Skip to main content

My internship experience by Seren Jones

Published: 27 August 2024

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 Seren’s internship experience at HEIW.

Name: Seren Jones                               

Graduated in: BSc Business Management                            

University: Cardiff University                         

Internship with: Planning and Performance Team

My overall experience

Hello! I’m Seren, a Business Management graduate from Cardiff University. During my degree, I completed my dissertation on leadership in NHS Wales, inspired by the passion for health care I discovered while working as a care assistant in my local care home during the pandemic. The insights from my dissertation only deepened my interest in pursuing a career within NHS Wales.

This opportunity has been invaluable, offering me a comprehensive insight into the diverse teams within the organisation, helping me pinpoint exactly where my true passions lie. I have been pleasantly surprised by the supportive and compassionate culture present at HEIW, which has greatly contributed to my professional growth and development. I highly encourage anyone considering the internship scheme to apply, as it has been an extremely enriching and rewarding experience.

Project summary

I feel incredibly fortunate to receive such a warm welcome into the Planning and Performance Team, where my project centred on Crisis Management and Business Continuity. Given the critical importance of this area, I’ve been privileged to contribute to HEIW’s core work. My main responsibilities have included reviewing, redrafting and testing HEIW’s Business Continuity Plan and Policy. Additionally, I’ve taken on various roles, such as leading the creation of an informational poster for all staff, providing project management support for this significant initiative, chairing and monitoring activities with the working group, and presenting reports to the project board.

In the beginning

To begin, I undertook extensive background research to fully understand the context and nuances of my work. This foundational knowledge was crucial to making meaningful contributions and revisions to the existing plans. Once the redraft process was completed and approved, we developed additional resources tailored to different relevant staff groups.

Next steps

Building on our progress so far, the team plans to continue stress testing the newly drafter plan with all organisational teams. They also aim to continue raising awareness of this work by providing additional training sessions.

Outside of work and university

I enjoy baking and often bring in my bakes for my team! I also enjoy listening to podcasts, socialising with friends and exploring new places both in my area and further afield.