Operations Manager, Community Justice, Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability
“If I had not joined ChoiceWorks, I would not have known about the opportunities available to me to gain qualifications and progress to the APEX Build It Course to assist me in achieving my goals. I am now in full-time employment and am self-reliant financially, which is great. I really cannot believe how far I have come in such a short time.”
ChoiceWorks is a programme funded by the Scottish Government, the UK Government, and Glasgow City Council, which provides individuals who have been in conflict with the law access to wrap-around services, offence-based programmes, and training and employability support.
Since transitioning from European Social Funding (ESF) to No One Left Behind funding, our programme has been reviewed to ensure that clients are at the centre of our approach. This includes welcome changes in our funding that reduce the evidence needed for clients to engage with our services. Given that ChoiceWorks receives referrals from some of Glasgow’s most vulnerable individuals, one of the initial stumbling blocks for client engagement was the requirement to provide evidence of identification and proof of residence – with the introduction of the new funding parameters, our referral-to-registration rate rose from approximately 22% in 2022/23 to 40% in 2023/24.
During the financial year, the team received 226 referrals to our programme. Just under 50% of these referrals came from clients who were undertaking a Community Payback Order (110), with 83 referrals coming from Justice Social Work and 20 being self-referrals.
Our target of 70 programme registrations was also surpassed, with 95 clients signing up to take part.
The staffing team continued to provide bespoke case management support for our clients, linking individuals to local services and programmes, providing referrals to support agencies, and acting as a golden thread throughout the client’s engagement with our programme.
One aspect that makes ChoiceWorks unique is our offence-based programme, which involves building rapport with our clients to address their previous and current offending behaviour.
The ChoiceWorks Training and Employability Team works with clients to create CVs, signpost access to training, volunteering, formal and informal learning programmes, and support our clients in further and higher education or employment.
Jeanette Stewart, Service Manager within the ChoiceWorks Team, said,
“I had the privilege of taking over as the ChoiceWorks Service Manager in 2023 and have been delighted to get to know our staff, partners, and clients. The adversity many of our clients overcome to achieve positive outcomes is humbling. The Team and I derive a great deal of satisfaction from being able to influence individuals to make the right choices for their future.”
Staff and management of ChoiceWorks look forward to April 2024-2026 when our funding stream will be from “No One Left Behind.” This will allow us to engage with clients who are excluded from mainstream agencies. We will meet any challenges that may come with the enthusiasm, skill, and professionalism that have always been the hallmarks of our service.
Below is a case study highlighting the journey of one of our clients – the name has been changed to protect identity:
Christopher is a 33-year-old male who resides in the east of the city. He registered with ChoiceWorks on the 25th of October 2023. Staff had met him at his Community Payback Order at Boden Street, Glasgow. Christopher was keen to gain employability support as well as address his offending behaviour through intervention sessions.
Christopher was open about his substance misuse problems, which had been a factor in his offending behaviour. He received support for this from an external agency, but it was something staff remained vigilant about. He was supported throughout his ChoiceWorks journey by a casework manager, who was available to provide any further support required.
He completed six intervention sessions with staff, focusing on offending behaviour, victim impact, empathy, consequential thinking, and goal setting. Christopher engaged incredibly well at all stages of intervention and fully participated in all discussions and activities. He was open and honest throughout, speaking about his difficult childhood and the judgments he faced regarding his physical appearance, tattoos, and piercings. He felt this might hinder his opportunities for employment in certain roles.
Throughout his time with ChoiceWorks, his social worker was kept informed of his progress. Christopher was advised about the services offered by the Employability staff member, who could provide support and guidance to assist him in moving forward with his career aims and objectives.
Christopher engaged with the Employability staff member and undertook the introduction. He stated that his career aim was to gain qualifications, further training, and the CITB CSCS Operator Card, which would enable him to apply for construction positions. We discussed the barriers to his progression, and Christopher expressed concern about his lack of work history, fearing it would hold him back. We agreed to produce an Individual Learning Plan to record his objectives, next steps, and pathways to meet his goals, considering potential barriers.
To meet his objectives, we agreed to work together on a one-to-one basis covering CITB CSCS training, building knowledge and confidence in his abilities, and preparing him for undertaking accredited training to gain the Part 1 Health and Safety Certificate and subsequently the CITB CSCS Operator Test to obtain the Operator Card, enabling him to work on construction sites.
Christopher was provided with the CITB CSCS Handbook for home study. A computer package for CSCS training was also used, offering one-to-one guidance and support to cover questions and answers and mock tests. He understood how to navigate the package and prepare for the test. He worked well and enjoyed the learning process, and he was well-prepared and confident for undertaking tests in due course.
Christopher was informed about the APEX BUILD IT CONSTRUCTION Course, which would provide a twelve-week programme where participants would work towards gaining:
- A CSCS Green Labourer’s Card.
- Highfield Level 1 Award in Health and Safety within a Construction Environment – RQF.
- Award in Emergency First Aid at Work – SCQF Level 6.
- Award in Manual Handling Principles and Practice – SCQF Level 5.
- Potential work placement with Kier Construction or Sunbelt Rentals.
Christopher stated that he felt the course would offer him the opportunity to learn, develop new skills and knowledge, and gain certificated qualifications and a CSCS Card, all relevant to the construction industry. He requested a referral to APEX. The referral was made, but Christopher expressed concern about being judged based on his appearance. He was reassured that most individuals would be non-judgemental, particularly support agencies, which seemed to ease his worries.
He undertook the interview and was successful in securing a place on the APEX Course, commencing on 4th March 2024 for a 12-week programme. Feedback from the APEX representative was excellent; they noted his commitment to his own progress and that, due to the practice undertaken before joining the programme, he was ready to undertake tests, enabling him to quickly move towards placement and employment opportunities.
Christopher worked well and achieved: Accredited Health & Safety Certificate, CITB CSCS Operator Card, Manual Handling, First Aid, and PASMA (working at height). He completed his work placement with Kier Construction as a general labourer and has now gained full-time employment with Orr Fire Stop, Glasgow. He enjoys being part of the workforce, learning, and developing new skills.
Christopher participated well in all activities while on the ChoiceWorks Programme, demonstrating commitment to his own progression. He completed sessions on introduction, careers advice and guidance, addressing barriers, job search, application skills, interview skills, and one-to-one training. He continues to keep in touch with the ChoiceWorks employability officer to encourage sustainment and lifelong learning.
Christopher clearly stated:
“If I had not joined ChoiceWorks, I would not have known about the opportunities available to me to gain qualifications and progress to the APEX Build It Course to assist me in achieving my goals. I am now in full-time employment and am self-reliant financially, which is great. I really cannot believe how far I have come in such a short time.”
Lynsey Wiseman, Operations Manager; Community Payback Services commented:
“Community Payback Services at NRS operates out of three sites located across the city:
- The Enterprise Centre at Boden Street;
- Meiklewood Service Centre; and
- Thornton Street Service Centre
with the provision of 260 unpaid work placements over seven days per week. We work closely with our colleagues within ChoiceWorks, providing clients the opportunity – while completing their CPO – to sign up to the Programme. This benefits individuals with continued support to gain training, routes into employment and wrap around services to help break the cycle of reoffending and acquire new skills and experiences.
As demonstrated with Christopher’s journey this ongoing support has provided him with both confidence and structure in his life to move towards a more positive future.”