Service Manager, Community Safety & Regulatory Services, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration & Sustainability
ChoiceWorks is a European funded employability programme established in 2016 and, to date, has supported in the region of 370 individuals.
ChoiceWorks seeks to change the behaviour of participants by providing appropriate and proportionate interventions, allowing the individual to make positive choices in their life by making the most of their potential to gain employment, training, education, or to stop or reduce their offending.
Participants must be aged 16 years and over, reside in the City of Glasgow, have a history of offending behaviour and are not in employment, education or training.
The programme is delivered by the ChoiceWorks Team within Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability, and consists of Intervention, Case Management and Training & Employability Officers, who not only deliver bespoke Action Plans, but look to resolve issues such as mental health, addictions and housing, which can be a barrier to progression.
Participants are identified through several referral routes including Social Work, Housing Associations, Community Payback and other agencies who engage with those who fit the criteria. Participants can also self-refer.
Pre Covid-19, the programme was delivered face to face. Due to the restrictions that have been in place, the service, through securing mobile digital devices, have been able to adapt working practices by delivering engagement online with individuals. As restrictions ease, ChoiceWorks will assess what option is best for the individual.
The last year has proved challenging for all, be it an individual or a partner agency. It has forced ChoiceWorks to look at how it delivers its Programme both to the service user and its engagement with partners, particularly at a time when many may be vulnerable to mental health and addiction issues, and relationship breakdowns.
As the Criminal Courts reduced their capacity, it had a knock-on effect on the number of those being referred to ChoiceWorks, and the very limited opportunities to move service users to training or employment due to economic closures. Considering these factors, a decision was made to not only continually engage with those registered with the Programme, but to contact those who over the last year had for one reason or another disengaged. The purpose of which was to offer support during this difficult time in respect of issues that may be taking place in their lives and provide positivity moving forward.
In the initial stages of the pandemic, ChoiceWorks identified 21 individuals from this process, 12 of whom wished to re-join the Programme. As with those already engaging, it was quickly identified that, in most cases, individuals just needed someone to speak to and be heard, as many were experiencing self-isolation, which was affecting their mental health, relationships and increasing their addiction habits. ChoiceWorks staff were able to support these individuals and signpost to other agencies, where appropriate. This engagement proved very powerful, which was evident from the comments we received from many of our service users.
“If I did nae get to talk to you, I don’t know if I would manage to speak to anyone.”
“I feel when I talk to you it is genuine and you can help me.”
As face to face interactions were not an option, it required new working practices to be developed. Staff adapted the way in which they worked, including the production of a booklet consisting of revised intervention sessions and support that could be delivered remotely. This booklet was posted to service users and, in the initial stages, delivered via telephone.
As the initial months of lockdown passed, Community funding allowed for the creation of a Digital Learning Library and the purchase of Chromebooks. These devices, along with the appropriate support given, allowed service users to engage with their worker, allowing them to undertake online intervention sessions, course training, and create CVs and Job applications. These devices not only assisted individuals to engage with ChoiceWorks but helped in tackling the isolation they were feeling.
ChoiceWorks has recently been successful in an application to Connecting Scotland and was awarded a number of Chromebooks and MiFi devices that can be given to service users to keep, which will go a long way to helping them now and in the future.
As restrictions have eased, face to face interactions with individuals has commenced. However, where remote engagement suits the needs of the service user, this can be complimented with the occasional face to face meeting.
ChoiceWorks, with Microsoft Teams, has been able to reach a wider audience by hosting Interactive Sessions, which have been attended by in excess of 100 partners, who now have a better understanding of the Programme. Consequently, ChoiceWorks have witnessed an increase in referrals from agencies that have never referred to the service before.
Due to the pandemic, in 2020 ChoiceWorks witnessed a decrease of 34% in the number of referrals received compared to the previous year. However, there are many mitigating circumstances as why this was the case.
Although 2020 and 2021 have not been like any other years experienced, ChoiceWorks, through the hard work of its staff, have been able to deliver a frontline service by adapting its service delivery model to ensure that there is still hope for service users to move forward into a positive outcome.
Being part of the Community Justice Glasgow Partnership (CJGP) was invaluable over this period, the network of other agencies, organisation and services that we were able to signpost those we were engaging with to, has built up over the years – without this we would not have been in the position we did to continue working with people in such extenuating circumstances.
In February 2021, we were even able to share good practice with our European neighbours (Italy, Netherlands, Finland) being invited to share what we do with the Employment and Empowerment in Addiction Recovery (EEAR) European Partnership with a return of the information sharing from the EEAR Partnership to the Community Justice Glasgow Learning Skills & Employability Strategy Group.
You can read previous articles, for background and to see how we have worked in partnership over the years by CLICKING THE LINKS BELOW:
2019-20 – MAKING AN IMPACT THROUGH PARTNERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING (ChoiceWorks featured in Skills Development Scotland Article)
2018-19 – EMPLOYABILITY – CHOICEWORKS – EVEN POSITIVE PATHWAYS CAN BE SLIPPY
2017-18 – MAKING CHOICE WORK – SAVING MONEY AND BENEFITTING A WHOLE COMMUNITY
For more information about ChoiceWorks you can visit the website by CLICKING THE LINK BELOW:
