Pathways to Employment: supporting people with lived and living experience of substance use in to work
This toolkit brings together best practice and support into one place to provide employers and employment support providers advice on how to attract, recruit and support staff with lived experience of substance use.
Moving forward with recruitment
This toolkit has set out the main considerations for organisations looking to employ people with lived experience of substance use. It draws on best practice and aims to provide ways to break down some of the most common barriers people with lived experience may encounter during the journey to employment.
As an employer, you can benefit from implementing some of the steps outlined in the toolkit:
1. Designing a recruitment process that places value on the experience of the person, while reaching and attracting the desired audience.
2. Supporting people into employment by ensuring that your organisational practices remove the most frequent barriers that people face.
3. Supporting employees’ basic needs by signposting them to medical, social, housing, and financial help, when required.
4. Improving your organisation’s understanding of previous convictions and Disclosure Scotland processes.
It is important to always remember the value that people with lived experience can bring to your organisation. This cohort can offer valuable insight into the background, circumstances, issues, and challenges that others in similar circumstances face, as well as how these may be addressed. People with lived experience can help bridge relationships, as well as offering hope and practical advice.
If you have any questions or comments relating to the content of this toolkit, these can be directed to drugsandalcoholworkforce@gov.scot.