Chris started as a GROW Project Assistant at Rose Brae in February 2023. After settling into the role so well, Chris was offered a permanent role as a Project Worker after only four months.
What motivated you to apply for the GROW programme?
For about seven or eight years I was homeless and had issues with drug addiction brought on by a lot of deaths of family members, friends, girlfriends and stuff. And I was just coming out of the other side of that.
I got myself clean and I was at the point where I was starting to think of the future again, about being a normal person again. I thought about all the things that I wanted to do, and I thought to myself that I could see myself doing something in the housing, addiction or homelessness kind of areas.
I was a bit unsure at first and wasn’t confident that I would be able to take on one of the GROW roles so I thought that I would just do it for a short time while I looked for something else. Since starting, I’ve found that it’s the opposite. I love what I do!
What was it like settling into your role?
I took to it really quickly and it came very naturally to me, especially interacting with people and talking to people, much easier than I expected! I wasn’t expecting that to be my favourite part of the job, in fact, I was expecting that to be the difficult bit!
My team have been so supportive, helping me with the day-to-day things, settling in at my own pace, gaining knowledge of the role, the day-to-day tasks and needs of this role. They’ve been great!
What skills or experiences have you gained in the job in the GROW role and how has that helped you in your career and your personal life?
This job helped me completely rebuild my self-confidence and self-worth. I’ve got a much higher opinion of myself now. Working and having the sense of responsibility going to work every day, helping other people, especially with mental health is great. But helping yourself, that’s the big one really and learning to like yourself again while you’re doing something worthwhile.
What would you recommend to anyone thinking of applying for a GROW role?
If you’re thinking of applying for it, then it’s probably time so go for it!