Reflections on a student placement at MCYS - Caitlin Couldwell

Caitlin Couldwell (far right) with MCYS team member Elsie Whittington and members of the YSAR team

What attracted you to this placement?

My passion for helping to make a positive impact on the lives of today’s youth was the chief reason behind my selection of this placement. My selection of this placement was also informed by the effort that MCYS puts into providing valuable research for organisations/agencies in order to increase support for young people, such as sufficient access to Youth and Play services. During my research into what the placement entailed, I discovered that young people are directly involved in the research. This aspect of the placement excited me as it allowed me to learn about participatory research. I relished the opportunity to take part in, and contribute to such a powerful study.  

What kind of work were you involved in?

With Youth Social Action Researchers (YSARs) – young people from youth services trained as researchers – I attended multiple workshops where we engaged in participatory activities designed to gather data with young people. Participating in workshops gave me an opportunity to meet young people from diverse backgrounds and different areas of Manchester and exposed me to some unforgettable experiences and observations. I remember being intrigued by how young people aged 10 seemed so devoted to engaging in activities to support other people, such as raising awareness about hate crime, anti-bullying campaigns and supporting charities. It is clear that these young people are courageous, strong-minded individuals who are committed to doing good. My observations highlighted the importance of Youth and Play services and their benefits, which go beyond helping children and young people live happy, healthy, safe and successful lives.

I was also tasked with collating, proofing, coding and writing up data from the workshops. In doing this, I gained practical skills in the use of several software packages such as Microsoft Excel and Nvivo 11.

What was it like working with the MCYS team?

The MCYS team project a strong sense of community. This made me feel welcome, relevant and appreciated throughout the duration of my placement. It also made them easy to get along with for the Youth Social Action Researchers and facilitated their inclusion into the team. MCYS’s warm and welcoming nature encourages students to make contributions which go beyond their primary objectives/tasks because they feel like they are part of a community. I received a lot of support and explicit instructions, which meant that I always knew what to do next. There was never a dull moment and some of my experiences taught me lessons that will be useful to me in my third year. Working with the MCYS team was very insightful as they are driven by a desire to support, engage and ultimately improve the lives of the young people, including those who have been negatively affected by austerity measures.

What did you learn about working with young people in a research context?

Some of the most important lessons I learnt included the importance of building a trusting relationship with young people and being able to see past negative labels and stereotypes slapped on them. The creation of a strong relationship supported by a foundation of trust helps to achieve greater success in a research context. Young people tend to have a belief that their voices do not have much significance. This notion is driven by the fact that they are not allowed to vote on significant issues and the negative effects of austerity on their daily lives. It is difficult to engage a young person who feels as if they aren’t being listened to in a meaningful and productive way, until they trust that you understand what they want and are making a genuine effort to help them achieve it. I also learnt that diversity and inclusion are just as important in the research context as they are in education. One of the most important skills I learnt was the adoption of an inclusive approach to dealing with young people from all backgrounds. This approach helps to ensure that research caters for and takes into account every young person’s perspective.

What was your favourite part of the placement?

My favourite part of the placement was being given the opportunity to attend MCYS’s ‘Collaboration, Creativity and Complexities’ conference: one of the first international multidisciplinary conferences to take place in the UK that focuses on co-production and creative methods, and that welcomes academic and community partners into a shared space. This experience showed the significant amount of support young people have in different sectors. Among the many lessons I learnt as a result of my attendance, and the one which resonates with me the most, came from MCYS’s Deborah Jump: stop seeing young people as a risk and start to manage that risk by being more adaptable. I also enjoyed meeting academics, researchers and practitioners inspiring young people and giving them opportunities to rise. My second favourite part of the placement is knowing that all the hard work has been worthwhile and will be highly beneficial to the young people.

What did you find the most challenging?

Fundamentally, a high quality placement opportunity should provide a challenge that brings the student out of their comfort zone and exposes them to an experience that leads to learning and gaining new skills. One of my biggest challenges was adjusting to the new work environment. At the beginning of my placement I was a bit nervous about asking for assistance. As a result, I used some time to undertake research and studies with an aim to ensure that I was completing my work to an adequate standard. The warm nature of the MCYS team gradually made my transition to being comfortable asking for assistance very effortless. Additionally, I also encountered problems with addressing groups of young people. I particularly struggled to engage and cater to everyone’s needs at the same time. My initial response to this challenge was to employ effective and dynamic methods of communication using commentary, media and flip charts. This helped ensure that all the information was accessible for every young person, but it did not always keep them engaged. I addressed the engagement problem by making an effort to understand the young people’s strengths, interests and qualities in order to create a research environment where the young people felt that their contributions, no-matter how different, were all valued.

How will you use what you learnt at MCYS in the future?

When it comes to research, it is very important that the target group stays engaged in the study. This not only helps to make the results of the research more relevant, but also increases the quality of the group’s contribution to the research. During my placement, I learnt some techniques to help keep a group of diverse people engaged. I believe that this skill will be essential in any studies that involve working with a diverse group. It is also a key teaching skill. Collating raw data from diverse sources taught me how to keep an open mind and find new trends/patterns from unlikely sources. Collecting and collating raw data first hand is very different from working with controlled data in a classroom. Handling such a big and complex data set has made me more comfortable with independently processing unconventional/new data, using a defined procedure with no supervision. I believe that this will be a great benefit to my dissertation studies. The building of a positive relationship is key whether it is with your co-workers or with the young people. When this is coupled with good organisational skills, productivity and easy flow of communication throughout the team are increased. This lesson will also be useful in my final year studies. The experienced and discipline gained from applying theory to practice in a professional environment will also help me in my future career.

What advice would you give to other students thinking about applying for a placement?

I would say go for it and embrace every opportunity that comes your way!! Placements are extremely useful as they give an insight and experience into an area of work. This can help the student to make a better-informed decision about their future career choices. From a student perspective, a placement is extremely valuable both in terms of enriching your academic experience and future employability. My placement afforded me an opportunity to get involved in a professional team-based work environment and, consequently, I gained practical experience, developed workplace skills, problem solving skills, self-management and increased my professional self -confidence.

A top tip for those planning on taking up a placement: always show your eagerness to work. Personally, I was initially intimidated by asking questions and I felt a bit nervous when it came to speaking in front of an audience. The most helpful advice I would give is to always raise questions when you are uncertain or confused, be sure to also take notes so you always have something to refer back to. Be open minded about new ideas and procedures as you are guaranteed to learn something new. One more word of advice: make the most of the time you have and learn as much as you can because the time flies past quickly. After all, you only reap from the placement what you sow.