Within the EEAR Project we seek to promote Social Inclusion for some of the most excluded members of society by supporting them on their journey of re-integration into vocational training , employment and
self-employment by each of the partners sharing our current successful programmes, comparing what works well and areas for development in order to enhance the quality of provision for this specialist group and other disadvantaged groups within society. On February 24th 2021, the EEAR partners had a Teams Meeting with a.o. ChoiceWorks, presenting their programme ‘Employment and Empowerment in Addiction Recovery’

Employment and Empowerment in Addiction Recovery

James Crainie, Tom McBride and Derek Brown presented the ChoiceWorks programme, which is implemented since 2009 and is very successful. They presented their programme aims and process. They work with participants on an individual and/or group basis. The ChoiceWorks programme is based on joining voluntary (self-referral). ChoiceWorks guides the participants through 5 stages:

1. Engegament
2. Barrier Removal
3. Vocational Support (assistance with CV building, etc.)
4. Employer engagement / Job matching
5. In Work Support

The Benefits working with e.g. Govan Housing

• Learning new skills, imporved confidence. introduction to routine and structure and preparing to move into employment
• A year later 5 of the original 6 participants are still employed with Govan Housing association
• Level of Anti social behaviour in Govan area decreased

COVID Impact on organisations and clients

During the Teams Meeting ChoiceWorks summed up the impact of Covid19 on the project organisation and its clients. We would like to address the changes on the below points:

• Delivery model changed from Face -to- Face to distance engagement
• Increased demand on emotional support and signposting to
• widening partnership engagement with a view to increase referrals

The Impact Covid had on the clients were:

• There was an increased demand on emotional support
• No phone or no phone credit
• No IT equipment or internet access
• No appropriate skill level to use IT equipment
• EEAR Teams Meeting: February 24th 2021, click here to see what happened