A Great Turnaround for Francis

Last year, Francis came to visit us whilst struggling with alcohol issues as well as suffering from depression and physical illnesses.  He moved to Scotland to be with his sister, who unfortunately has since died from alcohol abuse.  Having nobody else in his life, Francis felt that he had become a recluse.

However, his life began to turn around when he joined the Working Matters programme, our specialised programme designed for individuals of all ages who are in receipt of Employment Support Allowance or who are in receipt of Universal Credit and have a Fit Note from their GP. In addition, Francis has received support from Advice Works, Housing, Obair and Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH).

Working Matters has helped Francis to receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and helped to address his housing issues. He has been referred to a doctor who was able to correctly diagnose him and refer him to a qualified psychiatrist who he could talk to about all of his personal issues. He is receiving help from RAMH on 1-2-1 anxiety management, graded exposure and relaxation classes. Advice Works is looking into arranging a community care grant and discretionary housing payment to help out his situation.

As a result, Francis has stopped now stopped drinking completely, lost weight and is eating a healthy diet. He tells us that he can’t praise the service enough and would recommend to anyone. He feels that he never had any help until he joined the programme. He has built up trust in our team and knows he can come to us with any issues and he will not be judged or treated differently.

This is just the beginning for this client. Once Francis has settled into his new home, our team will look at building his confidence, as well as providing him with IT training and volunteering experience.

Congratulations Francis, we are all here supporting you!

If you would like to find out more about the service and how we could help you, please contact a member of the Working Matters Team on 0300 300 118, or e-mail us at employability@renfrewshire.gcsx.gov.uk