Jade Poyser
Workforce Planning Manager ,
Nottinghamshire County Drug and Alcohol Action Team
Tel: 01623 414114 ext: 6920
Email: jade.poyser@newarksherwood-pct.nhs.uk
Summary:
PR is an initiative that supports the recruitment of ex-drug/alcohol misusing offenders into work. PR brings out their skills, knowledge and channels their passion to contribute to and compliment the existing substance misuse workforce.
PR is being piloted in Mansfield, however there are plans to go countywide from 2006. To date, nine individuals have been recruited as salaried staff/volunteers. All have remained crime and drug free, maintained their placements and sustained improved health. Some have completed their contract and gained sustained employment within the field.
PR works to strategic targets set by the National Treatment Agency (Treatment Effectiveness Strategy: 2005).
Abstract:
Project Recruit (PR) is currently being piloted, hosted by and managed by Nottinghamshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team and is a not-for-profit initiative.
PR has been piloted in the Mansfield area over the latter 12 months and to date, nine individuals have been recruited as salaried staff / volunteers as part of pilot and all have remained crime and drug free, all have maintained their placement successfully and in some cases completed their contract and gained sustained employment within the field, of their own.
PR aims to provide opportunities two fold – it recognises that an integral part of the aftercare process is that of being able to “move on” in to meaningful employment, enabling individuals to remain crime/drug free and integrate successfully back into the community.
Secondly, PR works to the strategic targets set by the National Treatment Agency in its Treatment Effectiveness Strategy (2005) acknowledging the required expansion and improvement of the treatment sector cannot be achieved without significant expansion of the workforce.
By providing opportunities for ex-service users to become workers within the field, we are able to utilise the skills, experience and knowledge to enhance the wealth of skill we already have within the sector, in turn working towards the required workforce expansion.
Significant funding was provided through Mansfield Area Strategic Partnership (MASP), Neighbourhood Renewal Funds (NRF) to support the initiative. The initial bid worked towards key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets from various strategies in order to secure its funding including: MASP - HEALTH - PSA1 (Reduce crime and fear of crime…); EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMIES - PSA4 (Over the three 3 years to Spring 2006, increase the employment rates of disadvantaged areas and groups…………
Project Recruit is supported and managed by Nottinghamshire County DAAT, but links at both operational and strategic level’s with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership – Drug and Alcohol Reference Groups – Area Strategic Partnerships – Job Centre – Neighbourhood Management Teams (employment / economic priorities) – National Drug Strategy – Drug Intervention Programme/CJIT – Business Engagement Strategy etc.
The project is also supported by various and substantial other costs matched through the DAAT – inclusive of training courses/ opportunities – Project / Strategic Management – Overheads (office space etc) – Supervision etc.
The support from the existing strong DAAT partnership was imperative to the successes of the initiative, allowing potential barriers to be overcome by the willingness and the foresight of the partnership.
The whole ethos of the project is to provide opportunities for current/ex service users. The project has undertaken an ongoing consultation with service users throughout the pilot and would continue to do so, in respect of “what works, what are the gaps” etc.
The DAAT aspirations of meeting its workforce development are informed through the experiences of users / ex-users engaged in local forums.
It has become evidently clear that an individual’s progress in treatment is steered beyond their drug treatment alone e.g. having access to sustainable housing and work. PR was created to help meet the latter of these two targets. This approach is supported by key stakeholders working in the field e.g. Progress 2 Work, Livin it (service user advocates) etc.
PR’s outcomes are tailored also to meet other benefits of those recruited to it i.e. increasing self belief and confidence, increase in worth, feeling valued, better health, becoming part of the community, enabling other users to learn from their experiences and enabling drug services to better learn from the real life experiences of recruitees to the project.
Since February 2005, PR has employed seven salaried individuals and two volunteer placements under the terms and conditions of employment of Newark and Sherwood Primary Care Trust. An existing role has been developed further to incorporate the day to day management of the project and its staff.This is a unique project of which there is no performance data across the NHS for comparison. The nine individuals engaged in the project have previously struggled to gain employment, particular in the substance misuse field, one quoting ‘without PR I would still be out of work today’.
Testimonials:
‘ I have now got a reason to get up in the morning’ (Dean 24).
‘I feel valued.’ (David 32)
‘I have waited 4 years for a chance to get back into employment (Sally 33)
‘I have what I have never had before – the chance to build a real future for me and my daughter (Mary 29)
The project has piloted itself specifically to reach and benefit the needs of communities who face the most disadvantage, isolation and deprivation.
By providing employment opportunities, we are giving a real chance for individuals to remain crime and drug free and have the opportunity to integrate back into the community, raising self esteem, self worth, confidence and emotional well being.
The PR employees, as a diverse staff group, are best placed therefore too inform both policy and operational delivery of services towards the diverse needs of a marginalised community.
Through the delivery of presentations, case studies and research, the project has informed partners at local, regional and national levels i.e. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Home Office, University of Central Lancashire, DAAT Board, local crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs).
PR has also produced a DVD targeted at employers both internally and externally to the NHS, on a local, regional and national level.
Project Recruit is now subject to a bid to the Adult Joint Commissioning Group for mainstreaming.
Project Recruit's DVD: ‘Moving On’ is inspired by three true life stories re-told in a documentary drama. PR is aware that for hundreds if not thousands of recovering drug users access into the workforce – anywhere – is impeded by prejudice. This film challenges that imposition and gives hope for all to move on.
This DVD is supported by statements from key and influential stake holders (Home Office, Job Centre Plus, Nottinghamshire Police etc) as to the importance of employment as an integral part of the treatment process.
