Welcome to the January Network Newsletter!

Welcome to the first Network newsletter of 2024!  As always, the Newsletter brings together news, stories and events of interest to the Network. 

In this month's edition, we have the usual round up of Network news, events and training from across Scotland which will hopefully be of interest to you all. 

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

Events, Workshops and Training

Scottish CLW Network Training and Events

Knowledge Exchange event - January 2024 - new speaker announced

Our fifth Knowledge Exchange event will take place on Thursday 25 January from 10-12noon and will feature speakers from Pancreatic Cancer UK and NHS 24.  Generations Working Together will now also be presenting in place for Paths for All.  Find out more information including how to register for your place.

Essential Connections research report event - February 2024

Voluntary Health Scotland and the Scottish Community Link Worker Network launched their report, Essential Connections on 30 November.  The report looks at the range and scope of community link worker programmes across Scotland.  We will be hosting a presentation and Q&A on the report on Wednesday 22 February 2024. You can book your place here

Peer support event - February 2024

Our next Network peer support event will be on Wednesday 28 February from 12.30 - 2pm.  We are keen to hear from CLWs about the different methods and resources you use to support and record your conversations with patients. Is there a specific model you use to structure your conversations? Are there particular tools that you find effective to help you engage with someone? What’s a good way of starting a conversation with someone who is reluctant to talk? We will also discuss the materials and resources that CLWs use to encourage patients and communities to actively engage with their services.

Scottish Community Link Worker Network annual conference May 2024 - save the date and find out more about exhibitor opportunities!

Our 2024 Conference will take place on Wednesday 29 May 2024 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow.  We already have Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland as our keynote speakers.  We will be working with the Network's advisory and working groups to put together an exciting and interesting programme for the day. Find out more about exhibition opportunities on our events page. If you have any thoughts you would like to share about next year's conference, please get in touch with Roisin or Lauren

Other events

Remote and rural learning events

RRHEAL are continuing to deliver Remote and Rural learning events in 2024, to replace the cancelled Festival of Learning and to support remote, rural and island communities throughout Scotland. Find out more about their series of events

The Changing Room 

The Changing Room hosts courses in partnership with football stadiums across Scotland to help people manage their health and wellbeing. It is running a number of courses at football stadiums around the country and you can find more information about courses in your local area here

NHS Education Scotland equality training

NHS Education Scotland (NES) has developed a new module ‘Introduction to Equality, Diversity and Human Rights to meet the essential learning needs of the health and social care workforce in Scotland. It takes approx. 30 minutes to complete including knowledge checks and quiz.

Personalised short breaks for unpaid carers – making it happen

This learning and sharing event will be of benefit to anyone involved in the assessment, delivery, market shaping or receipt of short breaks or those supporting unpaid carers through this process. The event will take place on Thursday 29 February 2024 from 9.30 - 3.30pm at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel in Glasgow. The closing date to complete the Registration Form is 16 February 2024.

Save the date - Social Prescribing Day - Thursday 14 March 2024

14 March will be Social Prescribing Day, so save the date!  It will be great to feature some stories over the next couple of newsletters on how you plan to mark this!

Social Security Scotland - carer support payment case transfer events

From Spring 2024 some clients currently in receipt of Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions will have their award transferred to Carer Support Payment which is administered by Social Security Scotland.  Social Security Scotland are hosting a series of free online events in January and February to provide external stakeholders and partners with information about this process.  If you would like to find out more information about these events visit the Social Security Scotland website

Scottish Public Health conference - Inspiring Change

This in-person Scottish Public Health Conference which will take place in Glasgow on Wednesday 1 May 2024 has been jointly developed by the Faculty of Public Health, Public Heath Scotland and Scottish Directors of Public Health. This will be an opportunity to engage with colleagues from all sectors involved in developing and delivering public health.

National Academy of Social Prescribing webinars and podcasts

The National Academy of Social Prescribing runs regular webinars as well as their podcast series 'Podcast on Prescription' which hears from patients who have benefited from social prescribing. You can find out more about all of their events and see recordings of previous events here

Highlights from the Network

Claire's blog - spreading the joy of reading to children across Edinburgh

Claire Gardiner, a community link worker in Edinburgh, has written a blog for our Network webpage, explaining how her chat with a parent about their family's bedtime routine led to a fantastic initiative with Books for Kids You can read Claire's blog on our Network webpage.

Update on Shetland's CLW Programme - congratulations to Ingrid!

Shetland's CLW pilot project has come to an end but we are pleased to announce that Ingrid Sandison, Community Link Worker in Shetland, has now been offered a permanent contract, so lots more people in Shetland will benefit from her support. Ingrid said, 'I am absolutely over the moon, I have to say this is the most enjoyable and rewarding job I have ever done!' Huge congratulations to Ingrid on her success and good luck as she continues her work.

Petitioner submission response on petition to stop CLW cuts

The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee has published a submission from the petitioner of PE2053: Stop the cuts to community link workers and help secure their long-term future within GP practice teams. You may remember that this petition was in relation to the impending cuts to Glasgow City's CLW programme and the wider sustainability of the CLW programme in Scotland.

Inverclyde CLWs reflect on 2023

Inverclyde's CLWs are featured in CVS Inverclyde's 2023 highlights!  They reflect on a busy year which included delivering a workshop at the first annual Network conference and delivering training to raise awareness of self-harm in Inverclyde. You can read more here 

Fife CLW programme goes from strength to strength

Fife's community link workers (see pic below!) recently celebrated their two year anniversary and news on their funding too. Read the latest update from them on our webpage.

Other News

Public Health Scotland blog on prevention

Public Health Scotland has written a blog emphasising the importance of putting prevention at the heart of public health. By 2043, the burden of disease in Scotland is forecast to increase 21%. Two thirds of this increase will be due to increases in cancers, cardiovascular disease, and neurological conditions. Failure to tackle issues now will lead to more serious problems in future. Something needs to change to help meet the shifting demands of our ageing population.

Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill

A consultation on proposals for a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill is now open. Views are sought on proposals to better protect, respect and champion the rights of people with learning disabilities and autistic and neurodivergent people. Take part here and the consultation will remain open until 21 April 2024.

Homelessness levels set to rise by a third

Homelessness levels in Scotland are projected to rise by a third in the next two years if government does not act, a new report from Heriot-Watt University has found.  The 2024 Scottish Homelessness Monitor predicted the number of people sleeping rough, living in hostels or using unsuitable temporary accommodation could increase by 33 per cent by 2026.

Stroke Prevention Day

Stroke Association Scotland is using Stroke Prevention Day on 25 January to raise awareness of a condition called atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular heartbeat, which is one of the leading causes of serious strokes.   Around one in five strokes is linked to AF, but it can go undetected if you don’t know what to look for.  So they have produced a short video introducing the risk of AF and what to do to check if you or someone you know has it. AF often has no symptoms and a stroke can strike without warning. They have also produced a social media toolkit for those who are active on social media platforms.

Feedback sought from local communities

The Scottish Government and COSLA are inviting communities to engage in discussions about how they can improve local democracy and empower local communities, feeding into a Local Democracy Bill. Grants up to £300 are available for groups to hold local conversations, with toolkits available. Events need to be held by mid-February and you can find out more on the Scot Gov website.

One million early deaths due to health inequalities

The UCL Institute for Health Inequality have released a report 'Lives Cut Short', highlighting the shocking statistic that health inequalities caused one million early deaths in England over the last decade.  You can read the full report here

Gordon Brown raises concerns over rising poverty levels in Scotland

Gordon Brown has warned thousands of parents face putting their children in care because of rising poverty levels across Scotland. The warning comes after the former prime minister revealed one in ten families using a charity he supports in Fife believe they could have to hand their kids to social services. Commenting, he said: “This is the pandemic that no minister ever mentions, a silent crisis striking thousands of children in bed less bedrooms, millions of parents in foodless kitchens, and dozens of communities in increasingly hopeless destitution”.

Age Scotland new guide to support older people

Age Scotland has produced a new guide to support older people through the cost of living crisis. It’s packed with advice on energy bills, tips on how to shop smart and eat well when food prices bite, cost-effective recipes, and a directory on where to go for help.

Mental health training needs survey launched by the Poverty Alliance and Mental Health Foundation

Research evidence highlights that being in poverty or struggling on a low income increases the risk of mental health problems.  The Poverty Alliance and Mental Health Foundation are working together to understand the mental health training and support needs of grassroots organisations that work with people on low incomes and to develop a programme of training and support around preventative approaches to mental health. This scoping study is funded by the Scottish Government as part of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan. The project is being carried out by the research team from the Mental Health Foundation.

This initial survey will help inform a series of workshops which will run in early 2024, to develop and test out programmes of training for grassroots organisations, around preventative mental health support for people living on low incomes. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete, so please do take the time to do this if you can.

Consultation launched on proposed Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill

The Scottish Government has published a consultation paper to help inform the scope of the proposed Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill. The consultation will run until 14 February 2024. The bill aims to further improve decision making and the implementation of the National Performance Framework to ensure policy and delivery is focused on increasing the wellbeing of people in Scotland and to put people and the planet at the centre of the Scottish economy.

The art of Qigong

Go With Your Flow works with individuals and organisations including charities to support their staff's mental health and wellbeing and to raise awareness of the benefits of practising Qigong to balance the body and mind. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact  Janice Skakel