John is 44. He had a fairly stable upbringing, though his family didn’t have much money.
John worked as a painter and decorator after he left school but by his late 20s he had developed a serious alcohol problem, split up from his long-term girlfriend and lost various jobs. John has been involved with a community rehabilitation programme in the past but is currently drinking quite heavily on a daily basis. He has a 10 year-old son from a short-lived relationship whom he rarely sees.
John was evicted from his social tenancy for rent arrears, slept rough for a few months and then moved into a hostel where he has been for more than a year. He spends a lot of his time drinking in a public park as part of an established ‘street drinking school’. He has served a prison sentence for assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
