May 2023 On the 10th May 2023, Voluntary Health Scotland held a Members Meet Up to discuss the Scottish Government's review of the national outcomes and inform the VHS consultation response. We had 41 participants representing various third sector organizations, the event provided a platform for … [Read more...] about VHS Members Meet Up: National Outcomes Review
Consultation Responses: Freedom of Information Reform
March 2022 VHS responded to the Scottish Government consultation on the need for future legislative change of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA). We shared our draft response for comment with our membership ahead of submitting our final thoughts on the potential implications … [Read more...] about Consultation Responses: Freedom of Information Reform
Consultation: FOI and access to information rights in Scotland
We need your feedback! Access to information rights is an unusual topic for our network, but there are important reforms to legislation being consulted on which could impact many third sector organisations, especially those working in health and social care services. You may already know that … [Read more...] about Consultation: FOI and access to information rights in Scotland
Briefing on Health Inequalities in Scottish Prisons
The CPG on Health Inequalities met on Tuesday 7 February to discuss the health inequalities experienced in Scottish Prisons. The meeting was chaired by Brian Whittle MSP, Co-Convenor of the CPG, and Audrey Nicoll MSP, convenor of the Criminal Justice Committee, was in attendance. We were joined … [Read more...] about Briefing on Health Inequalities in Scottish Prisons
Community Link Workers and Peer Support
The Scottish Community Link Worker Network recently brought together 40 Community Link Workers from across Scotland to discuss the benefits to them of peer support. The event started with short introductions from Donna Laidlaw from NHS Forth Valley and Chris Flynn and Melanie McIntosh from NHS … [Read more...] about Community Link Workers and Peer Support
CPG Health Inequalities: February 2023 Meeting
The Cross Party Group on Health Inequalities met on Tuesday 7th February 2023. This was the first hybrid CPG meeting. . Chaired by co-convenor Brian Whittle MSP, we explored the topic of Health inequalities in Scottish Prisons. Our guest speakers: Wendy Sinclair-Gieben, HM Chief Inspector … [Read more...] about CPG Health Inequalities: February 2023 Meeting
Key Messages: Member meet up- Broader Reach and Stronger Voice
At our event on the 26th of January 2023, we brought VHS members and partners together to discuss partnership working for health. The clear overwhelming message from the third sector is that we want to be more involved in future public health interventions to reduce inequalities. The COVID-19 … [Read more...] about Key Messages: Member meet up- Broader Reach and Stronger Voice
Key Messages: Engaging in Effective Community Advocacy
Public Health Scotland Event with Voluntary Health Scotland On the 1st of February 2023, Public Health Scotland and Voluntary Health Scotland hosted an event to discuss community advocacy as a preventative and pro-active approach that supports people to be active citizens and self-advocate in … [Read more...] about Key Messages: Engaging in Effective Community Advocacy
Scottish Community Link Worker Network: January Knowledge Exchange
The Scottish Community Link Worker Network hosted the second Knowledge Exchange Event on Thursday 19th January. We had over 65 attendees register to join us on Zoom. Our first speaker was Kevin Duffy, Scotland Partnership Manager at the Money and Pensions Service. Kevin provided an overview of … [Read more...] about Scottish Community Link Worker Network: January Knowledge Exchange
Community Link Workers, Mental Health and Audit Scotland
Late last year VHS facilitated engagement between Audit Scotland and Community Link Workers (CLWs), providing a platform for the latter to share their views on mental health services in Scotland and thereby contribute to the scrutiny body’s current audit of services. Audit Scotland was keen to … [Read more...] about Community Link Workers, Mental Health and Audit Scotland
