Case Studies

Claire's Story

Claire was 15 years old when she was referred to Early and Effective Intervention (EEI) after being charged with street drinking.

Following her referral, the EEI process looked at Claire's individual situation and a multi-agency meeting took place to assess her situation as a whole, with all the information about any risks and concerns for Claire taken into consideration.

It was found that Claire needed support for her low moods, which were caused by bullying and her worries about how she was doing at school. From looking at all the information, it was clear that this was causing her alcohol misuse.

Being referred to EEI allowed Claire access to support services in her community that she could use as required. No statutory social work intervention was required. Instead, additional careers and in-school support were given, alongside support for her alcohol misuse. This helped Claire strengthen her resilience, preventing further offences and helping to ensure her wellbeing.

Ed's Story

(Note that this story is based on a real case, but the name and some of the details have been changed).

Ed was referred to Early and Effective Intervention (EEI) for support when he was 14, due to two charges relating to drugs and trespassing on a railway line.

At a multi-agency meeting following his referral to EEI, we gained a better understanding of Ed's family and education. Ed had a supportive mother, but his behaviour was beginning to become threatening towards her and she felt she was losing parental control.

To help his mother, the Triple P, Positive Parenting Programme was offered through NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in partnership with Glasgow City Council.

We offered Ed support and he received input from the British Transport Police and ourselves about safety and information about cannabis use, harm and reduction. Glasgow Life also offered support to help Ed to start joining in on activities in his community.

The combination of support offered allowed Ed to move on, preventing further offending behaviour.

Emma's Story

(Note that all names have been changed to protect the identity of those involved).

The Stolen Purse

Emma was referred to our Early and Effective Intervention (EEI) service after being charged with the theft of a purse from her teacher while at detention.

In the initial meeting with EEI, Emma seemed sorry for her actions and explained the motive behind her actions - she had felt picked on by the teacher and wanted to get her own back. Our intervention worker suggested going through the Restorative Justice process may help in repairing the harm caused. Eager to make amends, Emma agreed to take part in the process.

Preparing for the Restorative Justice Conference

Once Emma had agreed to go through Restorative Justice, our intervention worker met with the teacher involved to ask if she would take part in the process. She was happy to take part to repair the relationship with Emma.

On the lead up to the conference, our intervention worker met with both Emma and her teacher separately, discussing the process and talking through questions that would be asked on the day.

The Conference

At the conference, the teacher was able to explain to Emma the effects her actions had on everyone around her. She explained that her family had real concerns for her safety following the theft and that it had destroyed the teacher's trust in not just Emma, but all pupils at the school.

Emma was able to take on board everything that was said and apologised for her actions. She explained the reasons behind her actions and her teacher was able to make clear that dealing with discipline issues was part of her role, and wasn't personal.

The conference ended with Emma's teacher asking her to write a letter of apology detailing why she was sorry and who she thought her actions had affected. Our intervention worker helped with this and this brought the process to a close.

After the conference

Since the conference, Emma's behaviour has improved greatly. Both Emma and her teacher feel the conference brought closure on the incident, allowing them to draw a line under it and start afresh.