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My internship experience by Ben Leyshon

During summer 2024, HEIW took on 14 students for an 8-week internship. They each spent time in a specific department within HEIW to gain an insight into what it’s like to work for the NHS in Wales.

Here you can read about Ben’s internship experience at HEIW.

Name: Ben Leyshon                                

Graduated in: BA Media & Communications          

University: Swansea University                       

Internship with: Allied Health Professional Workforce Development Team

My overall experience

Hi, I’m Ben – a graduate from Swansea University with a degree in Media & Communications. During my time at University, I continued building upon my digital skills, with filming and editing being my forte. While working at HEIW, I have been given numerous opportunities to showcase my skills by assisting my team with graphic design, creative problem solving, and capturing in-person stories.

The opportunity that has been this internship can only be described as rich and fulfilling. It has allowed me to explore an organisation I previously did not know a lot about, involve myself across multiple teams to understand every role, and offer my services in any and every area I have felt I could make a difference in. The staff at HEIW are exemplary for a functioning workplace; the support given and the encouragement to lead your own professional journey has been one of the biggest reasons for my progress. If you find yourself considering applying - it is an opportunity I urge you to take!

Project summary

My project has led with the Allied Health Professional Workforce team. Being tasked with recording participants for an online training resource for health and social care workers, my main project has resulted in me leading meetings, liaising with external health workers to organise content, meeting to set up the equipment and capture the story, and finally editing the content before it is published. Outside of my main project, I have been fortunate enough to assist with creating images, designing infographics, assist my team with conference planning, review and update an online learning playlist, and assist my team with a presentation for a Staff Forum. The support and trust that my team have given me has been incredible, their professionalism and urge for me to think on my own two feet has encouraged me to leave my comfort zone and surprise myself. My work is a reflection of the team’s culture and atmosphere – a massive thank you to them all.

In the beginning

Before understanding what content my team were hoping to capture, I had to get a baseline understanding of their mission statement. Having read multiple documents and familiarising myself with their objectives, I began doing further research into the healthcare model they were hoping to portray. Once I was comfortable with the model, I began drafting ideas for what format the recordings would take, and then began drafting questions for service users, healthcare providers, and the system they operate within.

Next steps

Due to the progress made so far, the work will continue to build until finally being released at the National AHP Conference in November 2024. The work is projected to launch without any issues, with further support for the resources already being discussed.

Outside of work and university

I have a YouTube channel where I dissect media projects, I design and draw tattoo concepts, I enjoy exploring new places and am privy to a spontaneous (and unorganised) trip every now and again.