Welcome from our new President, Lindsey-Anne McNeil
Dear REHIS members,
Thank you to everyone for welcoming me as your new President, it is a tremendous honour, and I am truly grateful for your ongoing support of our professional Institute. Rest assured, I will continue to work diligently to benefit our Institute and all of our members.
Read more here: REHIS President – January 2026 newsletter address
Diary Dates – Professional Update Courses and Forum
The Institute professional update courses will take place, online, on the following dates:
- Food Update – 3 June 2026
- Health & Safety Update – 2 September 2026
- Pollution Update –7 October 2026
- REHIS Environmental Health Update (followed by AGM) – 20 November 2026
- Public Health and Housing Update – 2 December 2026
The Institute’s Annual Forum will be held in person, on Friday 21 August 2026 in Glasgow.
Continuing Professional Development
CPD submissions for calendar year 2025 require to be with the Institute by 31 January 2026.
The Institute’s Scheme of CPD provides a way for Members of the Institute to evidence their ongoing professional development in an independently assessed way. For EHOs this also offers a means to achieve Chartered EHO status. We encourage all members to submit their CPD through the REHIS website, members only section. For information about the updated CPD scheme please see CPD – REHIS
REHIS Staff Vacancy – Director of Training
Many of you may already know that our Director of Training, Sandra Williamson, will be retiring from the Institute at the end of February. Sandra has been a valued member of the REHIS team for many years and has played a vital role in developing our training activities and supporting training centres across Scotland. Her knowledge, experience, and dedication have been greatly appreciated by colleagues, members, and training providers alike. On behalf of everyone at REHIS, we thank Sandra for her outstanding contribution and wish her every happiness in the future.
As a result of Sandra’s forthcoming departure, the Institute is now seeking to recruit a new Director of Training. For details about the job and how to apply – Vacancies – REHIS.
Training Update – Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is the qualifications framework in Scotland. It is used to compare and understand the wide range of qualifications available in Scotland; it also allows employers and businesses to compare the level of the qualifications against regulated qualifications across the UK.
Many REHIS courses are credit rated on the SCQF and recent additions are:
- REHIS First Aid at Work, SCQF level 6 and awarded 3 credits
- REHIS Elementary Nutrition Course, SCQF level 5 and awarded 1 credit
Read more here.
REHIS Mental Health First Aid Course
The REHIS Mental Health First aid course was launched in October 2025. The aim of the course is to provide participants with the knowledge and skills required for the responsibility of the role of a mental health first aider.
Read more here.
REHIS Members response to SAFER questionnaire
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) launched details of the SAFER programme last year. The programme aims to reform the delivery of food law in Scotland and is funded through the Scottish Government’s Public Service Reform and Invest to Save initiative.
We would like to thank members who responded to the REHIS questionnaire issued in December. The response was overwhelming with 95% of responders strongly dissatisfied with the current governance arrangements. A summary is available via the members section of the website. In response, REHIS has written to the Scottish Government and FSS, and are currently in discussions with both regarding the feedback received and will continue to keep members informed of any developments.
