The Recovery Essentials Project is a partnership of several agencies working in the field of drug and alcohol addiction in Edinburgh. Together the project partners and EVOC identified a need for additional support for people recovering from substance misuse particularly in the context of the changes brought about by welfare reforms. A successful bid to the Big Lottery Fund means that we are funded for 2 years.
The project is about financial inclusion and aims to enable people to work towards financial stability so that they can better manage their lives and reduce stress in order to increase their chances of recovery. On the face of it this type of client facing work seems a bit of a departure from what EVOC normally does however the project is committed to disseminating learning from its work so that the practices can become embedded in mainstream work – innovation and learning are very much what EVOC is about.
Referrals have been coming in thick and fast and the team are being kept busy with enquiries ranging from assistance with budgeting and setting up back accounts, to sanctions and claims for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Clients are helped to maximise their income and look at their outgoings with a view to establishing financial stability. We will also be introducing group work sessions to build support networks and enable people to build on their skills and to support each other. These will focus on budgeting and behaviour change, communication skills as well as practical recycling and cooking groups.
We expect soon to expand the team and the project reach and have been discussing working also with a number of other agencies in the City.
More news on recruitment, partnership work and top issues that clients are presenting with will be regularly posted on the blog as well as links to other useful sources of information and any recommended materials and resources.
For more information:
Twitter: @evoc_Finclusion
Facebook: Recovery Essentials Financial Inclusion Project
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