Watch Lindsay, Paul and Kieran talk about what Recovery Works means to them, then read Lindsay’s story in full below.
For a lot of people, work is one of the first things to go when substance misuse takes hold. Getting it back can be one of the biggest milestones in recovery, not just for the income, but for the structure, the confidence and the sense of purpose that come with it.
That is exactly what Wirral Ways’ Recovery Works employment support is there for.
Meet the team
Paul is the Senior Employment Specialist and team leader for Recovery Works. Kieran is an IPS Employment Specialist within Wirral Ways, supporting people in the service into sustainable, long-term employment. They work alongside Lisa and Sarah, who also support people in the service into employment.
“The biggest thing for me is being able to be a part of people’s recovery and their wider journey, with the focus on supporting them back into work,” Paul says. “That can be something as simple as getting them ready for interviews and offering a bit of CV advice, right through to understanding more in depth how they’ve got to this point in their life, and getting them to a stage of being work ready.”
Kieran is clear that it is never about rushing someone into the first job going. “It’s a case of finding the right job for them, one they can stay in, one they enjoy, one that works for them and works around their recovery and their overall wellbeing.”
How it works
Every referral into Recovery Works comes through Wirral Ways staff. Once the team has a referral, they get in touch and invite the person in for a one-to-one meeting.
There is no rush to talk about employment. In fact, the team often will not raise the subject of work at all for the first month.
“We’ll just have an initial conversation,” Kieran explains. “There’s no initial rush to get people into work. It’s about taking the time to get to know them, see what their interests are, what they’ve done in the past, their experiences, and have a bit of a chat about how their past work experience has led to where they are now in recovery.”
Building that relationship matters, because so much of what stands in the way of work is confidence, not capability.
“They’ve been through a lot, and are going through a lot, so they might not think they’re able to go for interviews or put themselves forward in a positive light,” Kieran says. “It’s our job, in a sense, to build that confidence with them and move them forward. With interview prep, some people haven’t interviewed in twenty years. They don’t even know what an interview is any more. It’s teaching them those life skills, and contributing to the wider recovery, being involved in the rest of the service. It’s not as simple as just getting someone into work. It’s everything else that comes with it.”
Lindsay’s story
Lindsay describes herself simply: “I am an alcoholic who is winning some days and not winning on other days.” She had worked in public office all her life, burnt out, took a year off, and changed direction completely.
“I sent out loads of CVs and then they went into decline for several weeks,” she remembers. “I tried to get a job, and looking back, the CV was garbage. That’s when I got involved with the Works programme here. The first thing Paul did was get my CV ripped into shape.”
The improvement was immediate. Where Lindsay had previously heard nothing back at all, she started getting replies. But progress in recovery, like progress into work, is rarely a straight line.
“I didn’t get anywhere, and then I went into a bit of a gloom, and started drinking again.”
It was Paul who suggested something different: voluntary work. Lindsay admits her first reaction was not exactly enthusiastic, “that went through my heart”, but she trusted his judgement and gave it a go, just once a week to start with.
“That was just wonderful, because it gave me the work structure back. I realised I liked doing what I was doing.”
From there, the CV work continued, tweaked and refined piece by piece. “I’d still go back to Paul and say, oh, put this in my CV. He’d tweak it again, take that bit out, put that bit in.” When a role came up through the Job Centre, Lindsay applied.
“I got the interview. I got the job.”
The nerves did not disappear overnight. “When I got the job, I went into panic. I’m not as good as they thought I was.” But the support did not stop at the job offer.
“It boosted my self-esteem, which was rock bottom. It gave me the work structure and a little bit of confidence, kick-starting my steps.”
Today, Lindsay puts it simply: “I just feel like I’ve got my adult life back. I like the order, I like the purpose.”
Busting the stigma
Part of the team’s role goes beyond CVs and interviews. It is about changing how people in recovery are seen, and how they see themselves.
“It’s our job to try and change that stigma,” Kieran says. “The way we do that is we invite them in and say, come and see a group, come and see that these people are just like you or myself, whose lives have just taken a wrong turn for whatever reason, and try to bust those myths around addiction. You can never forget the person sitting across from you, because that’s who it’s about.”
Paul reflects on three years of the service and what keeps the team motivated. “It’s so, so important to make sure you’re doing it not for any other reason than helping that person. I think that’s the main reason.”
Kieran agrees, and says watching people change is the most rewarding part of the job. “I get to see them grow into themselves. They’re often very shy and timid at the start, scared almost about the future. Work is almost like the big bad word to say. Helping them go from absolutely terrified of it, to actively looking for jobs and working, and seeing how positive an influence that has on their life and their overall wellbeing, I think is the greatest achievement.
“It’s their journey. It’s all about them, it’s led by them, it’s what they want. When you see people taking control of it, doing it their way and owning their lives again, that’s a massive achievement, and that’s what we all strive for here.”
Get in touch
If you, or someone you know, could benefit from support moving into employment as part of your recovery, get in touch with Wirral Ways.
Wirral Ways Website: www.wirralways.org.uk/about/our-services/employment-training-support Email: wirral.services@cgl.org.uk Phone: 0151 556 1335
Last Updated on 23 July 2026