Raising aspirations through Beth's work with Building Self-Belief

Recently, I have graduated with an undergraduate degree in psychology with counselling. From the first year of my studies, my interest in child development and mental health was at the forefront, I was eager to learn more about the psychology of young people and how to support them. Partaking in my counselling modules greatly benefited my listening skills, regularly engaging in peer counselling to develop important support tools, however this experience was limited by a lack of range in clientele. My target demographic for my future work was set, however I only had textbook knowledge from my lectures and seminars. 

This changed during my final year at university when I was given the opportunity to complete a placement alongside my studies. Immediately, I was drawn to the charity Building Self-Belief, with the available role describing a support assistant working in schools to help bolster confidence in young people. This was only a surface level of the amazing opportunities that I was able to partake in during my work with the charity. 

Supporting children and young people

I was able to support the delivery of a range of programmes to mixed ages, abilities and in a variety of settings. Primarily, I helped small groups of children in secondary schools develop their wellbeing, self-esteem and employability skills in an effort to raise aspirations in areas of multiple deprivation. Here, I was able to use the embedded counselling skills from my degree to support young people 1-1. I also developed an awareness of what can be expected from being an assistant in a classroom environment by helping my supervisor and following leadership. Despite my role being in assistance, my perspectives and instincts were always valued and included, as I assisted with formatting reflections and reports of our work and planning for future sessions. This really helped to maintain my confidence and demonstrate my efficacy.

Working face to face with a range of young people was so rewarding after multiple years of wishing to learn more about supporting this demographic. Delivering the sessions had immediate, observable value as it was possible to see the impact of our support in real time as young people grew in confidence, aspiration and social inclusion. This confounded the feedback I received during university peer counselling as it showed that my developed skills were making a difference directly. 

Fostering a sense of community and togetherness

From our community garden in Benfieldside, to the art sessions we delivered to young people, creative pursuits helped me both to recharge personally and also to support the community holistically. Outdoor engagement at Benfieldside Community Garden really benefited the young people as they were able to socialise and work toward tasks as a community. This was also very personally helpful for me as I was encouraged to bring my son to these garden events which was very supportive as I balanced multiple responsibilities, and also felt welcomed as part of the team. 

The importance of the arts

Supporting the inclusion of arts and humanities within schools was also beneficial, as children reflected on the history of our local area and interpreted this creatively using a range of artistic approaches. It was also insightful for me to learn more about the history of the community I am supporting, and gain a better understanding of the generational backgrounds of these children. We were also able to use art to make learning more interactive for young people. Recently, we completed a floral mural for a nursery school to complement a variety of plants we established within the grounds. Using my creativity was refreshing as I was able to combine my personal interest in art with my career focus in support and education.

Building foundations in professional development

Throughout my placement, I was supported in accessing multiple forms of training including suicide awareness, safeguarding, first aid and digital inclusion. These helped me to feel confident approaching different projects with the charity as I had built foundational understanding in these areas.

Professionally, I was able to develop my confidence which started on quite shaky ground as I previously was very quiet and reserved. I achieved this as the charity gave me the opportunity to work on public speaking by talking at a careers event among many other professionals. I also was sent to numerous networking events to represent Building Self-Belief. This helped me both within the charity and personally, as I felt I was valuable to the team by seeking support from other organisations on their behalf, however I also personally gained an insight into the career progression successful people had made.

Thank you to Building Self-Belief CIO

Overall, I am incredibly grateful for this experience and seek to continue working alongside Building Self-Belief to explore the depth of opportunities, helping communities in a multitude of ways. Currently, I am working as a teaching assistant with a variety of age ranges and needs, thanks to the classroom experience I have built throughout my placement. The flexibility and diverse range of programmes that I have partaken in have given me a true insight both into how many roles are out there and what it is like to work within different settings. In terms of my professional development and my knowledge within psychology, the change I have undergone in under a year is incredible. My confidence to both approach roles I have experience in and to try new things has grown and I feel excited for whatever I work on next. 

Again, a massive thank you to everyone at Building Self-Belief who supported me to try new things and develop my foundation in psychology and support work. Please support us to continue our vast array of work with the community!