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Community support scheme expanded in the Highlands

BBC Michelle McClymont at a beach and sea in the backgroundBBC
Michelle McClymont said a community link worker helped her resolve challenges she was facing

A support service for people facing health and wellbeing challenges in the Highlands is to be expanded.

The Community Link Worker (CLW) scheme aims to help people who contact their GP with issues that are not medical, but are affecting their lives.

Charity Change Mental Health has been running the service in the Highlands since 2021, with funding from the local health board.

It is being expanded from 29 GP surgeries to 62 to cover new areas including west Sutherland, Badenoch and Strathspey, Skye and Lochalsh and the Small Isles.

Michelle McClymont, who lives in Easter Ross, was referred by her GP to a CLW for help and advice after feeling overwhelmed by issues, including housing.

She said: "I was very, very low. I just didn't see the point in being here.

"Nothing was getting done. I couldn't motivate myself to do anything because there was so much to do.

"I just didn't know where to start."

After speaking with the CLW, Ms McClymont said she felt she was no longer alone in dealing with matters.

She added: "They helped me to see which things are important. To start at the most important things and the other things can wait."

Lucy Tedham sitting in an office
Lucy Tedham said CLWs could guide people towards a variety of services

Community Link Worker Lucy Tedham said the scheme could guide people towards services appropriate to their needs.

She said: "I think we are catching the people who are falling through the gaps.

"They are not sick enough, not struggling enough to qualify for things that a GP might refer to.

"We can find a variety of services that can help."

Dr Tim Allison, director of public health at NHS Highland, said the scheme was a form of "social prescribing".

He said: "We need to look after people when they are sick, but we also need to make every effort to help people help themselves and to all be as healthy as we can."

Dr Tim Allison standing outside. There are trees and a blue car in the background
Dr Tim Allison, of NHS Highland, said social prescribing could benefit people's health

Nick Ward, chief executive at Change Mental Health, described access to CLWs across Scotland as a "postcode lottery".

He said: "Some places you absolutely can and other places the funding for community link workers hasn't been prioritised."

Last year, a CLW scheme supporting patients at GP surgeries in some of Glasgow's most deprived areas was put at risk due to a lack of funding.

The Scottish government provided an extra £3.6m to keep the service running.

Mr Ward said: "Community link workers are an early intervention/prevention support.

"They stop people getting to crisis. They stop people needing expensive NHS support."

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