> At the minute most employers won't even consider someone without a degree so it would be difficult for me to find a decent 9-5 job.
If that's really the case, even when applying direct, then it's messed up. In interviews I've been in or conducted, someone walking in with a computer and demoing some of their creations is vastly more persuading than I-went-to-X-university-and-my-CV-claims-I'm-expert-proficiency-in-every-subject-I-completed-a-module-on.
That "someone walking in" is pre-screened by HR in many places, and won't even get invited if they don't meet the basic criteria (educational background and experience).
If that's really the case, even when applying direct, then it's messed up. In interviews I've been in or conducted, someone walking in with a computer and demoing some of their creations is vastly more persuading than I-went-to-X-university-and-my-CV-claims-I'm-expert-proficiency-in-every-subject-I-completed-a-module-on.