COMMUNITY PAYBACK – A PERSONAL STORY OF RECOVERY

 As well as the volunteering work I also started to take advantage of all the training opportunities that North-West offer. I had never previously wanted to go to college as I had a real fear of failure but one of the first courses I attended was a 6-month Adult Return Education Course, which I passed and achieved my first ever qualification. This started to give me confidence that I did have the ability to learn and improve and make something of my life. My thinking started to change from negative to positive.

“I took advantage of all the training that was on offer.”

During my recovery I knew I had to take a very good look at myself, how to deal with trauma and why I did the things I did. I started to open-up to people and counsellors. Opening-up and getting things out made me feel really good.  At the start of my recovery, I was 35 years old and weighed just seven stones and had absolutely nothing. NWRC gave me the opportunity to gain confidence and responsibility and to feel valued. I took advantage of all the training that was on offer. I started to feel comfortable with doing presentations to the service users in recovery.

“I was able to build up a recovery network which has been so helpful towards gearing myself to employability.”

At this point my thinking started to change as I was surrounding myself with positive people. I was able to be of service by starting to help people less fortunate than myself and was able to be as an example to them.  During my two and a half years with NWRC I was able to build up a recovery network which has been so helpful towards gearing myself to employability. I mostly helped out at the Drumchapel and Whiteinch recovery hubs. I started to chair recovery meetings, identifying suitable shares for the meetings. I co-facilitated MAP groups, got involved with self-recovery groups, SMART recovery as well as helping out in the kitchens, carrying out front desk duties.

“I was slowly changing my lifestyle to one of a regular work pattern.”

All of this substantially helped my mental health. I started eating and sleeping healthily and regularly. I was slowly changing my lifestyle to one of a regular work pattern. After 2 years of volunteering with NWRC I also got the opportunity to volunteer with ASPIRE as a peer mentor for three people in recovery and to find out what this type of work involves. I started working with computers and updating Databases. This was my first ever experience of using computers.

“I decided the time was right for me to grow further afield, and I applied for an SVQ placement… in the Social Care field”

After 18 months of volunteering, I was able to start applying for SVQ placements in the social care field and was encouraged to do so. However, I consciously took the decision to postpone this for another year I felt at that time that I was not quite ready and could still benefit from all the training and experience that NWRC could offer. However, after 2 and a half years I decided the time was right for me to grow further afield, and I applied for an SVQ placement with the Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) in the Social Care field. I was awarded a place on the programme and my first work placement was in Garscube House where I was previously a resident and service user.

“I was encouraged to apply for a job as a peer mentor and my application was successful.”

I was now able to see the operation from the other side of the fence and started to learn skills such as duty of care and responsibility. I quickly realised this was the field I wanted to work in. I had the lived experience in this field to be able to help others. The service users saw me as a positive role model and was able to provide them with the hope and inspiration that they could get well. After just seven weeks into the placement, I was encouraged to apply for a job as a peer mentor and my application was successful.

“I now have a totally different outlook on life.”

I complete my SVQ in social care in June2022 and will be qualified to work in the fields of mental health and addiction. None of this would have been possible for me without the help and support of NWRC. I now have a totally different outlook on life. I have peace within myself and am full of gratitude. I now have my own flat and am paying bills which never used to happen. I am now doing the things for myself and my Ma as that is what she always wanted for me.

“I hope my experience can be of help, benefit and motivation to others as to what can be achieved if you have the desire and willing to do so.”

Margaret Smith, Community Justice Glasgow commented:

Across the Community Justice Glasgow Partnership we recognise the value of the Recovery Movement in supporting people to move away from a life where “addiction and crime go hand in hand”.  Community Justice is about working with a wide-range of partners and services to meet the often complex needs of people who come into contact with the justice system – who are also often impacted by addictions.  The evidence tells us that if we support people to address the issues that brought them into the justice system in the first instance, then the risk that they will re-offend will be greatly reduced.   Lived experience is another known protective factor, people are much more likely to trust and build relationships with people who know from first-hand experience what they are going through – this can often be the first step to trusting and engaging with other services (even the more formal ones) that can support that journey. Having the Recovery Networks supporting people whilst serving a Community Sentence is a win-win as is involving lived experience in that journey…Robert is testament to that.  You can CLICK THE VIDEO LINK BELOW to watch a film made by people in recovery to hear more about some of the recovery options in Glasgow from the people who experience them.