Pathways to Employment: supporting people with lived and living experience of substance use in to work

Supporting people with lived experience into employment

This section will help you to understand:

• How access to impartial careers, learning and employability support can enhance a person’s decision making around employment choices.
• The support you might put in place to ensure employees continue their recovery journey and perform at their best.
• That while there are many common barriers facing people with lived experience, support should be person-centred.
• How the workplace culture can affect new employees and how to foster an understanding and empathetic environment.
• How a supportive and well-planned induction process can help to ensure that employees feel supported, get the best start in their new role and develop the required skills.
• The value of strong mentoring opportunities.
• The importance of creating a stigma-free environment, nurturing soft skills, providing digital support and volunteering opportunities, where possible.

Taking a person-centred approach

Applying a person-centred approach can help foster a culture in which people feel valued, motivated, and supported.

The sections below will identify some of the more commonly reported barriers and how you can support people to overcome them.

Volunteering opportunities

Volunteering can provide an excellent way for prospective employees to gradually engage with your organisation, build confidence, and develop their skills. This approach can also allow you to assess a person’s suitability for your organisation.

While not all volunteering roles will lead to employment, it is important to ensure that opportunities are meaningful and can support pathways into work. To assist with setting up volunteering programmes, Volunteer Scotland have a range of resources and can promote your opportunities on their website. Additionally, your local Third Sector Interface (TSI) may offer support and help advertise roles.

Induction process

An effective induction process is key to helping new employees’ transition into work. A supportive programme might include clearly setting out:

• Role expectations and performance standards.
• Organisational policies, procedures, and relevant legislation.
• Ethical considerations, including confidentiality and boundaries.
• Workplace etiquette, dress code, and introductions to team members.
• Arrangements for supervision, reflective practice, and self-care.
• IT, digital support, and financial advice.
• A directory of useful contacts within the organisation.

It can be helpful to ensure that your induction accommodates those with limited work experience, allowing them to develop an understanding of your workplace.

Workplace adjustments and flexibility

Adopting flexible practices can ease an employee’s transition into work. The following list provides some adjustments that you might consider:

• Phased Introductions – reduced hours if necessary and gradually increase attendance.
• Flexible Hours – hybrid working or schedules that allow attendance at any support services necessary for recovery, such as mutual aid meetings.
• Pay Flexibility – different pay frequency options.
• Reflective Practice – spaces for employees to discuss their progress and additional support needs.
• Buddying and Mentoring – facilitating one-to-one support.
• Non-Client Facing Roles – these can allow employees to build confidence before transitioning to direct support roles.
• Person-Centred Management – pairing employees with supportive line managers attuned to individual needs.

Benefits of mentoring

Mentoring can significantly enhance employee development. Mentors should ideally:

• Have a strong understanding of organisational practices.
• Possess a nurturing and empathetic approach.
• Be knowledgeable about challenges faced by employees with lived experience.

Mentoring can foster a supportive environment, help employees navigate their roles and offer an alternative source for any sensitive discussions.

Workplace culture

Fostering a supportive culture is crucial, particularly for employees who may be entering their first job or facing personal challenges. It can be helpful for your organisation to:

• Encourage progress at the employee’s own individual pace.
• Be mindful of adding any unnecessary pressure on an employee’s personal recovery.
• Maintain regular check-ins through line managers, mentors, or buddies.
• Encourage employees to use their annual leave and offering optional check-ins during long breaks.

Challenging stigma

Employers can play a vital role in addressing stigma around substance use. As an employer it is good practice to:

Challenge stigmatising language in the workplace.

Promote an environment where employees feel safe sharing experiences without fear of judgment.

Use non-judgmental, inclusive language when discussing substance use issues.

Not to define a person based on their substance use.

For further guidance visit the challenging drug and alcohol stigma page on NHS Inform. You can also refer to the Scottish Government ‘Guiding Principles for supporting employees with lived and living experience of problematic substance use’.

Training and education

It is important that people with lived experience have equitable access to training. In some cases, this group may require additional or targeted training due to gaps in professional development.

Some of the following offerings may be worthy of directing your employees to:

• Drug and Alcohol Workforce Learning Directory – provides a range of learning opportunities for those seeking to work in this field.
• Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid courses – provides simple steps to support people in distress.
• Health in Mind – offers courses on mental health training and vicarious trauma, which is important in ensuring that people are not set back through their work.
• Scottish Wider Access Programme – offers routes into Further and Higher Education.

Collaborating with local colleges, during quieter periods, can also provide targeted training for employees. See the next page for an example of how one Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) has benefitted from such an approach.

Further support from other services

Various resources are available to support people in finding and maintaining employment. As an employer you can benefit from awareness of these services:

• Access to Work – this UK Government programme provides practical advice and support for disabled people or those with long-term physical or mental health conditions.
• Local Employability Partnerships – employers can engage with Local Employability Partnerships to get support with filling vacancies. Employability services are delivered in all 32 Local Authority areas. You can get in touch with your local service to find out more.
• Skills Development Scotland (SDS) - SDS offer inclusive, impartial career services to people of all ages. Employers can refer people to SDS or promote paid and volunteering opportunities through their platforms. Contact their free helpline at 0800 917 8000 or request a callback via their QR code.

Case Study – One ADP’s Employability Pathway and lessons learned

One ADP has supported people with lived experience to enter employment in the drugs and alcohol sector. This has been achieved through allowing people to progress at their own pace. This ADP has allowed people to take small, incremental steps, which have included engagement with volunteering opportunities and local education providers.

They have a structured partnership in place with a local college supporting people to become peer workers within the drugs and alcohol sector. They report that having an attractive and supportive application process has been key, resulting in a high completion rate.

The ADP had previously noticed that several candidates were being lost from their employment pathway during the transition between engaging with services and moving to volunteering roles. This identified the importance of appropriate support, particularly during such periods.

The ADP has links with some local recovery communities who support people into volunteering roles. Those undertaking these roles would typically do less than 16 hours per week to retain their entitlement to claim financial assistance.

In another key phase of their employment pathway, candidates are given the opportunity to attend college for six months to develop their experience and knowledge of the health and social care sector.

The ADP also identified the transition to participation in formal education as another juncture where many people were being lost to their employment pathway. To address this, they utilised the existence of a positive working relationship with a local college, this allowed the ADP and college to devise a creative solution, whereby courses were delivered during the summer months when attendance was lower. This arrangement has allowed candidates to engage in a less intimidating environment, building confidence, increasing retention and easing the transition to employment.

The final stage of this ADP’s employability pathway would typically involve supporting people into sessional peer roles, with options to then progress to full time work with charities and the local authority.

Digital skills and equipment support

Employees can be directed to support for digital literacy through organisations funded by Digital Lifelines Scotland, including:

• Citizen Literacy – offers apps and resources for adult learners.
• Access to Industry – provides technology and training to enhance digital inclusion.
• Workers Educational Association – offers signposting to local or online learning.
• The Marie Trust Project – offers combined literacy and digital skills training for the homeless population.

Developing soft skills

People with lived experience may benefit from additional support to further develop their soft skills, such as self-confidence, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork needed in the workplace. Employers can support employees by:

• Creating opportunities for skill development through mentoring, induction processes, and reflective practices.
• Encouraging use of resources like My World of Work’s Meta Skills for guidance on social intelligence, innovation, and self-management.

Further learning whilst in work

The Scottish Government’s Drug and Alcohol Workforce Learning Directory can support employees to access training and education.

The directory complements the Drugs and Alcohol Workforce Knowledge and Skills Framework. Learning opportunities are provided for each of the five main themes below.

1. Delivering family-inclusive practice.

2. Tackling stigma.

3. Providing harm-reduction advice.

4. Taking a human rights-based approach.

5. Practising trauma-informed care.