David Johnstone Email & Phone Number

Glasgow, United Kingdom

My role requires delivering a person centred approach to individuals experiencing homelessness and destitution. I deal with individuals in crisis. I advocate on behalf of supporting the rights and interests of individuals in line with National Care Standards for Scotland and SSSC while balancing the delivery of organisational outputs with service users' primary and secondary support needs in this multi-faceted role. I am trained, and have considerable knowledge of the inter-related and inter-dependent needs of individuals who have fled violence and persecution, developed substance and drug dependency issues, or who may be experiencing mental health deterioration. I am solution focused and responsive when encountering areas such as- housing, benefits, food-shortage(s), access to health services to factors not withstanding abuse. I have developed a varied communication skill-set to implement trust-building narrative approaches when confronting individuals whom often experience a breakdown in trust with support services.I act as an inter-agency liaison and point of contact communicating across diverse services and updating care managers, case workers, housing officers, GP’s, CPN's, Social Work Services and Mental Health Workers on the development status of individuals who occupy our care. The role requires accurate recording of case-work running notes.I regularly take the lead during staff hand-over’s to update staff on the day-to-day developments. My role allows me to operationalise these skills across various Aspire service locations in the Greater Glasgow region.The nature of the role includes at times acting as lead-worker on shifts and key-holder. This can extend to welcoming new individuals into the service and explaining all policies, procedures and agreements being made between Aspire and service users. I regularly must act as a first point of contact for (an average 25 resident) service users and co-workers.

Glasgow, Dungavel Detention Centre, United Kingdom

I am a current acting board member for Scottish Detainee Visitors (SDV). SDV are a third sector, SCIO registered organisation providing vital support to persons navigating the UK Immigration & Asylum system. Many individuals making such claims experience life inside detention within Scotland’s only Immigration Removal Centre (Dungavel). As a board member and visitor for persons in Immigration Detention, I am intimately involved in contributing to the organisation’s expansion, future policy strategy and conducting various administrative tasks to project-management outputs.My primary role requires providing emotional, practical and social support to Asylum-Seeking detainees of Dungavel detention centre in Scotland. I converse and communicate between multi-national persons acting as inter-agency liasion to signpost detainees to appropriate external services where pertinent.I am trained & experienced confronting complex needs including- hunger strikes, survivors of torture, trafficking or gender violence including, family separation, harm & suicide.I have liased with press correspondents on such issues when required.I contributed a blog to Oxford University’s web based platform - Border Criminologies: Volunteer Visiting in the Hostile Environment.I am currently developing a new country researcher role for visitors involving design work & research strategy. I have been involved in the event management of SDV’s 2015 Refugee Week event: Expensive, Ineffective, Unjust: Challenging Immigration Detention. The event discussed current UK Immigration issues such as Fast Track, Indefinite Detention, & Family Separation which provided for opening discussion for realising community-based alternatives to Detention. I continue to contribute to various design related outputs including: ticket/flyer creation & distribution using my knowledge of social media platforms, printing services and my experience with design programs such as Adobe creative suite and Microsoft Word.

Glasgow, United Kingdom

I am employed as a Design/Printing Assistant for a private business. My role is diverse and requires a need to move between various service demands. My duties range from: information handling, book binding, flyer, leaflet and poster production, money handling, customer quotes, and liaison. I am experienced and confident in using a range of software programmes, including: Microsoft Word, Publisher, Excel, In Design, Coral Draw and Photo Shop. Further, I have am involved in the development of new staff members’ training. I liaise with organisations on a daily basis, developing business links and negotiating client contracts. I communicate via a range of methods including email, telephone and face to face. My job requires me to think on my feet, engage critically, and creatively solve customer problems. I enjoy confronting challenges, providing quick solutions for customers in a busy environment while also managing and balancing a range of customers: students, external organisations etc. Often clients are coming from a highly pressured environment, and thus my role requires me to express calm, sensitivity, as well as being at all times professional.

Glasgow, United Kingdom

I was assigned to the demographic and social shifts desk where I undertook geostrategic analysis of current political events. I have undertaken research for, and partook in simulations/scenarios exploring geopolitical trends: Cyber Sovereignty; Pakistan Security Risks; Master Narratives of International Affairs 2015; & Hezbollah’s Future Position in Lebanon.

Kinning Park Complex Glasgow, United Kingdom

I aided in the organisation and hosting of an event as part of Refugee Week Scotland 2014 (Feast of Stories). The aim of the event was to invite organisations from the Greater Glasgow region to share with volunteers, refugees and asylum-seekers stories of migration while enjoying a three course meal, cooked by volunteers and refugees in participatory fashion. I set event targets, provided idea generation and co-chaired pre-event meetings while also undertaking the event promotion and advertising scheme by utilising online social-media platforms (Facebook, Twitter). I provided design and administration work for the creation of print ready material required to advertise the event in public spaces. I liaised between volunteers and event organisers to ensure a smooth running of the event on the day i.e. assigning volunteer roles, aiding event set-up, food preparation and being a point of contact for public participants during the event itself. Doing this entailed remaining organised, driven and positive to continually problem solve and seek solutions. Acting quickly and being resourceful to respond to participants needs in a fast-paced environment was a necessary requirement of my role as co-coordinator to the event.

Pollok Manor House

I project managed a piece of work that involved archive handling and the development of an online information database, created for the benefit of future volunteers to gain access to the historical legacies of Pollok House. I employed research methodology skills, including qualitative research and textual analysis skills. I carried out in-depth interviews with current National Trust for Scotland employees and volunteers who shed light on a number of areas, including Sir John Stirling-Maxwell and his family and their unique Spanish art collection. I researched and digitised findings on Pollok House’s art collection, and generated historical reports. I liaised with different levels of management, volunteers, and customers.Other responsibilities included working with current staff members to provide a high standard of customer service. I provided answers on request from touring customers. I partook in children’s events designed to help engage children with their community’s past (Eye-Spy-Polly). This encouraged the children to become interested in the history of the House, both its regional and community history and Edwardian and Victorian past.

Master Of Science (Msc) Global Security: Strategy And Defence

Activities and Societies: Glasgow Refugee, Asylum & Migration Network (GRAMNet), Amnesty International, GUSTASecurity Studies Modules.

Master Of Arts (M.A) History, Upper Second Class Honours Degree (2:1)

Activities and Societies: GUST: Glasgow University Student TelevisionHonours Modules: Censorship in Western Cultures, Life Histories.

Department Of Adult And Continuing Education, History

Classical Civilisation: A Medieval History: B

Hnd, Music Performance

Hnc, Modern Musicianship

Nq, Music

High School