The Rewarding Experience of Having an Intern

Hello, my name is Julie. I am a Facilities and Information Officer in the Education Suite at Wansbeck General Hospital.  

I was one of the mentors to a young lady - Summer, who joined us on a supported internship supported by HEE, Project Choice.

Looking back on what Summer has achieved and how we helped her to gain confidence to move onto the next stage of her life feels fantastic. When we first met Summer, she was very shy and nervous, and we were doubtful if she would last more than a day. However, with a little extra support and understanding she has stayed with us and contributed far more than we ever expected.

She was amazingly quick picking up new tasks, and we found her IT skills invaluable. Giving her clear written instruction and a timetable so she could work more independently knowing what was planned for her helped. Allowing her space and time when she needed it was important. Having worked with children and teenagers with autism I was aware of the common stressful situation for them for example, food times, meeting new people, unfamiliar situations. It is important to know about your intern first, have a basic understand of autism and plan ahead. So definitely attend the Project Choice Mentor Training where you will be given all this information and you are free to ask any questions you want.

It is lovely to see Summer now able to walk into to the office with her head raised as she greets you and gets straight on with her tasks, confident enough to ask when she needs your help. It was amazing when she felt able to share personal things with us and felt supported enough to answer the phone and help people on reception.