Notes from a P3 Intern
“I have had the opportunity to see what the justice system can be like, both from the probation side and the client's”
University of Hull student Kat talks about her internship with P3’s HLNY Justice team…
I first found out about the internship programme when I went for a meeting to discuss my future career options with the careers team at University of Hull at the end of my second year.
I didn’t go in with any real idea of what to expect and just a vague plan to do something to add to my CV over summer. Joe from the careers team was great, he took the time to really listen to my plans for after university and had so many helpful tips. He gave me lots of different options but the internship with P3 stood out to me and came highly recommended by Joe.
I applied for it and secured an interview with P3’s regional manager Natalie. The interview went brilliantly, Natalie is a fantastic manager, down-to-earth and approachable, and I was offered the position the next day.
P3 is a charity which has many different aspects, but the internship centred around the justice sector which works alongside probation services. The P3 link workers do an amazing job; they work with people who are on probation, assess their needs and aim to help them access services which will improve their lives. Services include: housing, benefits, rehabilitation, work, doctor appointments and anything else they may be able to help with. Typically, I would shadow one of the other members of staff, who have been the most welcoming, friendly bunch of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.
On a usual day, I would get picked up by one of the team and we would go to meet a client. This could be pretty much anywhere as the link workers are very flexible with clients, they try to understand the needs of each individual and create plans with them to improve their situation. A number of the clients needed help with accessing benefits and housing, so I was able to get to grips with speaking to the benefits office, which is more challenging than you would think! I was also able to talk to and gain some useful contacts with some hostels and housing associations, as well as arranging doctor appointments and accessing mental health services.
I believe the best thing about working with P3 is that I have had the opportunity to see what the justice system can be like, both from the probation side and the client's. As I want to go into a career in forensic psychology, I feel that this internship has been hugely beneficial to me.
I built up a knowledge of different organisations, and improved my communication skills, learning to adapt when talking to both services and service users. I was able to get to know some of the clients, and hear what they had been through, what had led to them being in prison. Some of the stories were eye-opening and I was also taken aback by how forthcoming they could be with me, which I class as a testament to how well-respected P3 are among their clients.
With regards to my future career, I feel that the clients have given me a different perspective to criminality and recidivism than I had before. Through listening to their stories, I can begin to understand why some people seem to go in and out of prison, and it has given me much more empathy, which can only be a good thing. I’m so grateful to Joe for recommending P3, and I’m so glad I took the opportunity to work with that brilliant team.
If you would like more information on internships or volunteering opportunities with P3, browse our Work for us pages or contact: jodie.cook@p3charity.org
