Double celebrations as psychology student starts dream job week before graduation

Neve Jonathan (pictured) wasn’t even sure she wanted to study at Salford initially – her sister went there, and she wanted to feel like she was finding her own path, not following her sister’s footsteps. But seeing the course content changed her mind.

“Once I looked into the course at Salford, I knew it was the right decision for me. It just sounded so original and something I was totally fascinated by. I’d already read papers by Dr Clare Allely, so to be taught by her was a dream come true! The best thing about the course is definitely the lecturers, who have so much knowledge.”

Neve says she is in a ‘fortunate position’ to be able to do some volunteer work, and has recently been working with a charity called Circles of Support and Accountability (Circles). Circles builds safer communities through local volunteers working with sex offenders (known as ‘core members’) to minimise alienation, support reintegration and so prevent sexual reoffending.

“I am really interested in and an advocate for prevention and community work. Circles is a fantastic organisation and provides great training opportunities for their volunteers. There is a wonderful sense of community. The circle meets once a week, and people discuss hobbies, ways for the core member to enter back into society (these people have often been in prison for years) and just generally providing general stability in a very turbulent time. 

“There is no excusing behaviour, in fact the company works from the ideology of accountability. It is a great organisation to work for, you’re working with a vulnerable population and can massively improve people’s lives.”

In the long term, Neve hopes she can go on to further study and to continue to help people through therapy.

“In ten years’ time I’d love to be working in the community to give people a voice and help provide the most efficient and productive care. I believe that collectively as a society we can do better to alleviate people’s problems. Helping people when they are severely struggling is so important, but in the future I’d hope to be working to care for individuals before it gets to that level of severity. I hope that in the future support will be more accessible and I’d love to play a part in making that a reality.”

But for now, Neve says her degree has already helped her secure an interview and land a job that she loves.

“My course definitely helped me connect with the industry. I’m currently working as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) at Priory, where I primarily work on the CAMHS (children & adolescent mental health service) ward. I work closely with individuals, listening to their needs, observing and recording behaviour, dealing with incidents, preparing activities, working with occupational therapists, the list goes on! It is a multi-disciplinary team, and provides a great environment to learn.

“I get first-hand experience of working with individuals with mental health issues, something my degree prepared me for, yet I now get to be immersed it, and understand it in a completely new way. I am really enjoying my job, I find it so educational. It has opened my eyes to the impact that psychology as a whole has on people’s lives and I could not be more confident that I am in the right area to start and stay working in.”