No images? Click here
Welcome to the May Network Newsletter!
The Newsletter brings together news, stories and events which we hope will be of interest to the Network.
We have just celebrated our first annual Network conference which saw over 140 CLWs and Programme Leads come together in person at The Studio in Glasgow! We are now looking forward to Knowledge Exchange event on 8th June with speakers from Kidney Research UK and Age Scotland.
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
Events, Workshops and Training
Scottish Community Link Worker Network Conference
We had a fantastic day at our first annual Conference on Wednesday 24 May at The Studio in Glasgow. A massive thank you to all our wonderful speakers, workshop facilitators, panellists, exhibitors and most importantly all of the Network's wonderful CLWs, especially those of you who travelled long distances to be there. Feedback about the day has been overwhelming positive and we have lots of suggestions from you all to take forward for next year. We have already uploaded some presentations and blogs from the day and will publish key messages and photos from the day soon, so do keep an eye on our webpage for these.
Knowledge Exchange Event - 8 June 2023
We are pleased to announce our third Knowledge Exchange event will take place on Tuesday 8 June 2023 from 10-12pm. We will be joined by Doug Anthoney, Health and Wellbeing Manager at Age Scotland and Bushra Riaz Policy Lead for Scotland from Kidney Research UK. We still have some places available, so don't miss out!
TURAS learning resources for community link workers
Following our training and development needs review last year, we have been working with NES to put together a dedicated social prescribing landing page on the TURAS learning platform for community link workers and social prescribers. The dedicated page contains lots of courses including topics like health literacy, realistic medicine and mental health which we hope will be beneficial to you in your roles. Thanks to Julie and Alison from Edinburgh CLW programme for their help with this. We will continue to develop the page, so please do let us know if there are other resources you would like included. You will need a TURAS account to access the courses; to set up an account, just click the 'register' button at the top of the page.
Other
Encouraging Physical Activity in the management of Musculoskeletal Conditions - 7 June 2023
This free online webinar from Versus Arthritis takes place on Wednesday 7 June from 7-8pm and is aimed at healthcare professionals who treat and support people living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. The webinar will equip you with knowledge and confidence to effectively manage conversations with your patients about physical activity. You will learn about the recommended levels of physical activity and how physical activity can help people with arthritis and related musculoskeletal conditions to manage their conditions. Sign up here
Supporting Mentally Healthy Workplaces: National Learning Network for Employers - 15 June 2023
The second event of the Supporting Mentally Healthy Workplaces Network will take place on Thursday 15 June from 09:30 - 11:00 on MS Teams. This Network was recently established by Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland and See Me. Employers of any size across Scotland are invited to join for free. Through the network you can learn what employers across Scotland are doing to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, and share your experiences with others in a dedicated peer learning space. Anyone who has leadership responsibility within their organisation for supporting and promoting mental health and wellbeing in the workplace is encouraged to join. The second virtual network event will focus on supporting men’s mental health in the workplace. Register today to book your place.
NHS Scotland Event - 19 June 2023
Registration is now open for the NHS Scotland Event 2023, which will take place on Monday 19 June at the SEC in Glasgow.
This year’s NHS Scotland Event will focus on Recovery and Renewal in our Health and Care Services and will engage delegates with an extensive programme as well as offering the welcome opportunity to network in-person with colleagues. You’ll have the opportunity to hear from some of the most senior leaders across the health and care system in Scotland and to take part in discussions about priorities and ongoing work to meet current and future challenges. Visit the website to find out more about the programme and how to register for the event.
NES Bereavement Education Conference - save the date
The next NES Bereavement Education Conference: The Grief We Carry will take place on Tuesday 28 November. This will be a free virtual one day event for health and social care staff. Please email the NES events team for more information.
Highlights from the Network
Change Mental Health celebrates first year of link worker programme
Change Mental Health has just celebrated the first year anniversary of their link worker programme in the Highlands. The team (pictured above) gathered at their Gatehouse Resource Centre in Golspie to mark a year of making a difference to Highland communities. Congratulations to everyone on this important milestone and all the important work that you do!
Unforgotten Forces and the Network
Roisin from the Scottish Community Link Worker Network and CLWs from the Dundee CLW team will be contributing to an event next month that brings together services that support older members of ex-Armed Forces community in Scotland. The event, which will be hosted by the Unforgotten Forces partnership that Age Scotland leads, will encourage productive connections between the Network and Armed Forces charities and projects. These charities and projects offer high quality support and opportunities to people who have served a minimum of one day in HM Armed Forces. However older people who are eligible for that support, such as former National Servicemen, aren’t always aware that it’s available to them.
We want to hear from new CLWs!
It is always great to hear news from across the Network. Don't forget to get in touch if you have new CLWs who have recently started in post. We are always keen to welcome them to the Network. Please get in touch with Roisin if you want to add any CLWs to the Network's mailing list.
Other News
National Care Service Engagement Events
The Scottish Government has confirmed a programme of events will take place over the summer in order for people to have their say on the National Care Service. The first event will take place in Stirling on Tuesday 20 June. Meetings spanning from Glasgow, Dundee, Dumfries and Galloway, Skye, and Shetland will follow, ending with two national online events on Thursday 24 and Tuesday 29 August. Details for all events are available via an online booking page.
Foundation Scotland: Baillie Gifford Grants Programme
Grants of up to £15,000 over three years are available for community groups and local voluntary organisations working to address food insecurity and social isolation among vulnerable people. Groups need to apply via Foundation Scotland before 5 June 2023.
Scottish COVID Inquiry begins public submissions
The Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry has launched its listening project, Let’s Be Heard: Sharing Scotland’s COVID Experience, and is inviting the public to take part. Let’s Be Heard is the main channel for people who were impacted by COVID in Scotland between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022 to share their experiences and any lessons they believe should be learned. Dr Alexandra Anderson, head of Let’s Be Heard, said:
“Lessons people believe should be drawn from their experiences, both positive and negative, will be at the heart of the Inquiry’s investigations. Our internal research team will analyse the experiences people share with us and produce a series of reports to help shape the Inquiry’s investigations and inform its reporting and recommendations to Scottish Ministers.”
Deepening Poverty in Scotland: no one left behind?
New research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found the number of people in Scotland living in very deep poverty has gone up by about 50% in 25 years, but noted the overall number of people below the poverty line had improved. The charity noted those most likely to be in very deep poverty include single person households, homes where someone has a disability and ethnic minority households.
