Listening, learning, and leading for change - Reflections from the CHEX Conference
/By Ruth Glassborow, Director of Place and Wellbeing, Public Health Scotland
In this article, Ruth Glassborow, Director of Place and Wellbeing, Public Health Scotland shares her reflections following the CHEX Conference 2025 held in Stirling. Ruth acted as a ‘keynote listener’ during the day, hearing from conference attendees about their work supporting community health and wellbeing across Scotland.
Attending the recent CHEX conference as a designated listener was both inspiring and humbling. The room was filled with people and organisations doing incredible work in their communities - often in the face of significant challenges. What struck me most was the sheer potential in the room: the power of people to make a difference when they’re listened to, supported and resourced.
The impact of sustainable funding
I heard powerful, practical examples of how long-term, sustainable funding enables meaningful, preventative work. But I also heard the tension many in the community sector live with - trying to stay positive and solution-focused while navigating systems and decisions that leave them with ongoing uncertainty around their funding. I also heard clearly the frustration about the amount of time that is spent managing the consequences of this, time that would be better spent supporting their communities.
Frustration with systemic injustice
There was a shared frustration about how national and global decisions can reinforce inequality. Too often, policy and legislation miss the opportunity to create a fairer society. We need to be honest about this and bold enough to imagine and implement alternatives.
Creating space for real conversations
One of the most important lessons I took away was the need to create safe spaces where people can talk about what really matters to them, rather than being restricted to responding to a preset list of questions. And it’s vital that decision makers understand and act on what really matters for their communities.
Change from the ground up and the top down
If we want to tackle health inequalities in Scotland, we need both community-led action and systemic change. That means aligning national policy with local approaches and ensuring that our systems – like legislation and welfare systems - support, not hinder, community wellbeing.
This aligns directly with Scotland’s new Population Health Framework which calls for prevention-focused systems, shared responsibility across sectors and structural changes to protect long-term investment.
What’s happened since the conference?
After hearing a powerful poem from Leanne McBride from Chance 2 Change, I reached out to her. We worked together to bring her voice to a wider audience and Leanne recently shared her poem at a national NHS Scotland event. I know it impacted many of those who heard it, just like it did at the CHEX conference. On its own, it is just one ripple. However, through the Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES), we are working to build a social movement for change. Voices like Leanne’s are critical for creating the will to do things differently.
I’ve also been working with the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) and CHEX to help shape Public Health Scotland’s next strategy. We’ve listened to what matters to the CHEX network, discussed the challenges in the current system, and are looking at how we work together to strengthen the role of community development and community-led approaches.
What we’re doing next
At Public Health Scotland, we’re committed to continuing this conversation.
We’re strongly advocating for prevention-focused systems that protect investment in preventative work. One idea being explored is a preventative departmental expenditure limit, which would involve a structural change to help lock in funding for prevention activities. You can find out more about this at the Health Foundations website.
Looking ahead, the Population Health Framework sets a clear shift towards investment in prevention, community empowerment and joined up action. And we’re calling on partners across Scotland – local authorities, NHS boards, community organisations and businesses – to work together to build a healthier, more equitable Scotland.
Combining local and national evidence
Local partners and colleagues have told us they need help combining national evidence with local data to make the impact of decisions clearer. Through our Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland (CHES), we’re exploring practical ways to support this.
Innovative commissioning and funding
Finally, we’re learning from colleagues at the Institute for Health Equity about what’s helping to close the healthy life expectancy gap. One key factor is how services are commissioned and how community-led organisations are funded. We’ll be exploring this further through our CHES learning system where we’ll highlight innovative practices from across the UK.
If you’d like to stay connected with this work, please email phs.ches@phs.scot to join the CHES Learning System mailing list.
