Welcome to April's

 Newsletter 

​​​We hope you all had a good break over the Easter period.  As always our newsletter has the usual roundup of news and events, including the latest about our 2026 Conference.

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

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

Cruse Scotland Training in Compassionate Conversations - 30 April
As these proved so popular earlier in the year, we will be running some more Compassionate Conversations sessions in partnership with Cruse Scotland.  The session focuses on how to talk compassionately about death, dying and bereavement.  Find out more and book your place.

SCLWN May Knowledge Exchange - 7 May
Our next Knowledge Exchange will focus on neurodiversity and mental health and will feature speakers from Penumbra, Autism Scotland and Neurodivergent Birth Support. Find out more and register here.

SCLWN and YGam Training - 13 May
The Scottish Community Link Worker Network is working again with award-winning charity Ygam to offer CLWs their City and Guilds Gaming and Gambling Harm Prevention Training. Find out more and register here.

SCLWN Leads Peer Support - 3 June
In the latest of our peer support events for CLW Programme Leads, we will hear from North Ayrshire’s CLW team about their work on Arran, where they are delivering programmes focusing on smoking cessation and weigh-to-go interventions.  Find out more and register here.

SCLWN Coffee and Conversations - 9 June 
In this lunchtime catch up, we will be discussing training, supervision and support for CLWs. Is there training you have had recently that has really helped you in your role?  What training would be helpful? What does good supervision look like for you?  Find out more and register here.

Update: SCLWN Conference and Awards 2026 - 22 September
Our 2026 Annual Network Conference and Awards, 'Rooted in Communities, Growing Together,' will take place on 22 September at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh. We have recently written to Programme Leads about submitting workshop proposals for the Conference and to everyone across the Network about nominations for our 2026 Awards. Further information about registration for the Conference will be announced shortly.

March Knowledge Exchange - Presentations and Key Messages 
The presentations and key messages from our recent Knowledge Exchange are available to download from our website. Feel free to share with colleagues.

Unlocking Change: Motivational Interviewing Training for CLWs
Do you ever feel more invested in a person's change than they are? Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence‑based counselling approach that helps people explore their own motivation and resolve uncertainty about change. It is especially valuable when individuals feel stuck, overwhelmed, or ambivalent about changes to improve health outcomes. 

Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) is a trusted national leader in workforce development in Scotland and has delivered high‑quality MI training to Scotland’s health and social care workforce, including CLWs in Shetland and Angus. MI skills support meaningful conversations where confidence is low, desire for change is unclear, or mixed feelings are holding someone back.

SDF’s training is practical, interactive, and designed to strengthen your ability to engage people who are unsure about change. You’ll learn how to help individuals build their own motivation and confidence to change, leading to improved health outcomes.  Learn more here - SDF Learning Centre website.

Other Events, Training and Resources

Calling all CLWs - Write a Blog for Green Health Week
Nature Scot is looking for blogs and case studies to mark Green Health Week which will take place from 18th to 24th May. If you would be interested in sharing a case study of when you have prescribed green health, then we want to hear from you. Please contact Roisin if you are interested in contributing. 

VHS Gender and Health Research Launch - 19 May
Join VHS online on 19 May as we unveil our latest research project on Gender and Health. Sarah Latto, our Policy and Public Affairs Lead, will walk us through the publication and we'll hear from some of our member organisations who contributed to this project. Find out more information and book your place.

VHS and CEMVO Anti-Racism Guidance Workshop - 9 June
This Anti-Racism Guidance online workshop, hosted in collaboration with CEMVO Scotland, aims to empower participants to be anti-racist and to be an effective ally. You will be able to refresh your understanding of human rights and anti-racism key principles - some basic prior knowledge will be assumed - as well as develop tools for change through spheres of influence and practising an anti-racist mindset. Click here for more information and to book your place.

SVIP National Conference 2026 - 11 June
Registration is open for those who would like to attend this Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) event hosted by Public Health Scotland at Perth Concert Hall. To register, please visit their event page.  

Healing Arts Scotland Week - 15-19 June
Check out the Healing Arts Scotland 2026 website to find out about all the events taking place across Scotland during the week. Key dates include Tuesday 16 June in Dumfries and Galloway, Wednesday 17 June in Edinburgh/Lothians and Friday 19 June in Glasgow.  VHS will be hosting an evening reception on 18 June at the Grassmarket Community Project in Edinburgh.  We are looking for two member organisations to speak on a panel about how their organisations use the arts and/or creativity to promote health and wellbeing.  If you have any questions, please get in touch and if you would like to showcase your organisation, fill in this form.

Save The Date - Realistic Medicine Conference - 19 June
The 2026 Realistic Medicine Conference will take place on Friday 19 June at Strathclyde University Technology and Innovation Centre. More information to follow, but save the date for now.

Social Isolation and Loneliness Forum - 16 June and 16 September
The Social Isolation and Loneliness Forum is co-chaired by Befriending Networks and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland. The June meeting will focus on post-election reflections and planning for the future. Book Now. 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 on Monday 21 September at the Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC), University of Strathclyde.   The event programme will showcase work towards Transforming Health and Care Services through Collaboration. More information about the conference will be announced soon.

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. 

2026 Bereavement Conference - 11 November
NHS Education Scotland (NES) will be hosting the 2026 Bereavement Education Conference on 11 November. The conference will be a free, virtual, one-day event. More information will be confirmed over the coming months.

NASP Case Study - Cost Effectiveness of Social Prescribing
The National Academy of Social Prescribing (NASP) has published a case study: Cost-Effectiveness of Social Prescribing. The case study shows strong results among people with mental health conditions and complex needs.

VHS and The Alliance Hustings Event - Key Messages
Almost 100 attendees joined VHS and The ALLIANCE to hear representatives from the six main political parties in Scotland share their views on a range of issues related to health, prevention, and the third sector. Read the event summary and key messages.

Election 2026: Toolkit for Third Sector Health Organisations
VHS has developed a handy Election 2026 Toolkit stacked with useful information and resources for influencing candidates and parties. More content will be added to the web page in the weeks to come. View our Election 2026 Toolkit. 

EQ Cafe - Supporting the Role of Connection
EQ Cafe is a membership community, working collaboratively to accelerate the improvement of care in the UK and Ireland. They learn together, support each other and share insights to address health system challenges. They host regular workshops to practise emotional intelligence and explore the role of connection.

CHEX Conference 2026 Report
The CHEX Conference 2026 brought together more than 70 people to explore the role that community organisations play in addressing Scotland's health inequalities. This report summarises the event and how community-led responses can support Scotland’s policy direction around prevention.

Free Courses For Social Prescribers on TURAS
Don't forget to check out the TURAS social prescribing landing page.  The page has lots of free courses which will be of interest to link workers, social prescribers and the wider third sector. If there are other courses you would like included on the page, please get in touch with Roisin.

News from across the Network

Social Prescribing Day 2026
It was great to hear how community link worker teams marked Social Prescribing Day on 26 March. You can see above how some of the teams celebrated the day including Brenda , a CLW from Inverclyde who received a beautiful plant from her GP practice as a thank you!  Erika, a CLW from Orkney was interviewed on the radio!  You can listen to her interview on BBC Radio Orkney. We also held a Knowledge Exchange event with contributions from Sleep Action, Big Health and Epilepsy Scotland. 

Scottish Green Party Manifesto Commitment to Community Link Workers
The Scottish Green Party have committed to embedding community link workers in all GP practices in Scotland as one of their key manifesto pledges. You can read more here.

NHS Highland Publish Annual Service Report of CLW Programme
NHS Highland have published their annual report of the third year of the CLW programme. The report showcases key data insights, case studies, patient and GP practice staff feedback, plus priorities for the year ahead.

Update on National Review of Community Link Workers
Members of the Network recently participated in a fourth workshop with Evaluation Support Scotland to develop draft national outcomes for community link workers as part of Scottish Government's National Review of the programme. The draft outcomes will be shared and tested soon with the wider Network and other stakeholders. 

A Knowledge and Skills Framework for CLWs is currently being developed by an established Working Group facilitated by Public Services Delivery Scotland and the Scottish Government. During May 2026, a draft of the initial building blocks will be shared more widely to gather feedback before further refinement. The Scottish Community Link Worker Network will be a key source of insight for this engagement. Please look out for further information and encourage colleagues to take part in the process.

Welcome to New CLWs!
A warm welcome to the Network to Maebh Kenny-Jones who has joined the Edinburgh CLW team and Stephanie Docherty who has joined the Inverclyde CLW team. We look forward to welcoming you both to a Network event soon.

Change Mental Health Manifesto Launch
Roisin attended Change Mental Health's recent manifesto launch. Its Manifesto - Put Kids First - focuses on standing up for Scotland's next generation. Change Mental Health employs Highland's community link workers. 

Other News

State of the Nation Report Published on Sport and Physical Activity
The Scottish Government has published its Sport and Physical Activity: State of the Nation report, providing an overview of activity levels across Scotland between 2014 and 2024 using national survey data.  The findings highlight persistent inequalities, with lower activity levels among women, older people, those in more deprived areas and disabled people. 

Scottish Government Publishes Scotland’s Carers 2026 Report
The Scottish Government has published Scotland’s Carers, 2026: Main Report, providing an updated picture of unpaid carers and their circumstances across Scotland.  

Catalysts for Change: A 10-year strategic Plan
Scottish Recovery Network's new 10-year strategic plan, 'Catalysts for Change', sets out their vision, role, and ambitions for reshaping Scotland’s mental health system over the next decade. It outlines how, through collaboration, we can build a recovery-focused mental health system powered by lived experience and strengthened by peer support.  Read the full plan here.

Public Services Delivery Scotland Formed on 1st April
NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and NHS Education for Scotland have merged to become Public Services Delivery Scotland. Read the press release  

Scottish Government Publishes NHS Progress Report for 2025-2026
The Scottish Government has published A Year of Progress: Driving Improvement and Building a Stronger NHS, outlining progress across health and social care during 2025-2026 and setting out the next phase of reform.

SPICe Briefing on Preventative Spend
SPICe has published a briefing on preventative spend in Scotland which outlines how demographic change, particularly Scotland’s ageing population and post-pandemic pressures, has significantly increased demand on public services, raising concerns about long-term financial sustainability.

Latest Poverty Statistics Published
The Scottish Government has released Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2022-25 and Persistent Poverty in Scotland 2010-24, providing updated data on income and poverty trends. The statistics show that around 17% of people (940,000) were living in relative poverty after housing costs between 2022 and 2025. Children remain the most affected group, with 21% in relative poverty.

YUNUS Centre's Common Health Assets Reports Published
The YUNUS Centre for Social Business and Health at Glasgow Caledonian University has shared some recent research reports developed for the community partners who worked with them in the CommonHealth Assets project.  A full set of reports (which have been tailored for each organisation and their activities) can be found on the CommonHealth Assets website.