Welcome to the December 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 information about our next next knowledge exchange event and our first Network conference in May 2023.  We also have updates from Glasgow and Edinburgh CLW programmes.

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. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter @ScotCLWnetwork.

Finally, wishing you all a very happy festive season and see you in 2023!

Events, Workshops and Training

Scottish Community Link Worker Network: Knowledge Exchange Event 19th January 2023, 10-12noon online

The Scottish Community Link Worker Network will be hosting its second Knowledge Exchange Event on 19th January 2023 from 10-12 noon.  The event will feature speakers from the Money and Pensions Service and Families Outside.  

Sarah Rogers from Families Outside has also written a blog for our Network's webpages which has lots more information about the support they can provide to families impacted by imprisonment, training resources which Community Link Workers can access and how Community Link Workers can refer people who may need their help. 

Scottish Community Link Worker Network Annual  Conference 2023 - keynote speaker announced!

We now have a date booked in for The Scottish Community Link Worker Network Annual Conference which will take place on Wednesday 24th May 2023 at The Studio, Hope Street, Glasgow.  This will be a fantastic opportunity for the Network to come together in-person for the first time. We are pleased to announce that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has agreed to be our keynote speaker. We will be working with the Network's Advisory and Working Groups to plan an interesting and thought-provoking event. However, we are keen to hear from across the Network in terms of ideas on what you would like to see in the programme.  So do get in touch with Roisin if you have any ideas you would like to put forward.  We want the conference to be a celebration of the achievements of community link workers in supporting their communities and working alongside primary care colleagues to address health inequalities. 

Audit Scotland Focus Groups

As part of their ongoing performance audit of adult mental health services in Scotland, Audit Scotland recently facilitated online focus groups in November. The focus groups were hosted by Voluntary Health Scotland and were attended by members of the Scottish Community Link Worker Network.

The focus groups provided the community link workers with an opportunity to share their experiences of helping people access mental health services and contribute to the ongoing improvement of adult mental health services in Scotland. Some of the topics discussed included:

• Community Link Workers’ experiences of helping people to access timely and appropriate mental health support and the challenges they face in doing so
• Their experiences of being able to find the right type of support for people when they need it
• Steps that could be taken to improve adult mental health services in Scotland
• The impact of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis on people’s mental health and the availability and delivery of mental health services
• The mental health and wellbeing of Community Link Workers themselves and the support available to them.

Findings from the two focus groups will contribute to Audit Scotland’s final report which is expected to be published in June 2023. For more information about the audit please visit here

NES: Public Protection Information

NES would like to make the Network aware of the information they have on public protection on the TURAS Learning Platform. For more information, please visit their webpage on Public Protection

Highlights from the Network

Edinburgh Community Link Worker Network

The Edinburgh Community Link Worker Network's 2021/22 Annual Review is now available to read and contains lots of interesting information about the year's activity!

Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership - Elemental User Group

Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership is currently piloting Elemental's social prescribing platform.  They are very keen to meet up with other social prescribers and Community Link Worker programmes across Scotland who also use Elemental.  If you would be interested in meeting (via Teams) or perhaps even contemplating a user group, please contact Anne Crandles

Glasgow City HSCP Community Link Worker Programme Annual Report

Nicola Bissett, Health Improvement Lead for Community Link Workers at Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership is pleased to announce the publication of their annual report. She comments below on the previous year's activities:

"We are delighted to announce the publication of the Glasgow City HSCP Community Link Worker Programme Annual Report 2021/22 which highlights our main developments and some of the excellent work carried out during this this challenging period."

The summer 2021 saw significant growth in the Glasgow City HSCP Community Link Worker (CLW) Programme along with increased specialist posts across the city area. This was at a time where the majority of CLWs were returning to full time, GP practice-based working in line with COVID-19 safety guidance.  

Along with return to practice, CLWs reported supporting high numbers of people to help mitigate some of the increasing impacts of poverty, and mental health & wellbeing issues along with strengthening connections to developing community resources".

Glasgow City HSCP CLW Locality Forums

CLW Locality Forums have been running in Glasgow City since December 2021, initially online and moving to in-person meetings from August 2022.  

The forums are facilitated by Health Improvement staff from the programme. CLWs are able to spend time with colleagues across organisations, sharing knowledge and resources as well as having a chance to discuss challenges and successes experienced by them in a supportive environment. There’s opportunity for both formal and informal discussion with focus placed on the opportunity to connect with colleagues out-with the day to day work environment.  

Topics covered within forums over the past year include staff wellbeing, gaps/challenges in services and emerging areas of discussion from local CLW teams.  

Quotes from CLWs: 

“Nice break from all the training and busy daily schedules - opportunity to meet colleagues face to face.” 

“I found out about resources and supports I didn’t know of and how to refer.” 

Scottish Community Link Worker Network Working Group - new members!

I am pleased to let you know that we have four new faces on the Network's Working Group. They are: Abelomai Luncheon and Diana Collins from The Alliance, Kieron McIlveen from North Ayrshire and Lynn Anderson from South Ayrshire.  Welcome to all of them and we look forward to working with them on the Network's activity over the coming year!