Duncan (Creative Pathways)

Duncan joined the Creative Pathway’s programme at the very beginning of the project. He became one of the first members present as the group, of two grew and expanded after the first few weeks. Duncan had not been in education, project placement or work for the last six months prior to coming to Impact Arts, and we could not find any record of qualifications in his SQA online folder. 

Duncan lives at home with his unemployed father and his older brother. He was unsure of where he wanted to go on and progress to after this project. He had limited work experience and was ostensibly low skilled. Furthermore, his attire suggested measurable deprivation and tutors continue to be cautious of Duncan’s poor diet and subsequent ailments. Although Duncan acknowledges these, he wasn’t at present ready to address his health issues.

The tutors observed Duncan’s lack of self-confidence, as he struggled to initially participate in group discussions and his reluctance to initially open up and share. The tutors also observed how Duncan’s low skills seemed to hinder him in certain tasks but noted how he was able to apply himself to more practical tasks. 

Initially Duncan presented as quite immature for his age and it became clear to tutors that he was both easily led by others and had a reckless disregard for his own safety, all of which made for poor life choices. 

Tutors were required to address these issues on a regular basis throughout the duration of the course. However, this confrontation could often lead to conflict, and when things would get out of hand Duncan would leave in a huff often with dramatic effect which necessitated constant bridge building initiated by the facilitators. Thankfully, as the project continued these episodes became more infrequent and Duncan became the one who returned to make amends unprompted. The last few weeks of the project saw no such incidents. Duncan’s ability to both recognise and regulate his behaviour in these incidents demonstrated his progression.

Despite Duncan’s barriers he was also able to address his sometimes-erratic attendance to become one of the first faces of the day with regularity. He was able to create and sustain his own routine and take responsibility for his time management.

As the course progress and trust was established between Duncan and the tutors, Duncan shared that he was self-taught in several Adobe creative programs and was adept at using them. Whilst on the course Duncan demonstrated patience and generosity, sharing his skills and passing on some of his knowledge to the other participants and in a few cases his facilitators. 

Though Duncan’s attention span was limited, with praise and reward Duncan applied himself to the tasks at hand. 

It was noted that Duncan was very capable of achieving his SQA, racing ahead of others within the group.