New support for patients in East Lothian
‘I am very excited about what the Community Links Worker Service will be able to do for patients whose problems aren’t just medical – and that’s a lot of patients. I think Community Links Workers are going to make a real contribution to improving health and wellbeing in East Lothian.’
IJB Chair, Councillor Fiona O'Donnell
East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) has commissioned three third-sector organisations – Penumbra, Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) and We Are With You – to deliver a Community Links Worker service. The service will support all people accessing Primary Care services across East Lothian. Each organisation will be responsible for their own specified areas of the county.
Community Link Workers use a social-prescribing approach to working with people aged 18 and over. They support individuals to look at what matters of them, and help support them to connect with their local community resources in way that will help them reach their identified health and well-being goals. Individuals are able to seek help for a broad range of needs, for example, if they are feeling lonely, or having money worries.
GP practices and ELHSCP primary care staff will be able to refer people to this new service from early in 2021.
IJB Chair Councillor Fiona O’Donnell says:
‘It’s great to be able to launch our new Community Links Worker service, particularly now when concerns and worries stemming from the pandemic are affecting so many people.
‘The appointments were made on the back of a tendering process that involved consultation with patients, communities and practitioners, and also learnings from our previous extended pilot at four practices in East Lothian. We think we have come up with a service that takes account of what people have told us and will deliver high quality community-based services.
‘Penumbra and RVS already have a number of services operating in East Lothian. We Are With You has a proven track record of delivering a high quality Community Links Worker service in Glasgow and is already building its East Lothian networks.
‘I am very excited about what the Community Links Worker Service will be able to do for patients whose problems aren’t just medical – and that’s a lot of patients. I think Community Links Workers are going to make a real contribution to improving health and wellbeing in East Lothian.’
Dr Jo Smail, GP at Tranent Medical Centre adds:
‘Its wonderful news that all adults in East Lothian will have access to a Community Links Worker (CLW) from January 2021.
‘The expansion of the CLW programme was one of the aims of our local Primary Care Improvement Plan and it’s very exciting to see this coming to fruition. The CLWs will help people access community resources that will support them to live well. They will be an extremely valuable asset particularly as people continue to face the multiple challenges of living through a pandemic.
‘GP practices are looking forward to working closely with the three Provider organisations Penumbra, RVS and We Are With You as the new CLWs start supporting our communities.’