Moving On Inverclyde (MOI) was set up in 2001 to help people like John by offering structured support for people at various stages of recovery from substance misuse. The charity’s range of services provides the support people in recovery need in order to take back control of their lives. Since John joined MOI two years ago he has not used heroin or been back in prison, as he says: “I am for the first time in my life taking the time to enjoy life rather than be driven by circumstances around me and I feel in control now and can see a lot clearer what’s ahead for me.”
When John* was ten years old he started sniffing glue and was constantly in trouble. After problems at home John ended up in a children’s care home and over the next few years his drug taking got worse. As a teenager he ended up in jail and this was a pattern that was to continue for the next twenty years as John’s drug use escalated. Unfortunately John’s story is not unique in the Inverclyde area, where illicit drug use is 60% higher than the Scottish average.
Moving On Inverclyde (MOI) was set up in 2001 to help people like John by offering structured support for people at various stages of recovery from substance misuse. The charity’s range of services provides the support people in recovery need in order to take back control of their lives. Since John joined MOI two years ago he has not used heroin or been back in prison, as he says: “I am for the first time in my life taking the time to enjoy life rather than be driven by circumstances around me and I feel in control now and can see a lot clearer what’s ahead for me.”
Alex Nicol, MOI’s Service Manager, knew the value the charity brought to the Inverclyde community, however, the organisation was facing financial uncertainty and operating in ‘survival mode’. As Alex says:
“We were looking for professional help and Pilotlight 360 was an opportunity to explain the situation to others. The Pilotlighters helped by looking at the challenges and taking them stage-by-stage: what to do, how to do it, how to engage with service users….They brought much needed order and helped us think strategically and not only tactically.”
The team of Pilotlighters came from a variety of corporates including Diageo, BT and Grant Thornton as well as an individual member.
“When the project started MOI was facing potential closure or redundancies, putting the future of MOI’s approach to substance misuse on the line. On top of that Alex was definitely being overworked”, says Suzanne Hester, former HR director of Network Investment at BT.
Shortly after MOI joined Pilotlight, the charity received significant funding from the Big Lottery Fund. This was a great opportunity for the project to be focused on long term objectives, but it also represented a problem as Tony Brewerton, Operations Manager at Diageo explains: “suddenly, money wasn’t the most pressing concern any more, but the challenge now was the effective management of that new acquired wealth”.
Having operated for years without meaningful long-term strategic focus or truly effective measurement systems, the team agreed that putting in place an operating business model was crucial for the future success of MOI. They focused on giving Alex all the information and support to develop the tools needed for the efficient running of the organisation, from the day-to-day management to truly productive board meetings.
Like many charities the trustee board consisted of local community members interested in MOI and was in desperate need of a boost. The Pilotlighters attended a couple of board meetings in order to be able to help the trustees implement a governance plan, with a clear overview of everyone’s responsibilities. Following this MOI recruited two new board members from HR and business backgrounds, who helped provide a greater level of professionalism to the board.
Alex says working with Pilotlight has made a huge difference: “I feel that for the first time I have a strong governance structure overseeing my work and it helps keep the stress levels down. Things are always going to be busy here, but now it is less stressful”.
Six months on the Pilotlight team have been impressed with the changes in the organisation and its leadership. As Tony says: “Now MOI is a stronger organisation. They have a clear idea of where they want to go and the Pilotlight process has given them the road map to get there”.
*John is not his real name.
