A student’s perspective on working with CTP

It’s been a pleasure to host Q Step student Jonathan Standing who has been with CTP for a day a week since November, helping with analysis of a range of evidence that forms part of the Thriving Places Index. As his placement comes to an end, and coinciding with World Happiness Day, Jonathan reflects on his experience and how the World Happiness report shaped his interest in wellbeing measurement.

At college, a study of the world happiness rankings helped me understand how GDP as a measure of progress ignores inequality and fails to capture what truly matters. I was interested in how CTP challenges this belief and strives to influence local policy in meaningful ways. A placement offered me the perfect opportunity to apply my quantitative research and analysis skills in a real-world setting. I was excited to contribute to projects that could directly impact communities and help shape policies that prioritise wellbeing. 

 A key project was helping to analyse how Safety differs across the country using evidence and insights from the Thriving Places database of safety indicators. I explored correlations between safety indicators and external factors like urban/rural areas and population demographics. It was fascinating to find that Cornwall and Plymouth, despite having slightly lower IMD (Index of Multiple Deprivation) scores, maintained high safety scores. This suggests that while deprivation plays a significant role in influencing safety scores, there are more factors at play.

 I also delved into the evidence relating to People and Community including participation, culture and cohesion: exploring relationships between factors contributing to community wellbeing and creating a way to identify influential indicators and simplify future analysis. I also designed my own analysis, exploring factors influencing community satisfaction using local area characteristics – such as safety, internet access, unemployment, IMD and urban/rural classifications.

Having opportunities to dive into using various tools has been a great way to build my data visualisation skills. It took some time to get familiar with all of the indicators and what they measured and to distinguish between upper and lower tier authorities. This part of working with data is surprisingly time consuming – luckily I was working with colleagues who knew this and never pressured me to produce visuals too quickly.

‘One of the most useful parts has been learning how to present complex data in a way that’s accessible to non-technical audiences, which is a skill I know will be invaluable in the future’

What really stood out for me is the balance between structure and freedom in my role. We had our team meeting on Monday to outline our priorities, but I had the flexibility to explore what I found interesting or useful. I always felt supported by the team, who were there to guide me whenever I needed help.

 Being part of an organisation whose main focus is wellbeing was really brought to life as I experienced how much everyone really cares for each other. I was always faced with big smiles when joining calls. It was also fun to talk about how we were from all over the UK, with some people even based in Europe.

One of the most useful parts has been learning how to present complex data in a way that’s accessible to non-technical audiences, which is a skill I know will be invaluable in the future. I’m really proud that I have produced work that contributes to something I truly believe in. 

CTP has given me the chance to step into the real world of work without feeling like I’d been thrown into the deep end. It’s been the perfect balance of challenge and support, and I’m so grateful for everything I’ve learned and the connections I’ve made.

 Overall, my placement at CTP has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I’m excited to see how the skills and insights I’ve gained will shape my future career.

Jonathan Standing, University of Kent Q Step student 

You can read Jonathan’s more detailed write up of his internship experience here.

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Standing