Learn 2 Earn

The Independence Initiative was established to meet the needs of recovering substance misusers in 1996. Since that time the organisation has extended its remit to cover the whole of Merseyside.

The project works one-to-one with individuals and never with groups. Clients are only referred by their key workers and GPs. The work is driven by the needs of individual recovering substance misusers and strives to achieve their reintegration into the mainstream community rather than exclusion from it.

The Initiative works to meet local and national targets to facilitate reductions in drug use, treatment levels and criminality.

The Mission is; “Answering needs, assisting change and avoiding relapse” and “to work with individuals, agencies and the community to facilitate the long-term rehabilitation of people with a history of drug misuse.”

The aims are to help clients who wish to break with a substance misusing lifestyle, promote their long-term recovery and help them to avoid relapse. This is achieved by offering clients the opportunity to negotiate an “Individual Action Plan” that meets their short, medium and long-term aspirations. A programme of personal development is provided that can include basic skills, confidence building, education and training.

Our clients have a history of offending and they face multiple barriers to education, training and employment opportunities. All of our clients are long-term unemployed people. In fact most will have never had a job.

The project will strive to identify people who have made a commitment to break with their addiction, help them to gain the skills required by employers and provide them with the support they need to gain and sustain employment.