Since March 2020, almost all of our work has been taking place remotely. In that time, we’ve welcomed three new team members to Settle’s Programme Team: Emma Doherty, Ellie Carr, and Tom Bradley.

All three are Programme Officers, with Emma and Ellie working on our new remote service pilot, delivering our programme outside of London – into the areas of East & West Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire.

We asked them to share their reflections on joining Settle remotely amidst all the changes and challenges of 2020.

Q1: What are you most excited about in your new role?

Ellie Carr – I’m most excited about getting to work with lots of different young people. Particularly because it’s such a diverse group that we work with. I’m looking forward to building a different relationship with all of them but using the Settle principles to guide that. 

Tom Bradley – I’m most excited about working closely with young people that have had very different experiences to me, working with them over a long period of time so you can build up a relationship. Also, I’m excited to build up my knowledge around practical support so helping with benefits, budgeting, rights and responsibilities.

Emma Doherty – I’m also excited about doing work that actually feels like it’s helpful during this pandemic and supporting people through a really difficult time.

Q2: What are your top tips for someone starting a new job remotely?

TB – I’d say organisation is quite key, making sure you’re on top of things.  And don’t be afraid to ask questions as there’s the element of casual conversation that you miss out on! Take regular breaks because Zoom is quite tiring and you can find yourself zoning out after a good while.

EC – I think there are also a lot of opportunities in the calendar when you first start for more informal things, like the welcome lunch, that might seem a bit odd at first. I guess just embrace the weirdness a little bit! And if you can, try and set up a space that’s a workspace, if you do everything in the same chair, that starts to feel a bit odd. 

ED – Yes, I agree. Also, don’t be afraid to be the person that reaches out to people like ‘hey who wants to have a virtual coffee’. That sort of thing would usually fill me with dread but it actually really helps you to feel more comfortable and connected!

Q3: Why did you apply for this position?

EC – I was interested in the fact that Settle used a coaching model to underpin their work. That wasn’t something that I’d seen before. I wanted to go back into working with young people, which I hadn’t done for a couple of years. I was also intrigued by being involved in remote delivery and the conception of a new remote service.

ED – I like the preventative nature of the programme, the way it enhances people’s skills rather than being crisis management. I also loved that the person spec on the job description included being creative, which I think is quite unusual for a role in this sector. 

TB – I’d seen Settle perhaps a year before I applied and I was quite intrigued by them. I was keen to move into 1-2-1 support, which I hadn’t done before, and also getting more experience in practical support, and where that might lead. I wanted to work for a small charity due to the opportunity to be involved in things outside of your core role.

Q4: What have you most enjoyed about your new role?

EC – I like the whole ethos of the organisation; the fact that it is a preventative service with the aim of instilling skills in people. I like that there is a focus on staff development and there are opportunities for getting stuck into different tasks. It mixes things up!

TB – Yeah definitely, and also all of the training on offer. It’s great to be able to expand my knowledge in different areas that I wasn’t very aware of previously, such as coaching. It’s been very interesting to see how that underpins the whole programme and how effective it can be in helping people develop.

ED – Definitely. What I also like is the level of communication between all layers of the organisation. It never feels as if there is any sort of divide. We are always updated on bigger picture developments and that makes you feel as if you are a valuable part of the organisation.

Q5: How have the Settle team helped you to onboard remotely?

TB – The team has been super welcoming. Everyone has said if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Members of the team put times in your diary to catch up and get to know each other and offer support with practical sessions like the role plays [for the programme].

EC – It’s also been great that we are all assigned a buddy to support us throughout the process.

ED – Definitely, the buddy system is so helpful. And we also received a lovely gift and card in the post, which was very sweet!

EC – Yes that was lovely, that’s definitely never happened anywhere else I’ve ever worked!