Work placement Report for SS6W02: Work Placement for Professional Development
Work placement Report for SS6W02: Work Placement for Professional Development
Work Placement Report
1 a. Introduction
I undertook my work placement during 2022/23 with Kingston Carers Network (KCN) an organisation that supports unpaid/informal carers in The Royal Borough of Kingston on Thames. The work placement was undertaken while completing an undergraduate degree and was a core part of my Work Placement for Professional Development module. My work placement lasted for fifty days, and my time was spent primarily between the KCN office in Surbiton and the council offices at Guildhall 2 in Kingston town centre where I regularly attended the local authority run warm space as an ambassador for KCN between November and March.
1. b Aims
The aim of this report is to show my learning from undertaking my work placement. It is a chance to see how I have used my generic and transferable skills and developed new ones throughout the experience and how these have enabled me to meet my learning outcomes and how they can aid me in attaining my future career goals.
Firstly, section 2.a of this report will describe how I approached researching my organisation in order to carry out a small-scale organisational study. It will give an account of the ethnographic research method of participatory research that I used to conduct my primary research, mention ethical considerations, describe how I conducted my secondary research and list some of the sources I used.
Section 2.b will provide an in-depth account of my search for a work placement. It will begin by explaining where I made a mistake by not being specific about my needs but how I was able to learn from that and ensure I was better prepared to source my work placement. It will show how knowing my own areas of interest and evaluating what skills and attributes I had that were transferable would help me match my skills to the requirements of the role, as well as helping me realise where I could benefit from a role that gave me opportunities for growth. It will then consider what things I have learnt from my search that will be useful in my future job searches and my future practice.
Section 3 evaluates the organisation: Its management, context and related social issues. It introduces the organisation and its services and describes how it works with and engages with carers, to understand how it embraces CDNOS principles. It gives brief demographics about carers in the UK and in Kingston, notes some of the social issues that affect them, and observes KCNs espoused values. It then considers how KCN collaborates with RBK and how it has informed RBKs carers strategy and its main priorities for carers. It provides an overview of the organisation, its management and structure and considers the impact of external factors, particularly in relation to ensuring its sustainability and the need to acquire long term funding which has dictated the need for its involvement in RBKs recommissioning process. It then offers my own observation of how this process has meant it has prioritised the needs of the commissioners over the needs of its beneficiaries which has caused a divergence from its espoused values.
Section 4 of this report provides a review of my work role and skills. It names my role and provides an outline of the paperwork that was completed, evidenced, and confirmed in line with the universitys requirements in order for it to be considered an official work placement. It gives a description of the purpose of the role and explains how, with the input of my work placement supervisor, my learning objectives were arrived at and the training and learning experiences I would have in order to meet my learning outcomes were agreed. It goes on to recount my induction with the office manager including the completion of the organisation's paperwork and agreeing of my contract. It relates my feelings of nervousness at using modern technology on beginning my role and reflects on the progress I made and how I felt having the opportunity to challenge myself, having the encouragement of others and being allowed to practise helped me to learn to navigate software, systems and processes quickly and has resulted in a massive boost to my confidence. Next, section four considers how I was able to develop my latent abilities and traits such as communication and empathy by working with carers and undertaking mental health training. It describes how my experience at the warm space meant I learnt about KCN collaborating with partners, I connected and collaborated with community groups myself and was able to work with different communities and incorporate CDNOS principles into my practice.Finally, section four concludes by reflecting on how I can use the learning from my work placement and the training opportunities that I have experienced and learnt about during my work placement will help me to find solutions to personal and social problems and will aid me in my future career.
Section five will provide an analysis of a theme. It will analyse the warm spaces that began opening up across the UK in the autumn of 2022 in response to the impact of fuel price rises and the rising cost of living on the poorest members of society and consider wider societal issues that they addressed.
Section six will offer a conclusion and evaluate my work placement experience overall. It will include an assessment of my end of placement appraisal, explain how I intend to further my personal and career goals and suggest a plan of action for the future.
This report provides an appendices containing relevant documentary evidence including my Work placement approval and learning agreement forms, my appraisal, my updated C.V., and my action plan.
2.a Researching the report/ the evidence base
The work placement element of the Work Placement for Professional Development module was a chance for me to conduct a small-scale organisational study. In order to provide as broad a picture as possible this report has been produced using both primary and secondary research sources. Primary research involves the researcher personally collecting the information to be analysed (Driscoll, 2011 p. 154), whereas secondary research involves analysing data that already exists, having been collected by someone else (Sobal, 1981 p. 149).
Undertaking a work placement afforded me the opportunity to adopt a method of primary research that is common within ethnographic research, known as participant observation. Participant observation relies on the researcher interacting with and becoming a part of the community that they are studying (Driscol, 2011 p. 160). I was able to conduct my primary research as a result of spending time at the KCN offices in my capacity as First Contact and as a representative of KCN outside of the organisation. I observed and interacted with staff, volunteers, carers, professionals, and the wider community and was able to ask questions and glean the thoughts and opinions of others first hand. I was also able to attend meetings and access KCNs databases and systems which aided my understanding of how KCN worked with partner organisations and how it dealt with conflicting priorities.
I regularly documented my observations and experiences during my work placement. This was done to enable me to reflect at a later date for the purposes of writing up my report and completing the reflective log component of the module, but it also gave me the ability to see how my own practice and skills developed over time and how myself and others were incorporating CDNOS and values into our practice. It was also an opportunity for me to notice how my academic learning related to the issues faced by the organisation and the people it worked with. An appreciation for the importance of ethical issues that I had gained through studying research at university led me to keep this documentation in a personal file on my home computer which was only accessible by me in order to ensure that I maintained the anonymity and confidentiality of the people I wrote about.
Secondary sources were identified and explored by conducting internet searches and accessing various websites including those of national and local government departments, The National Health Service (NHS), and national and local carers organisations including Carers UK and KCN. Analysing secondary sources proved most useful for gathering general background information and statistical evidence around caring and the social issues that affect carers. RBK and KCN websites contained links to their respective carers strategies, both of which yielded much information relating to issues affecting local carers. KCNs strategy document was useful in explaining its future vision for the organisation and how it intended to maximise its funding streams and ensure its sustainability. The KCN website also provided insight into its background and purpose and its involvement in local strategic planning. It provided links to its annual reports, and detailed information about the organisation's structure. The volunteer handbook which contains information on organisational policies and procedures and sets out the expectations of volunteers around maintaining confidentiality and lists the names of safeguarding contacts and other important information, and the regular newsletter which lists information on KCNs carers service provision were also valuable secondary research sources and provided information relevant to my study.
2. b Finding work, preparation, and search
In the course of conducting interviews for a research assignment in my second year of study I had contacted and interviewed a community development worker who ran a migrant advocacy service in Kingston. I mentioned to her that I would be looking to undertake a work placement in the future. She suggested I might do my placement with her organisation, and we arranged for me to go along to one of the organisation's weekly community cafes to meet with her to talk about roles that I might be suited to. However, when I visited, she was not able to attend and the staff who were there were unable to tell me much about the kind of roles available. I was disappointed and decided to start looking elsewhere, but I had already wasted time.
This showed me that making connections with other people and being opportunistic could lead to finding job opportunities that may not be widely advertised, but being more specific about the type of role I wanted to do and what I wanted to gain from a role could have saved time and disappointment in the long run.
I began searching job boards like Indeed and investigating volunteer opportunities that had been listed by my lecturers and careers service on Web Learn but they were all too far away from where I live for me to commit to. Then a friend pointed out that they had seen volunteer roles advertised on my local Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) website, so I had a look. A carers organisation local to me, was listed on its site as having volunteer roles available. I visited the carers organisations website to discern more about it and discovered that its mission and values really appealed to me.
The organisation was advertising for several roles but the role that caught my interest was the role of First Contact. The personal qualities and key skills it asked for included being a good communicator, being reliable, being a good listener, being comfortable working in an office environment and being computer literate. I knew I was good at talking to people and its office was local to me so I knew I could be reliable. I had also worked as a receptionist in my past, so was comfortable working in an office. Researching and creating documents for university work had helped me to develop my computer literacy but this was an area I felt weaker in and knew I wanted to improve. I could see that my skills and attributes seemed to match the role requirements. Based on this, I made an initial phone call to the volunteer manager to introduce myself, and because of what I had learnt from my earlier experience with the migrant service, I wanted to be clear early on about what I was looking for. I explained to the volunteer manager that I would like to do the role as a work placement as part of my degree and that I wanted to develop my generic and transferable skills, including expanding my knowledge of modern computer technology and practising and developing CDNOS principles in areas such as supporting and empowering communities (CDNOS, s1, 7 and 14) in order to meet my learning outcomes. The volunteer manager seemed happy that I had called and said that undertaking the role as a work placement and helping me to meet my learning outcomes would be possible. She asked me to fill out the application form on the website and to email it to her, I did, and she emailed me back and invited me to attend an interview a couple of weeks later.
I was interviewed by the volunteer manager and the CEO. This was an opportunity for me to answer any questions they had and explain a bit about myself in order for them to determine whether I was the right fit for their organisation but it was also a chance for me to clarify what I was hoping to gain from undertaking my placement with their organisation and to decide if they were the right fit for me.
I was offered the position by the CEO at the end of the interview. She offered to be my work placement supervisor and to ensure that I would undertake work that would expand my existing knowledge and skills, learn new ones and enable me to meet my learning outcomes. I accepted the position. The next part of the process was for me to apply for a DBS certificate which was paid for by the organisation and was all done online. Once I had obtained this I was invited in for an induction and began my work placement.
Searching for a work placement and applying for my role has given me some valuable insight into the process and has given me a foundation on which to build for my future job searches. I have learnt the importance of making use of my networks to help point me in the direction of roles that may not be widely known. Knowing the type of sector, you are aiming at means that looking in places like the local CVS, for voluntary or charity work, can be more useful than using traditional job boards. It is important to know where my values and the values of an organisation align and where role requirements match my skills but also to keep in mind what skills I have that are transferable. Viewing the areas where my skills and knowledge are weaker as areas that can be developed will give me a chance to stretch and challenge myself. Importantly, I have learnt that knowing what I want and being clear about it with prospective employers early on can save a lot of time and disappointment.
3. The Organisation: Its Management, Context, related Social Issues
Kingston Carers Network (KCN) is an independent registered charity established in 1994 and based in the Royal Borough of Kingston on Thames in Southwest London. It partners and collaborates with local and national public bodies and carers organisations, is the strategic lead for carers in Kingston, and co-facilitates the Kingston Carers Board (KCB) together with RBK (KCN, 2022a).
KCN supports over 4,000 carers across all of its services. It states its Vision as being to improve the lives of unpaid carers of all ages in the Royal Borough of Kingston on Thames, and describes its mission as being about promoting the recognition of carers to ensure that they are respected, valued, and viewed as experts in the care of the person they support (KCN, 2022a) (CDNOS, Key Area 1). It works to fulfil its mission by delivering comprehensive and holistic services for carers including the provision of information, advice and advocacy, emotional support, and respite activities (CDNOS, s10). It gets to know local carers and what matters to them by regularly seeking their feedback through questionnaires and surveys, and inviting them to make contact at any time to raise any issues or concerns they have (CDNOS, s,7,8, and 9 ). Actively engaging carers in this way shows that KCN is working in a way that meets CDNOS (CDNOS, 2015).
It is estimated that 4.6 million people are providing unpaid care in the UK (Department for Work and Pensions, 2022). Carers UK suggest the figure is closer to 10.6 million (Carers UK, 2022a). Caring is shown to impact on the mental and physical health of carers and caring, it is argued, should be viewed as a determinant of health (Public Health England, 2021). In Kingston, more than 13,000 people are believed to be providing unpaid care to someone with a physical and or mental disorder (NHS, 2023).
KCN Strategic Plan
KCNs strategic plan 2022-2025 (KCN, 2022a) is informed by its own research with local carers and research conducted by national carers organisations. Its plan outlines how it intends to improve the lives of carers in Kingston by reducing financial hardship, improving carer health, and enabling carers to enjoy a life outside of caring. The plan also describes what it will do to achieve its goals for carers including delivering advice, support and guidance and providing social and wellbeing activities. In order to improve its own service and ensure the sustainability of the organisation KCN intends to maintain its strategic presence within Kingston and secure longer-term funding for the organisation (CDNOS, s21).
KCNs espoused values are listed as:
To remain independent.
To employ a customised, needs based approach.
To advocate for carers.
To persevere in having carers needs addressed.
To provide specialised, quality, services.
However, as will be discussed later in this report, at times, external factors can make it difficult to keep focused on these values.
RBK Carers Strategy
KCN shares the knowledge and insight that it gains from working with carers with its partners, in order for carers issues to be addressed by decision makers (CDNOS, Key Area 4). As a co-facilitator of the KCB, KCN has worked with RBK on the 2022-2027 Kingston All Age Carers Strategy (RBK, 2022a). KCNs feedback on the main challenges the carers it works with were facing and evidence collected from the responses of carers surveyed by Carers UK and KCN were instrumental in identifying the main priorities for carers in Kingston set out in the strategy as follows:
1 Health and Wellbeing
2. Enjoying a life outside of caring
3. Respite
4. Information and advice and Information about available benefits and financial support
5. Financial impact of caring
These priorities acknowledge research findings that show carers are increasingly facing financial hardship, poor health and wellbeing outcomes and a lack of respite from their caring responsibilities (Carers UK, 2022b).
KCNs Organisational structure
KCN is governed by a board of trustees that set policy, provide strategic guidance, and ensure the charitys work is consistent with its overall aims and objectives. Paid staff roles include organisational roles, such as, CEO, deputy CEO, team leaders and senior managers. Administrative roles, such as, office manager, and frontline roles which include support workers and benefit advisors. KCN employs twenty-five paid staff overall. The staff team is backed up by a huge resource of seventy-nine volunteers who share many of the administrative and frontline duties. In 2021 volunteers contributed 3057 hours of their time and expertise to the organisation equating to a saving of almost 34,000 in staff costs (KCN, 2022a)
The impact of external factors
External social and economic factors have had an impact on the charity and its beneficiaries.
Living costs have risen significantly and in July 2022 annual inflation exceeded 10% (Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), 2022a). According to a recent report from Carers UK, growing numbers of carers are having to cut back on heating and make use of food banks to survive and the number of carers not able to afford utility bills rose from 6% to 14% between 2021 and 2022 (Carers UK, 2022c). The effects of the pandemic and the rising cost of living have led to an increase in those contacting KCN for support making it important that the charity does what is needed to secure long-term funding in order to continue providing support to Kingston's carers (KCN, 2022a). To that end KCN has recently taken part in the tender for the provision of carers assessments and reviews for RBK. Although KCN had previously been commissioned to provide this service and had delivered it without issue, it was necessary for it to undergo the tendering process again to secure the continuance of its role. Winning the RBK contract was seen as imperative as RBK is a main funding source for KCN (KCN, 2022a). A report from Lloyds Bank Foundation (2016) suggests that the commissioning and tendering process is over complex and puts undue pressure on small and medium sized charities who can lack the resources and professional knowledge needed to write an effective bid, therefore, increasing the likelihood of some charities missing out on funding opportunities.
The process has been arduous for KCN and has taken much of the senior management's time and focus over the last few months.
The outcome has been successful and KCN has secured the contract with RBK for the next five years. However, the whole operation has come at a cost to the charitys beneficiaries and has presented some conflicts, as noted above, with some of the charitys espoused values particularly in relation to: Remaining independent; Persevering in having carers needs met, and providing specialised, quality services to carers.
As part of the drive to secure the RBK contract the need to show that KCN is able to prioritise and deliver on its obligations as the boroughs trusted provider of carers assessments has taken on significant importance. This shift in priorities has contributed to a gradual decrease in KCNs capacity to deliver some of its other services and brought one service to a complete stand still. For example, when I initially undertook my role as First Contact at KCN part of my remit was to ensure that carers who contacted the organisation were made aware of their right to have a carers assessment and to refer them to the adult carers team to have an assessment if they wished. At this point there was already a backlog and the wait time for a carers assessment was roughly four weeks. I was also asked to refer carers to the adult carers team for benefit advice and help with filling out forms. However, as referrals for carers assessments increased so did the backlog. The wait time is now 12 weeks minimum and in the last few weeks I have been asked not to proactively identify carers who may benefit from a carers assessment and to only refer people for one if they request it. I have also been asked not to refer anyone for help with benefit advice or help with filling out forms, internally, for the foreseeable future as the entire adult carers team is having to prioritise assessments and reviews over everything else. I have been asked instead to signpost people to Citizens Advice for this type of support, effectively discontinuing KCNs benefits advice and form filling service. This has been upsetting for some carers who would like specialised help with things like claiming Carers Allowance or disability benefits for themselves or a family member and with appealing decisions. Many carers have had this help from KCN in the past and have found it to be extremely useful and they are finding that Citizens Advice are not only less knowledgeable about carer specific benefits, needs, and issues, but they have extremely long wait times which is leading to some carers making mistakes on forms or missing deadlines for appeals and having their claims rejected .
I see KCNs struggles to meet its objectives as an example of how the survival of small to medium sized charities and their ability to provide the services that are needed in the community, whilst staying true to their values, can be compromised by the pressures of the ever changing political, social, and economic climate. Essentially, in order to survive, charities often appear to have little choice but to let the commissioner set the priorities rather than the service user.
From conversations that I have had with KCN staff and from attending meetings with the adult team I understand that KCNs management and staff teams are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact on some of its carers services that has come about as a result of the perceived need to prioritise the requirements of the local authority over the needs of local carers. Now that it has been awarded the RBK contract, however, the team have begun discussing strategies for managing its obligations to RBK whilst keeping aligned with KCNs values and re-focussing on meeting the wider needs of Kingstons carers.
4. Work role and skills review
I undertook the role of First Contact at my organisation. In order for this to constitute a work placement all necessary paperwork was completed by myself, my work placement supervisor and my organisations office manager and agreed with my academic tutor and a copy of the organisations liability insurance was sent to the universitys employer engagement administrator. Relevant paperwork included a Placement Approval form (Appendix A), Learning Agreement form (Appendix B), and Health and Safety forms (Appendix C). The main purpose of the role was to be the initial contact for unpaid carers contacting the organisation. It involved delivering excellent customer service, responding to enquiries received by phone, email or in person, sourcing and providing information to professionals and carers, updating carers details on the database and logging calls, signposting people to other relevant services and taking referrals over the phone. Additionally, the CEO, who had agreed to be my work placement supervisor, and I, worked on my learning agreement together and added to the job description in areas that would help me to further meet my learning outcomes (Appendix B). It was agreed that I would shadow the adult carers team and receive training in order to learn about the process of carrying out statutory carers assessments, that I would shadow a support group facilitator with a view to facilitating a support group for KCN myself in the future, and receive mental health champion training in order to become a part of the Be Well Hub team that was in the process of being established at KCN as part of a South West London and St Georges mental health trust initiative. I was also asked to represent KCN at the local authoritys Warm Space on a weekly basis to identify any carers visiting the Warm Space that may be interested in accessing KCNs services. On commencement of my work placement, I received an induction from the office manager. She introduced me to some of the staff, gave me a tour of the building, showed me the fire exit, and talked through the fire procedure. She gave me a folder containing a volunteers handbook which contained information about the charity, its organisational structure (See Appendix E for organogram) and set out what was expected from volunteers and what volunteers should expect from the charity. It also contained a contract and a health and safety form for me to sign. She then gave me some basic training on how to use KCNs switchboard and how to sign in and access the First Contact email account on the computer.
It had been many years since I had worked in an office environment and some of the modern technology and software I had to learn to navigate, such as the KCN database, the SharePoint system and Excel, I had never used before. I was extremely apprehensive about this aspect of my work placement fearing that it may be too complicated for me. However, the training I received and the willingness of staff to answer any questions that I had as I went along, as well as being given the opportunity to practise what I was learning in a real life office setting helped to develop my confidence around modern technology. Over the next few weeks I got used to navigating the different databases and spreadsheets and as my skills and confidence grew I was shown how to do other tasks such as making appointments on the appointment booking system. I became used to managing multiple email inboxes and sending and replying to internal and external emails. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to learn and remember the order of certain procedures. I recognise just how valuable having the chance to challenge myself has been and how it has done wonders for my confidence levels. This will be fantastic for me in the future when applying for jobs as I can now say with confidence that I have recent, hands-on experience, of working in an office and using modern technology and I have been reminded that things that I don't have experience of I am capable of learning how to do.
Being the first point of contact for carers contacting the organisation meant that I was able to spend time listening to carers and develop an understanding of the different challenges that they face. This gave me the opportunity to apply CDNOS principles (CDNOS, s1, 3, 7). I was able to recognise where carers were facing hardship, social exclusion and discrimination as a result of not having English as a first language, for instance, some carers were having benefit applications rejected because of errors when filling out forms in English and because of confusion caused by verbal miscommunications. I referred affected carers to relevant KCN staff members and other organisations that could organise translators to support them to make applications and appeal decisions, thus empowering them to challenge the discrimination that they were experiencing (CDNOS, Key area 1).
Communicating with carers meant that as well as making the most of the people/communication skills that I have built up over many years through working in different public facing roles such as reception, sales, and formal and informal caring, I was also able to utilise the lessons I had learnt from the Be Well hub mental health champion training that I had undertaken. During the training I had learnt about the value of listening and understanding without feeling the need to offer help or give advice. It was explained that giving advice could be detrimental, as what advice was right for one person may be wrong for another. Often carers who contacted the organisation needed someone to talk to about challenges that they were experiencing both practically and with their mental health. I was able to refer them on for any specific advice or guidance, but for some people contacting the organisation just having me listen to them and empathise with them, with no judgement, appeared to be what they needed at that time. Practising this helped me to not feel pressured to have all the answers to all the issues and gave me a wider perspective of what effective support can look like. I was also able to see the value of this type of listening support when I had the opportunity to shadow a peer support group facilitator. The facilitator, who was also a volunteer, provided a safe space where people could feel heard and understood, without any judgement being passed on them and without any expectations of problem resolution. This is an area where I hope to continue to develop my skills in order to better support people in the future.
My involvement in the local authoritys Warm Space initiative as a representative for KCN came about as a result of RBK requesting help from partners and local organisations with running the service. It gave me the opportunity to consider Key Area 4 of the CDNOS which is about collaborative and cross-sectoral working. I was able to observe first-hand how my organisation was keen on partnership working with RBK and how this led to its input being sought when RBK were planning for and providing services to the local community. By regularly attending the Warm Space I was also able to practise collaborative and cross sectoral working myself. I was able to network with council officers and other local charities, learn about what they did and inform them of the services KCN offers and I was able to create new links and strengthen existing links between other organisations in attendance and KCN.
Spending time at the Warm Space also afforded me the opportunity to work with people who attended the space who were from different communities including Ukrainian refugees, people with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness (CDNOS s3, 6 and 7). Gaining knowledge about the different council departments and the services they offer proved particularly useful on one occasion when I noticed a member of the public who seemed to be quite distressed. I approached him and asked if I could help him with anything. He explained to me that he had been having difficulty finding information and advice relating to housing benefit and he was very concerned that he may soon be evicted from his accommodation as he was struggling to pay his rent. Because I had researched housing issues and solutions at university and had recent experience of sourcing information for and signposting carers with housing issues, as well as the time I had spent talking to council officers at the Warm Space and learning about their departments, I felt confident in determining which department would be of most help to him and directing him to the correct place for help with his queries. Later that afternoon the man came and found me. He said he had been given the information that he needed and was feeling far more positive about his housing situation going forward.
This and similar instances have made me realise that much of the knowledge and skills that I already possess and new skills and knowledge that I have been able to develop as a result of my various experiences both at my work placement and through my academic studies complement each other and can be used interchangeably. I feel better able to step forward and offer help. I feel more confident in my ability to ask the right questions in order for me to enable myself and others to seek solutions to problems.
Additionally, undertaking my work placement has exposed me to and broadened my awareness of the multitude of training opportunities on offer in the community and charity sector. This will be valuable for me in the future as I am better placed to take control of and further my own professional development through training. I also see this knowledge as an extremely important aspect of any community development work that I undertake in the future. Being able to facilitate and promote community learning for social change is an integral part of Key Area 5 of the CDNOS and is an area that I feel I am now able to consider myself to have a good understanding of.
5. Analysis of a theme
A number of Warm Spaces, sometimes known as Warm Banks, were set up across the UK during the autumn and winter of 2022 in response to the impact of the growing cost of living crisis. In Kingston alone there were eighteen Warm Spaces operating in different parts of the borough (KCN, 2022b).
In July 2022 annual inflation passed ten percent. Rising energy prices were seen to be a major contributory factor to the rise in living costs for households throughout Britain and those with the lowest incomes were shown to be disproportionately affected (Office for National Statistics, 2022).
Those with the highest poverty rates in the UK include people with a disabled person or an informal carer in their household. Approximately six in ten of those with the lowest incomes heat their homes less often than usual (Joseph Rowntree foundation, 2023).
Faith and community groups recognised the growing need for people experiencing poverty to have some respite from the conditions that they were facing over the cold winter months. Groups across the UK began campaigning and sourcing funding in order to open up Warm Spaces to provide a space for those struggling to heat their homes to go to in order to keep warm. In many areas partnerships and collaborations were formed between faith and community groups and local authorities. Warm Spaces were opened in community spaces which included libraries, Churches, Town halls and Community centres (Butler, 2023; Warm Welcome, 2023).
The warm space initiative was not welcomed by everyone despite it appearing to be a thoughtful approach to supporting people experiencing poverty. Anti-poverty campaigners such as The Trussell Trust and the Poverty Alliance highlighted concerns that compassionate community responses like the opening of Warm Spaces could result in unintentionally normalising the experience of fuel poverty, therefore, taking responsibility away from the government. They warn that Warm Spaces run the risk of becoming commonplace in the same way that Food Banks now are and stress the point that there should be no need for such initiatives in the first place. The government should ensure that everyone has enough money to heat their homes properly (The Poverty Alliance, 2022; Brooks, 2022).
Warm spaces, however, did not only provide a warm, comfortable environment for those unable to afford to heat their homes, they also provided a variety of other things that proved valuable to the people that used them. Some offered information and advice, free wi-fi, and family games, some offered messy play for young children, table tennis, and youth activities. All provided tea and coffee and the opportunity for people to connect with other people (KCN, 2022b).
The warm space that I attended on behalf of KCN was run by RBK and located at the town hall offices. It was attended by other community organisations which meant it was an opportunity for local community groups to connect with each other and create possibilities for collaborative working. It was a place where members of the public discovered local community groups offering activities and support about which they had not previously known. People sat and chatted to each other over a cup of tea while others watched T.V., showed off magic tricks, or used the computers. On one occasion a council officer, a community worker, a homeless man, and I played a few games of cards together, another day I sat and chatted with a carer for an hour and a half. It was obvious the warm space was valued by the people that used it.
Recent research conducted for the Warm Welcome campaign looked at evidence from over four thousand warm spaces which showed that warm spaces had made a positive difference in the lives of the people attending them that was much wider than addressing poverty alone. One of the most significant findings was that people visiting warm spaces had seen a marked improvement in their feelings of loneliness. On their first visit to a warm space forty percent of people reported feeling lonely often or always, after visiting a warm space that number dropped to approximately six percent (Warm Welcome, 2023).
These figures highlight the extent to which loneliness and isolation are a problem in society, particularly among certain societal groups, for instance, Carers UK report that eight out of ten carers are experiencing loneliness because of their responsibilities as a carer (Carers UK, 2021) and that the important role that community spaces can play in addressing some of societys most pressing social issues should not be underestimated.
In numerous places the benefits that warm spaces brought to communities have been recognised and many have continued. In Kingston its warm spaces are now known as community spaces and although there is no longer a community space at the Guildhall, five more have been added boroughwide bringing the total number to twenty-three.
Warm spaces have been a reminder of the value of community spaces, many of which were closed due to austerity measures and funding cuts over recent decades, as having the ability to facilitate the social contact and interaction necessary to combat loneliness, isolation and to positively impact many of the social issues that plague contemporary Britain.
6. Conclusion and evaluation
By undertaking a work placement, I have gained valuable experience which will improve my chances of achieving my future career goals. In searching for a work placement role, I have developed an awareness of wider and more productive methods of searching for job opportunities in the future. Creating a learning agreement entailed me getting a good grasp of my strengths and weaknesses, figuring out what I wanted to learn and improve and deciding how I could meet my learning outcomes.
This helped me to see the importance of matching my skills and competencies to role requirements but also of the importance of being clear about my own needs in order to achieve my goals. Crucially, I have become aware that being open to embracing areas where I feel I have weaknesses can provide me opportunities to stretch myself and grow my skills and confidence. I have also gained insight into what is involved in the application and interview process, meaning, I know better what to expect.
Carrying out my work placement in a voluntary sector organisation has helped me to see where my academic learning relates to the social issues facing the voluntary sector and its beneficiaries and how using CDNOS principles and building an awareness of those principles can support the sector and its beneficiaries to effect meaningful social change.
From working with and being a volunteer and from researching my organisation I have learnt that volunteers bring massive amounts of skill, time and energy to the VCS that equate to vast financial savings and that they are a precious resource within the VCS. I have witnessed some of the pressures that non-profit and voluntary sector organisations face and have appreciated some of the challenges it has in overcoming them. I have seen what a delicate balance there is between meeting the sustainability needs of a charitable organisation and meeting the needs of its beneficiaries.
This has given me a more realistic perspective on what compromises I may have to make should I work in a leadership role within the sector in the future.
I have had the opportunity to learn and practise new skills, for example, when I started at KCN I was unconfident in the use of modern technologies having never used SharePoint or excel, or updated a database and the first few days were, largely, a case of trial and error, however, with practise, I learnt and my confidence grew. I am now able to navigate those systems with ease. I have gained experience and knowledge of office skills and procedures around computer technology that will be useful in many work situations. I have been able to practise and grow researching skills that I have gained from my academic learning by investigating my organisation for my report, by being responsible for eliciting information from carers and by sourcing information for carers and staff.
My end of work placement appraisal (See Appendix D) mentions several of my skills and attributes and recognises areas of personal and professional development and growth including undertaking training, showing competency in working collaboratively with other organisations, identifying service users needs, providing, and sourcing follow up support and information. It talks about my positive personal qualities, such as calmness and patience, and notes my consistently professional manner. This appraisal has been useful in illuminating my talents and areas where I have grown. It has informed my updated C.V. and will be a useful aid when applying for future roles.
I have been tasked with an important ambassador role which made me feel a valued and respected member of the team and I have enjoyed working with KCN staff and volunteers and other organisations who are meeting CDNOS principles, furthering social justice and creating a more equal society.
As a result of my work placement, I have Identified the non-profit sector as a sector I would like to forge a career in because it strives to make a positive impact in the lives of those who face discrimination, marginalisation and disadvantage and this aligns with my own values. I have been able to recognise what I can bring in terms of skills and attributes and where I can benefit from continuing to learn and grow. I have been able to take the lessons learnt and apply them to sourcing and applying for a role on a charity graduate scheme. I was alerted to the opportunity by a colleague in my university network, which is testament to the importance of maintaining my connections.
I chose to apply to the scheme because I could see that my skills and attributes matched well with the requirements. The scheme includes the requirement to conduct an organisational study and undertake leadership training, which will build on my existing knowledge gained from my academic study in these areas, it offers personal one to one coaching which I know the value of because of having an academic supervisor guide me throughout my work placement and dissertation modules and having a supervisor at my work placement who helped me identify my learning objectives and meet my outcomes. It also offers the opportunity to network with others starting their careers in the non-profit sector which would aid me in sharing knowledge of available roles and opportunities in the future. The scheme would give me the opportunity to continue to work in and learn about the sector and find out more about the different roles that exist.
However, I have not relied on this one prospect alone. I have begun looking at sector specific jobs boards including Charity Job and Jobs go Public which advertise non-profit sector roles and I now regularly check the local CVS and council website for vacancies. I am still part of the volunteer team at KCN and intend to carry out more volunteer work for the organisation in the future meaning I can continue to learn and develop myself whilst contributing to a cause that I believe in.
I have updated my C.V. (See Appendix F) to include my recent academic achievements and my work placement experience and have created an action plan (See Appendix G) in which I have noted the things I plan to do that will help me achieve my career goals, including, my intention to undertake the role of support group facilitator with KCN in order to continue to build confidence and gain experience, and to complete Thrive LDN silver level trauma aware training to increase my knowledge and to evidence my continued personal and professional development. I intend to update and add to my action plan regularly.
Word count 7824
References:
Brooks, L. (2022) Don't let Warn Banks become as vital as food banks, Scottish charities urge. London: Guardian. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/oct/12/warm-banks-fuel-poverty-crisis-scotland (Accessed: 24 May 2023).
Butler, P. (2023) More than 500,000 people in UK visited warm rooms during the winter. The Guardian, 26 April. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/26/warm-rooms-winter-loneliness (Accessed: 24 May 2023).
Carers UK (2022a) Making Carers Visible, Valued and supported: Carers week Report 2022. London: Carers UK. Available at: https://www.carersweek.org/media/qf0p5u4t/carers-week-2022-make-caring-visible-valued-and-supported-report_final.pdf (Accessed: 5 April 2023).
Carers UK (2022b) State of Caring survey 2022. London: Carers UK. Available at: https://www.carersuk.org/policy-and-research/state-of-caring-survey/ (Accessed: 21 May 2023).
Carers UK (2022c) Heading for Crisis: caught between caring and rising costs. London: Carers UK. Available at: https://www.carersuk.org/media/x5sfjlbx/heading_for_crisis_report.pdf (Accessed: 4 April 2023).
Carers UK (2021) 10 Facts about loneliness and caring in the U.K. for loneliness awareness week. London: Carers UK. Available at: https://www.carersuk.org/news/10-facts-about-loneliness-and-caring-in-the-uk-for-loneliness-awareness-week/ (Accessed: 25 May 2023).
Cebula, B., Collingwood, A., Earwaker, R., Elliot, J., Matejic, P., Taylor, I., and Wenham, A. (2023) Poverty. York: Joseph rowntree foundation. Available at: https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/uk-poverty-2023 (Accessed 24 May 2023).
Chartered Institute of Housing (2022a) Cost of living crisis: The crisis worsens - impact of rising energy prices. Coventry: Chartered Institute of Housing. Available at: https://www.cih.org/media/ys5ky0qi/0508-cost-of-living-crisis-volthree-final.pdf (Accessed: 3 April 2023).
Community Development National Occupational Standards (2015).
Community Development National Occupational Standards: the reflective Community Development practitioner. Glasgow: Community Learning and Development Standards Council. Available at: Community Development National Occupational Standards 2015 (cldstandardscouncil.org.uk) (Accessed 10 March 2023).
Department for Work and Pensions (2022) Family Resources Survey: Financial year 2020 -2021. Richmond: The National Archives. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2020-to-2021 (Accessed: 5 April 2023).
Driscoll, D. (2011) Introduction to Primary Research: Observations, Surveys and Interviews, in Lowe, C. and Zemliansky, P. (eds), Writing Spaces 2: Readings on Writing. South Carolina: Parlour Press. 154-172. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=sqoWEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA153&dq=primary+research&ots=Hdt-BksvEu&sig=yrXyOuvRT6LJGSVmiQSSC48Ihts#v=onepage&q&f=false (Accessed: 24 December 2022).
Kingston Carers Network (2022a) Annual Report: 2021-2022. London: Kingston Carers Network. Available at: https://www.kingstoncarers.org.uk/who-we-are/ (Accessed: 8 march 2023).
Kingston Carers network (2022b) Warm Spaces. Available at: https://www.kingstoncarers.org.uk/news/one-entry?entry_id=46662357#:~:text=Warm%20 Spaces%20 Locations%201%20 Kingston%20Town%20 Warm%20Hub,...%208%20Tudor%20Drive%20Library%20...%20More%20items (Accessed: 9 May 2023).
Kingston Carers Network, (no date) Volunteer Handbook. Surbiton: Kingston Carers Network.
Lloyds bank Foundation (2016) Commissioning in Crisis. London: Lloyds Bank Foundation. Available at: https://www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/media/4rqng0xc/commissioning-in-crisis-summary.pdf (Accessed: 10 March 2023).
National Health Service (2023) Kingston Refreshed Health and Care Plan 2022-2024. South West London: NHS. Available at: https://www.southwestlondonics.org.uk/content/uploads/2022/06/Kingston-Health-and-Care-Plan-2022-to-2024.pdf (Accessed: 12 March 2023).
Office for National Statistics (2022) Energy prices and their effect on households. Richmond: National Archives. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/energypricesandtheireffectonhouseholds/2022-02-01 (Accessed:24 May 2022).
Public Health England (2021) Caring as a social determinant of health: review of evidence. Richmond: The National Archives. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/caring-as-a-social-determinant-of-health-review-of-evidence (Accessed: 10 March 2023).
Royal Borough of Kingston on Thames (2022a) Kingston All Age Carers Strategy 2022-2027. London: RBK. Available at: https://www.kingston.gov.uk/downloads/file/2091/all-age-kingston-carers-strategy (Accessed: 8 March 2023)
Sobal, J. (1981) Teaching with Secondary Data, Teaching Sociology, 8 (2), pp. 149-170.
doi: 10.2307/1316942. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1316942 (Accessed: 24 December 2022).
The Poverty Alliance (2022) Our position on the cost of living crisis and warm spaces as an emergency response. Glasgow: The Poverty Alliance. Available at: https://www.povertyalliance.org/a-position-on-the-cost-of-living-crisis-and-warm-places-as-an-emergency-response/ (Accessed: 24 may 2023).
Warm Welcome (2023) Warm Welcome Impact Evaluation 2023. Warm Welcome. Available at: https://assets.website-files.com/62fe158e1405a70fe1c31da5/64621abfc6bcdf19ff33a62d_WW_ImpactEvaluation_Final.pdf (Accessed: 25 May 2023).
Appendices:
Appendix A.
Work placement approval form
School of Social Science and Social Professions,
SS6W002 Leadership in Communities Work Placement for Professional Development 2022-23
WORKPLACEMENT APPROVAL FORM
Please complete this form and return to
SECTION (A) Student to Complete
a) Information about Yourself
Surname Baines First Name Elizabeth
Student No. 20026621
Address Flat 4, Baddeley House, Down Street, West Molesey, Surrey,
Postcode KT8 2LS
Home tel.
Email address
elb0684@my.londonmet.ac.uk Mobile phone 07946 341 745
b) Information about Work-placement Organisation
Organisation Name Kingston Carers Network Your Job Title First contact
Address 418, Ewell Road, Surbiton,
Postcode KT6 7HF
Telephone 0203 375 8226
Contact person Position First contact
Telephone
Start date 3/10/22 End date 31/3/22
No. of days per week: 2
Is the work placement? (a) Paid Not paid X
(b) Full-time Part-time X
c) About the Work placement
Why did you choose this work placement?
I chose this work placement because the organisation supports
unpaid carers which is an area I am passionate about. It also offers me the opportunity to learn new I.T. and office based skills and to be trained in other areas relating to carers support, including, mental health and wellbeing.
Describe briefly the work you will be undertaking (consider how the role will enable you to apply CD NOS)
My role will entail listening to carers to understand their needs and aspirations/goals. This will enable me to practise one of the CDnos key values, Community Empowerment. This will also enable me to better understand and engage with communities (key area 3, S6: Get to know a community, S7: Facilitate community research and consultations and S8: Analyse and disseminate findings from community research.
Summarise any previous experience relevant to this work placement.
I provided unpaid care for many years so am familiar with many of the personal and practical challenges faced. Being a carer has given me experience which includes, applying for benefits, accessing carers assessments and care needs assessments, liaising with adult social care teams and medical staff.
Sure Start parent support worker: Involved designing and carrying out surveys and informing and involving the local community in decisions about child care and facilities on a large council estate.
What skills do you hope to acquire/improve during the placement?
Build confidence around interacting with carers, professionals and colleagues. Using office based I.T. systems. Gain a deeper understanding of the workings of a voluntary sector organisation. Understand how the adult carers and referrals team work to support carers and develop the skills needed to be able to work with them. Learn how to carry out carers assessments. Develop leadership skills, i.e. leading/facilitating groups.
How do you expect to integrate this work placement with your academic studies? (e.g. consider how many days you are in the university and how many days you will be at the Placement)
I will be working at the office two days a week and will arrange any external training on-line if appropriate or on days when I am not at university.
Appendix B
Learning agreement form
Appendix C
Health and safety forms
School of Social Profession, London Metropolitan University
SS6W01 Community Development and Leadership Work Placement for Professional development 2021-22
Form 4. Health and Safety checklist (TO BE COMPLETED BY STUDENT)
Health & Safety: Student Induction Checklist
Name of Student: Elizabeth Baines _______________________________________________________________
Course: leadership in Communities/Community Development ____________________________________________________________________________
Employer: Kingston Carers Network __________________________________________________________________________
Start Date: 5/5/22 _________________________________________________________________________
The following items should be included in your induction into the organisation, preferably on your first day. Check off the items below when they occur and inform the placements office if you have any concerns over Health & Safety matters. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.
Health & Safety Issues Date
Emergency procedures 5/5/22
Safety policy received or location known 5/5/22
Location of First Aid box 5/5/22
First Aid arrangements (including names of first aiders) 5/5/22
Fire procedures and location of fire extinguishers 5/5/22
Accident reporting and location of accident book 5/5/22
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations 5/5/22
Display screen equipment regulations/procedures 5/5/22
Manual handling procedures 5/5/22
Protective clothing arrangements 5/5/22
Instruction on equipment participant will be using (list equipment) 5/5/22
Other issues:
11/11/22 Signed: _____________________________________
Date: 11/11/22 ________________
Appendix D
Appraisal
Diane White
Chief Executive
Kingston Carers Network
418 Ewell Road
Surbiton
KT6 7HF
Placement Liz Baines
Kingston Carers Network March 2023
Liz has been a part of our team for some time and her contributions
have been welcome and valued. It has been our privilege to work with
her.
Some highlights include:
Role of First Contact
As carers take the step to seek help, it is very important to offer an
immediate supportive and empathetic listening ear. It takes confidence
to answer the phone, welcome a carer through the front door, not
knowing what they need, what stories they may share. Liz listened and
learnt from the KCN team and put into practice her skills and instinctive
kindness to make carers feel supported, whilst eliciting the necessary
information to pass on for a more detailed response.
Adult Carer Team Support
It was a great help to the capacity of the team that Liz had the capability
to ring carers, offer emotional support and guide them through practical
difficulties. Always calm, patient and professional, Liz did this well and
grew in confidence over the period of her placement.
Be Well Hub
KCN was invited to join the Be Well Hub and participate in mental health
training which would inform our practice as employers and in relation to
carers. Liz embraced this fully and it fitted well with her personal
development, as well as her holistic approach to the professional
environment.
Warm space hub
We were invited by the local authority to partner with them in their cost of
living crisis response and be a visible presence in their warm space hub.
It was a positive example of multi agency collaboration and I am proud
of how well Liz represented KCN, established relationships with other
organisations, promoted the identification and needs of carers and
prioritised a solution focused approach to any challenge she faced.
Appendix E
Organogram (KCN, no date)
Appendix F
Updated C.V.
Elizabeth Baines C.V.
Objective: I am seeking to utilise my effective communication and organisational skills to fulfil the role of Community Development worker with the aim of delivering a reliable and quality service to the community.
Personal Profile: I am presently in my final year of study for a BSc degree in Community Development and Leadership. I also volunteer at a carers organisation.
I am looking for an opportunity to utilise and build on my current skills whilst developing and practising new ones.
I am keen to undertake continuing personal and professional development.
I enjoy working as part of a team, and supporting others is something I do very well.
I am a motivated, adaptable, and conscientious individual. My optimistic outlook means that I always look for the positive in challenging situations. I am empathetic and non-judgemental.
I strive to complete the tasks I undertake to a high standard and to produce positive outcomes for all concerned.
As I reach the end of my university journey I feel now is the perfect time for me to take on a new challenge, one where ultimately, I can help to make a real difference for individuals, families and the community as a whole.
Skills:
Effective communication
Patience
Empathy
Time management
Prioritising
Attention to detail
Organisation
While at university I have developed essay and report writing skills. I have learned and practised secondary and primary research skills. I have conducted two qualitative research studies and an organisational study which have involved undertaking participatory research and utilising in-depth one to one interviewing techniques.
I was a student representative for my course during the second year which involved gathering student opinions and concerns, attending course meetings with university staff and presenting the views of the student cohort
As part of my degree I undertook a work placement at a carers organisation, where I continue to volunteer.
The work placement has given me insight into the workings of the non-profit sector. I have undertaken various roles within the organisation including:
First Contact: Skills used
Triaging callers to determine their needs Listening
Sourcing and providing information Empathy
Signposting to other organisations and to public bodies Researching
Making referrals to internal services Problem Solving
Liaising with professionals Communication
Face to face, telephone and email communication
Referrals Team:
Attending team meetings Prioritising
Contacting carers to determine needs. Communication
Ambassador/representative
Assisting at Local authority warm space Communication
Collaborating with council staff and VCS organisations Empathy
Greeting members of the public Problem solving
Identifying need and directing to relevant service Knowledge of I.T.
Identifying carers and making referrals to organisation
Supporting members of the public to use I.T. and Telephones
Employment history:
2018 - 2020 - Enhanceable - Support worker for people with physical and Learning disabilities
During my time as a support worker I worked alone and as part of a team and regularly led teams of support staff and provided training to new staff.
I undertook a multitude of training and learned and practised new skills. My duties included:
Supporting service users with eating, drinking (including PEG feeding) and personal care, Administering medication, Maintaining health and wellbeing.
I supported service users to access community services and organised and accompanied them on trips out.
I worked between different services including respite, day centre and play services.
I assessed needs, provided advocacy and devised personal action plans.
1997 2018 Carer.
I was a full time carer to my mother for many years, and during that time I acquired many transferable skills.
I learned to be extremely patient, non-judgemental and understanding, to be very adaptable and to stay calm in any situation.
I helped to develop and maintain routines, but was able to spot when a change was needed and effect that change whilst causing as little disruption and distress as possible.
I managed bills and finances and was responsible for payments from a direct payment account for care and services.
I regularly arranged and attended meetings with various agencies and healthcare professionals, including the Elmbridge locality team, the Occupational therapy team and the outreach team at St Thomas Hospital.
I collated information and took notes for personal and external reference, as well as helping to draw up care plans and rehabilitation plans and ensure they were implemented. I arranged specialist transport, and often attended medical appointments. I organised all equipment, including oxygen supplies, needed for journeys and hospital stays and ensured its safe return.
I liaise closely with home care agencies and care staff, and have given guidance to and shared my skills and knowledge with many others in relation to the correct use of equipment.
1999 2000 - Parent support worker Sure Start, South Acton.
During my time as a support worker for Sure Start my key responsibilities were to inform the local community of Sure Start aims and objectives, to devise surveys and collect feedback on Sure Start proposals, and to liaise with and gain the support and involvement of local parents, primary schools, nurseries and playgroups.
I regularly attended meetings alongside the Sure Start project manager with the local authority, police and councillors, where the emphasis was on tackling anti-social behaviour, estate security and long-term estate regeneration.
I ran a Sure Start playgroup on the Acton Vale estate and manned the Sure Start information stall at local work fairs and community events.
I collected feedback from residents and liaised with the architect on behalf of local parents during the building of a childrens play park.
1995 - Receptionist - Hermolis kosher food specialist.
Key responsibilities:
Greeting visitors.
Receiving, answering and redirecting telephone enquiries.
Sending and receiving fax messages.
Taking and logging telephone and answer-phone messages.
Monitoring and Receiving deliveries.
Collating and Book binding
1988 1995 - various sales roles
Including: retail, charity, insurance and advertising.
Key responsibilities:
Customer care.
Effective communication.
Determination and perseverance.
Education:
2020 - Present - BSc Community Development and Leadership
GCSEs 1993 - Ealing tertiary college.
English A
Drama - B
Art - C
Other qualifications:
2012 - Hammersmith Irish centre: Mulkere Academy of Music
LCM - Grade 8 Traditional Irish music performance - Distinction
Personal and professional development:
2023
Thrive LDN - Trauma awareness
SCIE - Determining eligibility under the Care Act (2014)
SWLSG - Be well hub Mental health champion
2019 - 2020 - Care certificate, Safeguarding, GDPR, Mental Capacity Act, and 20+ more
Introduction to counselling skills - Surrey adult education - 2017
High school student mentoring - Ealing adult education (sure start) - 2000
HIV/AIDS Buddying course - Ealing adult education - 1995
Appendix G
Action Plan
Goal - to find paid employment in a non-profit sector organisation by August 1st
Actions to take
Attend London Met University graduate workshops between 6th and 8th of June 2023 which will be attended by voluntary sector and graduate employers.
Attend London met training workshops: 12 things employers are looking for: 11.15 am. Virtual-8th
Imposter syndrome- develop tools and techniques to recognise and manage self-12.30 pm virtual-8th
Self-Research how to create an excellent C.V. on line early June
Contact KCN to discuss taking up voluntary peer support facilitator role
Check Charity Job website daily]
Check Kingston, Richmond, Hounslow and Twickenham VCS and council sites weekly
Research Local Housing Associations
Check Jobs go public once a week
Check indeed once a week
Create a LinkedIn profile once I have been awarded my degree
Maintain my networks
Apply for Alumni card to stay in the loop re university events and opportunities and continue to access the library to continue to research learn and develop
Develop confidence and skills further
Actions for Training
Complete Thrive LDN silver level trauma aware training before the end of June.
Check Eventbrite weekly email for training of interest
