We promote community-led health as a way to tackle Scotland’s persistent health inequalities.

We work with community-led health organisations, Local Authorities, the NHS and Scottish Government to promote community development approaches to improving health inequalities.

  • Locally we encourage networking of community-led health organisations and support them to share learning and good practice.

  • CHEX manage Health Issues in the Community (HIIC), an interactive training course used to increase understanding of community-led health.

  • With those in the NHS and Local Authorities we encourage partnership working with community-led health organisations. At Scottish Government we advocate for community-led health as part of the solution to Scotland’s health inequalities.

  • We provide information and training opportunities promoting the benefits of community-led health.

We’re part of the Scottish Community Development Centre - the lead body for community development.

 
 
 

What is community-led health?

Community-led health is a way for people in a community to take joint action to improve things for their community, leading to improved health and wellbeing.

Find out more

 

Our work

Influencing policy

  • Supporting communities to become better involved in health policy, planning and delivery.

  • Supporting policymakers, public sector and community and voluntary organisations to become better informed about the needs of communities. 

  • Participating in Scottish Government's working groups related to community-led health. 

  • Assisting community-led health organisations to respond to national consultations relating to community-led health.

Networking 

  • Supporting capacity building with both local and national community-led health networks. 

  • Developing networks and sharing of information with other national health intermediaries such as Voluntary Health Scotland and Community Food and Health Scotland. 

Information

  • We produce and disseminate CHEX-Point Snippets, a fortnightly e-bulletin. 

  • We host an online searchable database of community-led health organisations.

  • We also respond to enquiries relating to community-led health.

Sharing good practice

  • We host and facilitate seminars and conferences for community-led health organisations to share skills, ideas and good practice. 

  • Promoting opportunities to enhance practice in community development approaches to health improvement.

  • Promoting community-led health research and supporting communities to undertake their own research and take forward findings.

  • Building the capacity of community members to address and take action on their priority health issues through participation in Health Issues in the Community training initiative.

  • Supporting tutors to deliver and evaluate Health Issues in the Community training initiative.  

  • Promoting opportunities to plan and evaluate community-led health through application of computer software such as ‘LEAP on-line' and ‘VOICE'. 

  • Promoting equality through the promotion of effective methods to involve those experiencing greatest disadvantage.