Three months ago, I joined IMPOWER as an intern to work as part of the REACh team, which is the delivery partner to the Department for Education (DfE) for the SEND & AP Change Programme. The REACh Consortium is made up people from PA Consulting, IMPOWER, The Council for Disabled Children and Olive Academies.

It was my first role in a corporate setting after spending two years working in a London primary school, and while I was nervous about the transition, those concerns quickly disappeared thanks to the warm, welcoming team. The friendly atmosphere and open-plan office allowed me to meet people quickly and experience the supportive working environment. It was a lot quieter than a busy classroom I had been used to!

Each day presented a different part of the induction process, and I participated in training sessions covering a range of areas, including finance, healthy working and the EDGEWORK – IMPOWER’s approach to help solve public service challenges by building resilience in systems. I learnt that IMPOWER places a strong emphasis on professional development, and I have found it helpful to join internal training sessions throughout the last three months, including one focusing on how Applied Behavioural Science (ABS) can be used to unlock participation in public services and how to give and receive feedback. These are both useful, transferable learnings that I will take away with me.

A typical Monday

Every day of my internship has brought something new, keeping me engaged and constantly learning. Here is a quick overview of what a typical Monday looks like for me at IMPOWER.

At the start of each day, I usually check my emails, ensure I respond to the ones I need to, and review any company updates and upcoming meeting agendas.

On Monday mornings, I have a check in with my Manager. Together, we review our calendars for the week, plan out priorities, and discuss any key actions to be aware of. This is also a great chance to reflect on the previous week, ensure outstanding tasks are completed, and set a clear direction for the week ahead. As well as catching up about our weekends!

I would then attend a check-in with the local authorities we’re supporting in the Change Programme to reflect on testing the reforms in the programme, followed by a call with our REACh Delivery Team. This helps to keep the team aligned with the programme's progress across, in this case, the North East region, the different areas of testing and learning, and how we can best support them.

At lunchtime, I go for a walk and get some fresh air – although during this time of year, I usually have to bring an umbrella! When I haven’t brought my own lunch into the office, I treat myself to something from the Leather Lane market – one of the many perks of working at IMPOWER is the endless local food options!

In the afternoon, I attend a provision reform group meeting. These sessions are focused on sharing updates from this area of reform, e.g. Inclusive Mainstream Practice, Alternative Provision, and have involved planning practice-sharing forums to bring local authorities in the programme together to connect and share good practice and discuss how we can effectively capture the learning/insights.

At the end of the day, I join a call to support the different social value projects. One initiative has included planning CV writing and interview support for young people with SEND. This involves contacting service providers, comparing proposals, getting budget breakdowns and ensuring we were working within our timeline.

Before signing off at the end of the day, I try to ensure that I have reviewed my list of actions and know what I need to prioritise for the next day. This is particularly important approaching a new role like this and when not everything is totally familiar.

Highlights of working at IMPOWER

While I have touched the routine of a day at IMPOWER, I wanted to share what I think makes it a positive place to work:

·       A strong culture of learning

·       Supportive managers and colleagues who are always willing to help

·       Working with a team of people dedicated to making sustainable improvements in the public sector – an inspiring and essential mission

·       Flexible/hybrid working 

·       A friendly and welcoming office environment

Looking forward

Throughout this internship, I have learned new skills and gained a new understanding of how the SEND system operates. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with IMPOWER and REACh – it has been a really valuable experience.