Introduction to the Newsletter

This Newsletter has been created by interns, we have written this to show the program to potential new interns, potential new managers, and potential new colleagues and to share our experiences. We hope that this information informs but also raises awareness of what we, as young people with SEND, are capable of!

What is DFN Project Search All About?

Project SEARCH is an international programme that supports young adults aged 17-24 years old with physical and non-physical disabilities. The programme helps young people gain work experience in a variety of placements to learn skills for the world of work. We currently have seven interns within BCP council on this year’s internship. In addition to gaining work experience, the interns also gain a higher-level qualification in employability skills.

If you want to learn more about Project Search you can go to their website www.dfnprojectsearch.org.

First Term and Getting Started Experiences

We wanted to share in this newsletter our personal experiences so that anyone who is thinking about becoming an intern next year can get an insight into the day-to-day activities. We know that at the beginning of a new programme you can feel nervous about coming to a new place of work! Below is an outline of the tasks we completed at the start and what you can expect:

Reiph Pomroy-Wilson

What is your rotation?:

My placement is at Bournemouth Pier approach at the Arcade.

What sort of work do you do?

The type of work I have done is cleaning all the penny machines or Pushers, I have done some, stock rotation with boxes of chocolates.

Sometimes I refill the claw machines, Deadpool plushies, The Mandalorian, and baby Yoda plushies.

How do you do it? Where do you do it?

I followed a checklist that my manager and my mentors had set for me to do and I do my best to complete all of them from cleaning all of the penny machine glasses to restocking claw machines

What you have learned so far:

I have learned how to communicate within the team and overcome my main fears of big loud crowds and now I can walk through large crowds, I still have some fears of being in large crowds, but they are not as bad as I used to be a couple of years ago.

Something you did not know before:

• The thing that I did not know was the penny machines.
• I also have learned how to reset the claw machines if they show a flashing error on the LED pad, I have to ask one of my colleagues for their key so I can get to the control panel to restate.

What have is enjoyed:

• Before I decided to do the arcade, I was very scared about big and loud crowds, but I said to myself that I would push my confidence to the max, which has helped me talk to new people that I have not met before.
• I have talked to different members of the team, I also enjoyed joking around and meeting new people.

Good things you have enjoyed:

• Now as I am on my seventh week of my rotation I enjoy being with the team and making new friends as I struggle doing that quite a bit.
• I also loved how all the members of the Aracde’s were so supportive and how easy it was to get to know them, as on the week of my first rotation I was a bit scared and shy but now I love being part of their team.

Jamie Bowater

What sort of work I do:

• Transferring data and addresses on the computer.
• Scanning and re-shelving books.

How I do it:

• Move the computer data from the existing two library systems onto the single new system.
• Support the library team by doing stock work such as scanning books onto the new system.

Where I do it:

In the staff room or out in the main library.

Something I have learned:

• How to borrow, renew, and return library books.
• How to input data on a computer system.

Do I like it?:

Yes

Good things I enjoy:

• Stock work ( scanning and reshelving books).
• The quiet atmosphere of the library.

Something I have learned:

• How to borrow, renew, and return library books.
• How to input data on a computer system.

Do I like it?:

Yes

Good things I enjoy:

• Stock work ( scanning and reshelving books).
• The quiet atmosphere of the library.

Alfie Blake

I would like to tell you about the tasks in my current internship​

One of the tasks I do is organize school visits then I print off SEND surveys for me and Bella to use when at the school. ​

My second task is interviewing fellow interns on their rotations for a monthly newsletter for BCP.​

​Lastly, my other task is going to schools and telling them about my SEND journey and how it got me here.​

The skills I am learning in this department are:

The skills that I am learning are IT, which I find very useful in this role. I feel like this will be beneficial in future jobs and rotations. ​

I am also learning timekeeping I feel proud that I am on time for things now I never used to get the hang of it, but I have!​

I feel like my confidence has grown massively with this rotation and course. It's because it's so positive in this project. ​

Something I am proud of is:

• I am very proud of how my organisational skills have developed. Because at my old college, my desk was very untidy. Now am very organised here is a pure example. ​
• I am also proud of my timekeeping because I never thought I would get it right.

Oscar

My name is Oscar

I am an intern at the amusement arcade

I would like to tell you about the tasks in my current internship tasks:

• Cleaning
• Restocking
• Resetting
• Removing

The skills I am learning in this department are:

• Teamwork
• Working with money

• Working on my feat
• Cleaning glass

Something I am proud of is:

Working in a team