Community Link Workers win at 2024 Social Prescribing Awards

We’re pleased to share that our Edinburgh Community Link Workers, Hannah Edwards, Birgit Thaysen-Goodman, and Amalia Skamagkouli are part of the Edinburgh Link Worker network that won "Best Local Social Prescribing Link Worker Team/Service'' at the 2024 Social Prescribing Awards. Out of 200 nominees across nine categories, our Edinburgh Community Link Workers were the only Scottish finalists.  

The 2024 Social Prescribing Awards hosted by the Social Prescribing Network, National Academy for Social Prescribing and the College of Medicine recognise and celebrate the wealth of innovative social prescribing projects and schemes running throughout the UK and internationally. 

The aim of Cyrenians Community Link Workers is to help people live well by building and strengthening connections between community resources and providing primary care - supporting people experiencing socio-economic deprivation, suffering from psychological and physical health problems, and facing reduced life expectancy. 

During the pandemic, the remit of Community Link Workers significantly changed. Face to face appointments ended, telephone calls increased and new innovative platforms such as Near Me and Teams were introduced.  The cost-of-living crisis has also impacted the role, resulting in a service that still recognises the previous model but increasingly provides advice on hardship funds, food and fuel poverty, mental health, and social isolation on a day-to-day basis. 

The Community Link Worker Network now boasts 24 Community Link Workers across 45 GP practices. The network believes that local populations are best served by Community Link Workers who are employed by local third sector organisations working with local services, based in neighbourhood practices. In this way they can respond to local needs, providing patients with services that are relevant and valuable.  Cyrenians have three Community Link Workers; Hannah Edwards based at The Access Place, Amalia Skamagkouli based across Stockbridge Green and Blue and Hopetoun House and Birgit Thaysen-Goodman based at Crewe Medical Practice. 
 

Read the Community Link Workers Annual review here: 
clwannualreview_202223_digital.pdf (evoc.org.uk)