Knowledge Exchange Event on 1st September from 10am-12noon online (via Zoom). The event will feature speakers from Social Security Scotland and The Energy Saving Trust who will be talking about the support they can provide to householders and how Community Link Workers can engage with their services. Please note that we only have waiting list places available for this. However we will circulate presentations from both organisations and key messages after the event.

Scottish Community Link Worker Network: Supporting Community Link Workers' Wellbeing and Resilience

Wednesday 14th September 2022, 10.00am - 12 noon via Zoom

As we approach autumn and winter, we know that it is going to be a difficult time, with many people struggling to cope with the increased cost of living.  While CLWs will be a vital support to many people during the coming months, it is also important that they take care of their own mental wellbeing and resilience.

The Scottish Community Link Worker Network is delighted to be joined for this session by Janine Rennie, Chief Executive of Wellbeing Scotland. Wellbeing Scotland is a voluntary organisation with services across Scotland. They provide a wide range of holistic services for individuals and families whose life experiences have impacted negatively on their wellbeing, as well as bespoke training and consultancy to organisations. Janine will be running an introductory taster session on mental wellbeing. The session will focus on what CLWs can do to manage their resilience and wellbeing.  Janine will also talk about some of the other support and training that Wellbeing Scotland provides to organisations. For more information and to book a place, please click here

Holyrood's Health and Care Festival: 6-8th September 2022

Ahead of speaking at Holyrood's Health and Care Festival, Alison Leitch from Edinburgh's CLW Programme has written an article about the impact that social prescribing can have on people's health and wellbeing. You can read her article here.  The Festival, which takes place over 3 days in September will focus on the steps that the Scottish Government will be taking to strengthen the health and care system and tackle the challenges it faces, with the first day focusing on Primary Care.  

Voluntary Health Scotland Annual Conference: 26th October 2022: Panel Session on the role of CLWs in Realistic Medicine

Fair Health - Who Gets It?

We are excited to announce that two members of the Network's Working Group - Alison Leitch, Edinburgh HSCP and Elaine Lamont, NHS Dumfries and Galloway - will be taking part in a panel session on Realistic Medicine at VHS's Annual Conference on Wednesday 26 October in Glasgow.

The session will be an opportunity for delegates to gain new perspectives into the vital role that Community Link Workers play in the realisation of Realistic Medicine and the mitigation of health inequalities; the strategic and working relationship between link workers, primary care and the third sector and the expanding interest in other forms of social prescribing.

Alison and Elaine will be joined on the panel by Roddy Samson, Welfare Advice Service Facilitator at The Improvement Service and Anna Baxendale, Head of Health Improvement at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.  We would love to see CLWs at the conference - to find out more and to book a place, click here

Inaugural Scottish Community Link Worker Network Conference 2023

We are planning to host our first Network Conference in Spring 2023. This will be a fantastic opportunity for the Network to come together in-person. We will be working with the Network's Advisory and Working Groups to plan an interesting and thought-provoking day that celebrates community link workers and the impact they have on people's wellbeing. We are interested to hear the Network's ideas for the Conference, so please do contact Roisin with your suggestions.

Age Scotland: Dementia Training

The Dementia Training team at Age Scotland offers a range of friendly, informative workshops raising awareness of dementia, the signs and symptoms and how to be inclusive of people living with dementia.  The team also offers carers’ rights workshops, covering such topics as The Carers (Scotland) Act, Power of Attorney, Self-directed Support and Welfare Benefits for carers.  Visit their training calendar to find out more.  In addition, Age Scotland provides a range of workshops on other topics.

Age Scotland is planning an online Coffee Conversations event later this year (date tbc) which will focus on carer wellbeing. In these bi-monthly events, they explore different topics relating to dementia and carers, in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. They normally invite a couple of speakers, and encourage participants to share their ideas, questions and experiences. They will pass on information and resources and generally keep the conversation going. They would be interested in inviting a couple of Community Link Workers to come along to this event and share their experiences in supporting carers. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, please email Rachel Davison or call Rachel on 0131 668 8043.

PASDA – supporting families of autistic adults in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Susan Chambers, Pasda Convenor, outlines the support that PASDA can provide to families of autistic adults and how CLWs can access this

PASDA was established over 25 years ago to guide parent-carers to find appropriate help for their adult family member. This is still the case as there is remarkably little post-diagnostic support for families with an autistic family member or assistance to find the diagnostic pathway. The waiting list for a diagnosis is still very long and the waiting time for mental health appointments is over 3 years. Although autism is not a mental health condition the lack of appropriate support often leads to mental health problems such as high anxiety and depression.

PASDA provides:

1 A private session to discuss individual situations with someone who has lived experience

2 A printed or electronic guide to services in the Lothians

3 Information sessions e.g guardianship, Power of Attorney, benefits

4 Social events e.g. coffee mornings, guided walks, festive events.  The social events are often cathartic for carers as they realise they are not alone. They are usually lonely and isolated as nobody has believed or listened to them for a long time, even other close family members. They may have been rejected by their GP after being told their family member can’t be autistic as they make eye contact and have good speech. These are guidelines and based on research over 20 years ago.

5 A bi-monthly programme of workshops by a psychologist who is autistic and has an adult autistic son. The workshops provide practical help and advice to recognise the causes of autistic behaviour often related to high anxiety. Armed with knowledge the parent-carer can provide a more harmonious environment for their adult family member.

For more information, please go to PASDA where you can also download PASDA's guide to services

Highlights from the Network

Scottish Community Link Worker Network: Policy and Research Officer

We are pleased to announce that Findlay Smith is going to be joining VHS as our new part-time Policy and Research Officer for the Scottish Community Link Worker Network.  The Policy and Research Officer is a new role, designed to further develop and strengthen the profile, capacity, impact and influence of the Scottish Community Link Worker Network.  The role will champion the community link worker agenda at a national level and be a resource that supports and enables the Network to engage with policy opportunities. Findlay who is currently finishing his PhD in International Politics at Aberystwyth University will start his new role on Monday 5th September and can be contacted at  Findlay Smith from 5th September. 

Edinburgh Community Link Worker Programme explores the impact of community link working on social isolation in Edinburgh 

The Edinburgh CLW Network and Edinburgh Social Care Partnership have been looking into the impact of community link working on social isolation.  The Scottish Government paper “A Connected Scotland: Tackling social isolation and loneliness and building stronger social connections” reflects Scotland’s experience of social isolation and considers how it could begin to address these challenges. In direct response to this paper Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership and Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) initiated a test of change looking at the impact of community link working on social isolation 
in an elderly population, in the south west of Edinburgh. Read about their findings in their report Social Isolation Management Project Evaluation 

And click here to read Edinburgh CLW Programme's summer newsletter. You can also follow Edinburgh's Community Link Workers on Twitter @Edinburgh_CLW

Highland Community Link Worker Project

Highland Community Link Worker Project produces a monthly newsletter for their CLW programme. Please contact Beth Mackintosh if you want to find out more and subscribe. 

They are still recruiting for two CLW positions in Inverness and Wick - so do look out for these on their website.  For more information about their CLW programme, please go to Highland Community Link Worker Project They also have a short animation Support in Mind Scotland Community Link Workers - YouTube