Since 2017, Creating Future Opportunities (CFO) has worked in partnership with The University of Manchester’s Q-Step programme to offer structured internship opportunities to undergraduate students with an interest in data analysis and social policy, specifically those with a criminology and social science background with an interest in offending behaviour.
To date, CFO’s Research and Statistics team has hosted 13 interns, typically welcoming two students each summer. These internships provide students with the opportunity to apply their academic learning to real-world challenges, contributing to CFO’s evidence base and supporting the development of its programmes.
Interns undertake analytical projects that explore key aspects of CFO’s work with programme participants. Previous projects have included:
- Examining how project pathways benefit participants
- Analysing financial support provided to individuals on their rehabilitative journey
- Investigating factors that influence retention and re-engagement with programme activities
All projects involve the use of statistical software such as SPSS and R, enabling students to develop practical skills in data analysis and interpretation. In addition to desk-based research, interns also visit delivery sites, including prisons, probation offices and CFO Activity Hubs, where they engage directly with practitioners and programme participants. These visits provide valuable context and help students understand how data informs service delivery.
This year the programme welcomed Joshua Waterman, who is studying criminology, and Hannah Bugeja, who is studying economics – speaking about their experience with CFO Hannah said: “My time with CFO was incredibly rewarding. I left CFO feeling as though my work might genuinely help with improving outcomes for offenders, which was a great feeling and a point of achievement for me.
For anybody considering the fellowship, I would say that it is a great opportunity to grow quickly and learn from an incredibly supportive team.”
Joshua added: “I’d definitely encourage others to apply for an internship with CFO. I learned a lot and really valued my time at CFO.”
Thanks to their experience with CFO, the Q-Steps learned key skills including:
- Analytical skills – creating a logistical model and creative data interpretation
- Professional skills – communication, time management and organisational skills
- Creativity and adaptability – working around constraints and overcoming challenges
- Adaptability – showing an openness to change course based on data requirements
Their research focussed around ‘retention on CFO Evolution based on the previous CFO programme engagement’ and ‘assessing the link between offender characteristics and sustained participation.’ Findings for this research included:
- 61% Participants who complete an activity complete another within the next 30 days
- Completing one or two activities at enrolment make a participant 34% more likely to return, and completing three of more activities make a participant 53% more likely to return (compared to those who do not)
- Participants who complete ‘personal journal’ as their first activity are 56% more likely to be retained
- Participants with better thoughts, behaviours or healthier personal relationships are more likely to be retained
- Participants with worse living conditions or worse employment situations are more likely to be retained
You can learn about the work of the CFO Research and Statistics team here: Research and Statistics – HMPPS Creating Future Opportunities
This long-standing collaboration reflects CFO’s commitment to supporting future analysts and contributing to the development of research capacity within the public sector. By offering meaningful placements, CFO helps students gain experience in applied research while benefiting from fresh perspectives and analytical insight.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with The University of Manchester and welcoming future interns to the team.
Q-Step is funded by the Nuffield Foundation and the Economic and Social Research Council, in conjunction with HMPPS CFO. You can learn more about the Q-Step programme here: Humanities.Manchester.ac.uk/Q-Step