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J gains confidence to secure dream job

"After discussing my dreams and goals with staff, they motivated me to apply for a  job as a Youth Worker with Universal Connections in Hamilton. I got the job and couldn’t believe it: out of four people I got the  job, with no qualifications just life experience. I was so proud, my confidence was sky high.”

J  previously had her own tenancy which she had to flee due to fears of violence from external influences.  J ’s ex-partner was involved in substance misuse and regularly caused incidents of anti–social  ehaviour in and around the family home, with this having a direct impact on the safety and wellbeing of J and her baby. There were also allegations that the ex–partner was participating in drug dealing from J’s home. This left J  feeling vulnerable, isolated and unable to cope with the responsibility of her own tenancy.  J  had no family support during this time.

THE ISSUES

• Door Management – J’s previous tenancy failed due to her having difficulty controlling her door
• Budgeting – J had various arrears/debts when she moved to Loretto
• Cooking – J wanted support to develop her cooking skills to ensure she could provide nutritious healthy meals for both her and her son, especially given her limited finances
• Parenting – J was very independent in her parenting of C and would seek staff support/advice in this area as required
• Employment/Education – J made staff aware that she had a keen interest in working with young people, wanting to use her own life experiences to help others make positive changes in their lives

SUPPORT PLAN

J worked with staff to develop her own support plan, which reflected her future goals and aspirations. She also worked with staff to devise an appropriate budget plan to ensure her bills etc were paid on a regular basis, and to ensure she was making regular payments towards her arrears.  J regularly used support sessions to plan and cook meals for her and C.  J felt more confident of controlling her door, knowing staff support was available as and when required. She also had the added security of an intercom which allowed her to speak to visitors without answering the door. Regular discussions with staff as to how best to deal with unwanted visitors ensured J usually remained in control of her door.

PROGRESS MADE

J was able to work with staff to develop the skills and confidence necessary to maintain her own permanent tenancy.  She benefited greatly during her time at the service, especially as she had no family support at this time. Through the encouragement and support from staff, J was able to identify her own potential and worked hard to secure voluntary work at Universal Connections which J found extremely rewarding and beneficial to her own personal development.  J ’s long term goal was to become a full-time Youth Worker.

THE FUTURE

J has managed her own tenancy successfully without support since she moved on from the service. J is currently in the process of taking up employment as a carer. Both she and her son are doing well.

IN HER OWN WORDS

"My name is J D. I would like to tell you about myself, my experiences and how I have turned my life around for the better.

As a teenager between thirteen and nineteen, I was a lost cause who had a very big chip on my shoulder. My attitude was aggressive and all I cared about was drink and drugs. I was making my families life hell and got told to pack my bags and at the age of fifteen. I only had a few months until I was sixteen so I stayed with my friends until I was aged enough to stay in Charles Brownlie House in Hamilton. I loved it there but I still had no discipline and continued to drink and take every drug which came my way. I hid it well from staff and always checked in when I was supposed to. The staff were great but I was still young and not interested in anyone’s advice. I thought I was so grown up and worldly wise, but was definitely not.

"When I was seventeen things spiralled out of control.  My boyfriend at the time was a heroin user and I fell pregnant. I was terrified but it was my own fault and I had to deal with the consequences. Being pregnant started to change my way of thinking but I still had a lot of work I needed to do. I was allowed to stay in Charles Brownlie House until I got a place in Loretto.

"I was nineteen when I moved there, at first I was so scared as I had been told stories that it was the worst of the worst who got sent there. It wasn’t like that at all, my son and I had our own flat fitted with alarms and an intercom to make us feel totally safe. I must admit it was the only place that ever felt like home to me. I had to check in with staff every day and tell them if I was staying away. A few times I never told them I w as staying out and they’d be on the phone straight away to make  sure me and my son were safe. The staff felt like family who actually cared. Every day or night I had an hour with my support worker. We could talk about everything from budgeting to my goals for the future. This is when I started to realise I was a mother and had to change all aspects of my life.

My support workers showed me how to budget, how to set goals and not just jump in at the deep end. When I first moved into Loretto I couldn’t cook at all. Sometimes staff would hold cooking nights for the residents to prepare them for having their own house.

"After discussing my dreams and goals with staff, they motivated me to apply for a  job as a Youth Worker with Universal Connections in Hamilton. I got the job and couldn’t believe it; out of four people I got the  job, with no qualifications just life experience. I was so proud, my confidence was sky high.  I then became involved in a group where we went round Youth Clubs discussing the dangers of drugs. I would like to thank all the staff that helped me change my life and way of thinking to become a great mum. When I didn’t have a mum or dad you were my family. I will never forget what you have helped me achieve, I would never touch drugs now and hate drink so Thank You Loretto for putting up with me and guiding me on the right path."