A window into LandWorks

This is an extract from an interview with a LandWorks graduate. Jarvis had a Release on Temporary Licence placement at LandWorks in 2016 – https://penprojectlandworks.org/?s=jarvis

“So I’m Jarvis, I’m employed by the NHS Reconnect and I’m what they call a ‘peer support worker’. I’ve been doing it for five years and basically what it is, is we support people coming out of the prison system…

Then I also do other bits and pieces, like if I come across people sometimes that … you can tell they want to stop and want to give up because sometimes people are just like stuck in a loop, so that’s when I probably recommend maybe you should have a look at LandWorks, and obviously if that’s the case we go through with it, and obviously I’ll contact Chris at LandWorks,

They’re all vulnerable people. Most of ‘em, to be honest with you, are NFA (No Fixed Accommodation), they’re on some sort of medication. Quite often we have to get ‘em to places like ***, all that sort of stuff. Even though we’re Reconnect, we also work with multi-agencies, so we might have to have professional meetings with people … very, very vulnerable people, yeah.

[What is LW trying to achieve] Well, I think they’re trying to give some people like a bit of stability in their life, a bit of structure, maybe a bit of confidence, you know, lots of people that come through … you know… they’re stuck in loops and never had to break them cycles, so I think what LandWorks gives you … do you know what I mean … is, to be honest with you, it’s probably a better way to communicate coz what I like about it, what goes on up here, yeah, there’s no judgement, no-one’s higher than the other one, and you can talk to each other without there being a pay-back, and it never feels like you’re being judged. Do you know what I mean? Of course we all make mistakes along the line, you know, I mean everybody makes mistakes as we go along the line, but their support team is so good, yeah, that there’s normally someone there that you click with so you might spend more time with that person and they’ve got that quality of being able to give you that one-to-one time, which is so precious, yeah. Also, for certain people, you know, some people never worked, so obviously to me it was like just giving people back a bit of life, I suppose, maybe learning stuff, learning new stuff, and you don’t get that from normal rehabilitation places, and I know that from personal experience.

So I came here … this is back in 2016 … yeah, 10 years, yeah 10 years ago … so I used to come from prison daily and then what actually happened is obviously I started coming here, realised I liked it, do you know what I mean, realised I could trust these people, had proper discussions with ‘em, yeah, and over a period of time what’s been really, really special for me is I’ve seen Chris and all the other staff, and yourself as well, like it’s ok to show your emotions because most people … not just criminals … I mean most people in life, you put them barriers up and you think it’s not ok, well actually it is ok, yeah. So I learnt that as well, so that was really, really important for me, you know, to stand there and see someone like Chris cry in front of an open forum and like … you know, and that gives you permission within itself. I’m ok with that now, you know.

[What is LW trying to do] I think what I said really. I think what it’s doing is trying to help people identify some of their issues, even though you don’t say that straightaway. So what then happens is I found the team as a whole, yeah, will support you and encourage you to do certain things, try different things as well. So to me LandWorks is about giving you structure, giving you a bit of insight and understanding, and non-judgemental.

[LW approach different from other approaches] Just the openness really, to be honest with you, I mean really open, you know, you’re not gonna … even if you don’t like some people, that somebody’s done or whatever, yeah, they ain’t judging you, they get it, they understand at the start, that’s what I really, really like about it, yeah. Also, you know, it’s real, it doesn’t feel fake, you know, like most rehabilitation places … and don’t forget, I’m talking about loads of ‘em are in the prison system … I understand that officers get involved and they go security, security, security … but why shouldn’t you turn round and say actually I’ve got two kids, you don’t have to tell ‘em their age, you don’t have to tell ‘em their sex … so it’s that openness and that honesty that’s so important for me, as an individual in life anyway, yeah. But just so you know, when them people ain’t giving you something, you also feel vulnerable letting them know your stuff, yeah. That’s what I’m saying about a two-way thing, when it’s a two-way thing you connect, yeah. That’s it, it’s the connection. It’s to realise for these people that they’re not outcasts… well, they might be outcasts in certain people’s eyes, but we’re all human, we all feel and you know, look at me, I’ve made mistake after mistake after mistake, but that’s ok coz eventually I turned it around and I do what I do now, and I help people in the position I was in.

[Why LW works] Real and communication, that’s it … two words, that’s it.

[Anything else] It’s a lovely day… sunny and beautiful. To be honest with you, no, not that I can think of. Actually, to be honest with you, right, I feel quite good coz I feel like I’ve delivered something to you, if you want, LandWorks it’s just something that’s so real and to me the most important thing in life is realness. Get that realness, yeah, you’ll succeed, yeah, just keep the realness people around you and you will succeed. That’s all I wanna say really.“