· How long have you worked in the Young Person’s Recovery Employability Service?

I have worked in the Young Person’s Recovery Employability Service for almost three years now. I started as a Recovery Coach and then moved into an Employment Adviser role in October 2025.

· What does a typical day look like for you?

No day looks the same in the service, but it will typically consist of one-to-one appointments and all the administration that goes along with them, as well as training and external meetings.

One-to-one appointments are arranged flexibly to suit the needs of our participants, so the times and days of meetings often vary, although we do tend to meet on a weekly basis. Now that I am an Employment Adviser, most meetings take place in the office. However, this approach is again flexible and person-centred, so I have a couple of participants whom I meet out in the community.

The administration between appointments is a mix of finding opportunities for people, including training, courses, and jobs, as well as recording data on our systems.

I also attend meetings with other organisations, which our team organises to build relationships with referral partners and learn about other organisations across Glasgow that may benefit our young people. Relevant training from both internal and external providers ensures that my knowledge is up to date for the benefit of the people I work with.

· An aspect of your role that you love…

I love that there is no end date to our support. Being able to work with people long term is a privilege, as you really get to see how far they have come and help them get there. Recovery takes a lot of time, and it’s nice to be able to understand that and use that knowledge to shape the support we provide. I get to know participants really well through long-term support, which also means I can support them more effectively.

In a recent appointment, I reflected on a participant’s journey with them. We realised that we had been working together for a year and a half and thought back to those initial appointments when he was actively using substances, struggling with his mental health, and had just left school feeling uncertain about his future. I then asked him whether he had thought, back then, that in a year and a half he would be about to complete his first-choice college course, have a driving licence, own his first car, hold a permanent job, and be three months sober. He said ‘absolutely not’, and it is moments like these that are definitely one of the best aspects of the job.

· An aspect of your role that you find challenging…

One of the things I find challenging is trying to tackle the different barriers that participants face in accessing positive destinations. Of course, while being person-centred is one of the best things about the job, it also means that many participants face completely different barriers.

It is challenging because I have to find so many different routes to recovery, training, and employment. For example, some people may have certain criminal convictions or no access to a bank account. The challenge is that you can never do all your research and then apply it to everyone, which is also what makes the role rewarding, as it allows for individualised support and means I am constantly learning new things.

I never want to get someone’s hopes up or set them up for failure, so navigating all these different barriers to accessing support can feel challenging. However, it is certainly rewarding once the work is done.