Charity Insights

It is amazing that the time has arrived to write my final blog. It has honestly flown by, it only seemed like yesterday that I was witing my first one. It is a very bitter-sweet moment.

This week I have been expanding on the project mentioned in my previous blog. Initially, I was required to contact various institutions and charitable organisations over the phone and ask whether they provided or supported any specific LGBT services. After a long day on the phone, I concluded that there were no sevices in the Leeds region that provide such a service. From here my sub- supervisor is now in a position to establish his own clinic within Leeds supporting Children within the Barnardo’s programme. The process from here involves some very thorough statistical research around the proposal by my sub supervisor. Once the research is done he must submit a report containing the research to his manager and they will carry out an evaluation. During my final few days I did some ‘unofficial’ research for him gathering some statistical information regarding some of the data within files of children on the barnardos scheme. The research for this project could potentially take a very long time and my supervisor at Barnardo’s have offered me the chance to return later in my academic career to further aid with this project.

I was initially hoping to set up a 3 day science workshop for the children on the Barnardo’s programme. Unfortunately the demand for this was very low and hence decided it was not feasible to go ahead with the workshop. Instead I have been offered the oppertunity to interact more with young carers who are meeting with staff within this branch of Barnardos. I can’t sit in on the meetings due to the confidentiality of carers-staff relations. But out of the meetings I have had the oppertunity to interact discuss certain aspects of the carers future with them. This was probably the highlight of the Internship simply due to the emotional impact it had on me.

Overall the experience has been infinitely times better than I could have hoped. My communication skills have developed tenfold whilst gaining an excellent understanding of  both how the Barnardo’s organisation is set up along with a brilliant experience of  working within  a not for profit organisation. I have gained several contacts that may aid me in future and, at this point in time, I have no doubt that I hope to persue a career in the not for profit sector.

I would also like to use this oppertunity to express my deepest thanks to Imperial Charity Insights. I would not have been able to carry out this internship from an economic standpoint without the help of yourselves. THANK YOU!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your internships

Read Officially My Final Day in full

After having a long weekend with the bank holiday Monday it is weird that I am entering my final week. My internship will officially end next Monday accounting for the Bank Holiday.

My first ‘Closure’ project has come to an end after three weeks of working in the Admin team at Barnardo’s. I didn’t manage to get through the entire cabinet of documents, as I strongly overestimated the rate at which I was able to carry out the processes. So I have created an organised systematic process which will allow my colleagues to continue on with my project once my internship has come to an end. It has been different to what I initially expected the project would demand. It has been very dependant on using creativity to maximise efficiency. It has strongly developed my time management skills.

Now I have started my final project which is predominantly research based. In one sentence: I will be researching the demand for an LGBT clinic in Leeds. Barnardo’s have not established an LGBT clinic in Leeds to date. Hence I will be researching and contacting any current LGBT clinics not working through Barnardo’s in the Leeds district. Ultimately I will be providing my Sub-Supervisor with information gathered regarding current LGBT clinics and then he will determine whether it is feasible to create and request funding for a clinic or whether Barnardo’s will work in partertnship with a current clinic. The project will require a high level of communication based skills (and am sure they will build on them).

I am sorry for the lack of pictures in my Blogs. Most of the work that I do is CONFIDENTIAL. Hence if I take a picture in the office I run the risk of publicising confidential property.

Read Final Tuesday in full

This week has been great! I am continuing on with the data organisation project that I started last week. I have come to realise that I may not be able to get through the entire data set so I hope to design a formal method to approach the organisation (without delving into the world of code to make it easier).

I also accepted a side task proposed by my supervisor to give myself a slight change. The task regards File Case Retentions. All young carers within the Barnardo’s scheme require Barnardo’s to store their data for multiple years depending on their situation. Accordingly, I have been designating appropriate time frames (based on the carers hard copy files) to carer’s files enabling Barnardo’s to store the data for the appropriate period of time.

Finally, I have been discussing, with different colleagues, what is involved when working with young carers. The process of working with children in a one to one meeting is stricly a confidential matter. Hence there is little information that they can officially give me (as I am not qualified to be working with children in a one to one format).

Overally, the experience is fantastic!

Read End of the Second Week in full