At Capacity, we’re proud to have a team that’s a total mix – made up of people from all sorts of backgrounds with all sorts of expertise. We know that learning and development is key to this, making sure that we continue to grow both as individuals and as a team. That’s why we’re pleased to congratulate one of our Project Managers, Sara, on recently graduating with an MA in Social Policy from Liverpool Hope University.
We spoke to Sara about how the knowledge and expertise gained will inform her future work here at Capacity…
Congratulations Sara! We want to start at the beginning, how did you come to join Capacity?
I joined Capacity in late 2023. Until then, I’d mainly worked in local authorities in different roles – as part of a graduate programme, then as a case worker, in commissioning and as an interim service manager. I’d followed Capacity on social media for a while and thought it looked like an interesting place to work. I saw the Project Manager role advertised not long after I’d finished studying for my MA and thought I’d go for it.
What are you loving about your role so far?
The variety! I know a lot of people say that every day is different, but in this role it really is. You could be planning (or attending) events, writing reports or networking. I also love the team at Capacity, we all work really well together and the support is amazing.
We know you studied Computer Science as an undergrad – why the jump to Social Policy?
I developed some good skills in my undergrad, but realised the topic area wasn’t for me. I’m definitely more of a people person than a computer person. My career so far has been people-focused, so I was really interested in how policy affects people and communities.
What did you enjoy the most about your MA?
I actually loved going to the library to do assignments, but my favourite thing was probably the lectures on advanced social theory – we learned about loads of things like social democracy, justice and liberty. My dissertation was on the cost of living crisis and its effects on mothers. Getting to meet some amazing mothers and spending time with them was a real highlight and privilege, I felt really lucky that people were so generous with their time. The lecturers at Hope were also amazing and had so much passion about what they were teaching.
How will what you learned influence your work at Capacity going forward?
I feel like I use it every day without even realising! I know that I use the research methods and skills a lot. Mostly, I think it’s just rekindled my love for learning – which is definitely a good thing at Capacity! Studying in Liverpool felt particularly relevant because we got an extra depth of the historical and current political context, which helped me to really understand the area that Capacity operates in.