Inês recently completed an internship of six months with People Know How, supporting children, young people and adults across our services.
Inês came to People Know How from Portugal, having heard about the charity while studying social work on an Erasmus exchange in Zaragoza, Spain. After listening to the positive experiences of others who had travelled to Scotland to intern at People Know How through our links with the Universidad de Zaragoza, she decided to join our team of VIPs (volunteers, interns and placement students)!
When she arrived, Inês was excited to put her social work studies into practice while improving her English. From supporting children and young people in the transition to secondary school to providing digital and wellbeing support for adults and the elderly.
Offering a friendly ear
Inês was a befriender for two adults while supporting digital drop-ins and our national digital support helpline within our Reconnect service. She provided support both in-person and over-the-phone, taking an empathetic approach to digital and wellbeing support and discovering the intrinsic link between social and digital inclusion that the service is founded on.
“It was the best project for my field because I needed to show empathy, critical thinking and active listening. The first befriending sessions can be quite daunting because you don’t know anything about the person, but it’s very rewarding to see your befriendee improve confidence and social skills. Just one chat per week can really make a difference."
While at drop-ins, Inês offered a friendly ear to those we support while also helping them to get to grips with essential digital skills.
“I’d never thought about explaining essential digital concepts to people like what an app is, but if you put yourself in their shoes and open yourself up to chatting and listening, you can make a big difference.”
In offering support over the phone, she also found her support of the Helpline ideal for improving her English, admin and organisational skills. Even within this role, she emphasised the importance of the social aspect of her support, with many callers responding positively to being able to talk with someone who was there to listen.
Curiosity Club
During her internship, Inês also supported Positive Transitions, working closely with our Youth & Family Coordinators on Curiosity Club, a group we run in collaboration with Science Ceilidh that helps young people to improve resilience and confidence through science. Attending three workshops per week in three schools, she helped deliver sessions and science experiments based on themes ranging from volcanoes to dinosaurs.
“It was a bit challenging in the beginning, but it was very rewarding. It’s amazing to see the improvements the young people make and see their confidence and self-esteem grow. One young person in particular rarely talked and wanted to leave the club at first. But he ended up deciding to stay, and now he’s one of the most talkative in the club.”
The VIP experience
We want to say a big thank you to Inês for supporting our services as a VIP!
We call our volunteers, interns and placement students VIPs because they’re indispensable to our services supporting the community. Whatever role you take, you’ll have the opportunity to make new friends, gain experience and positively impact the lives of those we support.
If you want to become a VIP like Inês, find out how you can join our team below.
