West Lothian Council delivers

West Lothian's 'Living Life' Offender Employability Project

What is the 'Living Life' Project?
The 'Living Life' Project is an exciting new venture supported by the European Social Fund, and run jointly by West Lothian College and West Lothian Council's Criminal Justice Social Work Service (CJSWS).
It will provide a range of ways in which people appearing before the courts can get access to:
- basic education;
- training related to work that they would like to do; and
- help with skills that increase the chance of finding work that they want to do.
It will also use the contacts that local organisations have with employers to increase opportunities for hands-on experience of various types of work, and for improving opportunities to apply for jobs.

Why is this important?
It is well known that one of the most important things that keeps people out of the court system is having satisfying and meaningful work, and we also know that most of the people that we work with in the CJ Social Work Service are not in regular work. Many are in casual work that is dependent on the weather, or are working for agencies with no job security.
Only a small minority of people in contact with the Criminal Justice system are in work that they consider satisfying and fulfilling.

How does the 'Living Life' Project work?
The project is about 'employability' - helping people to develop the skills and  confidence to move towards a satisfying working life. Work is important in life, and we intend employability to become a key part of every court order and Parole Licence.
We understand that some people are entirely happy with their work, and feel that they have the necessary skills to carry it out. We also understand that some people are not interested in improving their situation, and we will discuss with you why you feel this way.
Every person living in West Lothian who is sentenced to a court order or Parole Licence will be encouraged to take part in an assessment of their skills and abilities as soon as possible during that order. This will help us consider with you a range of ways in which you may be able to develop skills.

What sort of help will we offer you?
- Helping you work out what skills you would like to develop, and what training might be available;
- Helping you with Adult Basic Education, so that reading and writing are not a problem when you apply for a job;
- Giving you training of general use in applying for jobs (for example, Health and Safety, and First Aid)
- Building in to Community Service work the chance for you to get a recognised certificate showing what skills you have learnt;
- Helping you apply for more advanced training, either at college or within a work setting;
- Offering you the help of a mentor (a volunteer who can give you informal advice and encouragement in carrying through your plans).

Who will do this?
The 'Living Life' Project involves a number of organisations. Much of the direct training and careers guidance will be provided by West Lothian College. The CJ Social Work Service will manage the court orders, do initial planning with you, and encourage you to follow through the agreed plans.
Other organisations, such as Adult Basic Education, the council's employment development teams and Jobcentre Plus, will have an important rôle in making this all work.

If this is part of a court order, what difference does that make?
If your Court Report shows that your working life has been identified as a problem area, this will automatically become part of the provisional Action Plan for our work with you. This will be considered in more detail during the first few weeks of your order.
If lack of work skills is considered to be a factor in your offending, you may receive specific instructions from your supervising officer to attend activities as part of your order, and if you do not comply with these instructions, this could form part of a breach application to court.