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Leaving the Forces
Case Study: Christopher Boyle
"Erskine has really turned my life around," Christopher, ex-Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, who works 4 days a week through the Project.
Leaving the Armed Forces to return to civilian life can be challenging at the best of times. The pressures of finding a job and a place to live:, a change to your status and lifestyle is a real risk to even healthy, able-bodied Service leavers. When this transition is complicated by physical or psychological injury, these challenges can seem insurmountable.
Help from Erskine
The Erskine Supported Transition Project aims to give vulnerable and disabled Service leavers the time, space and information they need to set up a stable and fulfilling civilian life. The project participants prepare to move on to a fully independent civilian existence. It’s a stepping stone programme that provides temporary housing and employment that supports a more positive progression to ‘Civvie Street’.
The programme focuses on three key areas of development:
- Welfare support – participants have access to counselling services from qualified external agencies. This helps them makes the most of their eligibility to welfare benefits and charitable support. Living at Erskine means they avoid the dramatic change of environment and working culture often encountered upon leaving the Armed Forces.
- Employment and training – employment opportunities are made available at Erskine. These could be full or part-time paid positions, apprenticeships, development positions and job-shadowing opportunities in our charity, administrative, care and support departments, or in one of our social firms. Or they could be in one of the many businesses located close to Erskine. Training opportunities are sourced at Erskine and at nearby educational establishments, such as the University of the West of Scotland.
- Accommodation – provided in independent living cottages on the Erskine Estate. The houses could include participants’ families and single personnel may share multi-bedroom properties.
At the end of the two year programme, or possibly sooner, most participants will be better prepared, by a considerable margin, to enter a full civilian life.
More information
For more information on the Supported Transition Project, call us on 0141 814 4692 or email enquiries@erskine.org.uk
