What will the interview be like?
One of the interviewers from the Verian team will spend an hour with you to hear about your experiences of the pandemic and how this has affected you. They will ask you to think back to the start of the pandemic and lockdown and to tell them how things changed for you and what this was like for you.
They will ask you to share any thoughts you have on how the pandemic affected you at home and at school, your physical and mental health, how you see yourself and your relationships with other people.
It might have affected you in other ways and they would be keen to hear what you have to say about this. Above all, they are interested in hearing about what matters to you. There are no right or wrong answers, and nobody will judge what you have to say.
Your discussion board
A safe space to share your feelings about the impact of the pandemic with others who may have had similar experiences.
Our 1:1 support service
The Mix’s 1:1 support service is suitable for you if you are looking for short-term help with your mental health and emotional wellbeing following your interview.
Tips for sharing your story
Why share personal stories and experiences?
- Sharing your own lived experience can be a powerful tool for creating awareness and driving change
- It can help bring important issues to light
- Sharing experiences can help you to process your own story and reflect on it
How to share your story safely
Sharing your story to help others is a really brave thing to do and something you should give yourself credit for! It can sometimes feel challenging to talk about personal experiences, but there are ways that you can prepare yourself to make sure you are prioritising your wellbeing before, during and after your interview. It can help to write these down and chat them through with someone you trust.
Helpful questions and ideas for sharing your story
- What do you hope to achieve by sharing your story?
- What is your main message?
- What is important to share as part of your story, to set the context?
- What don’t you want to share? This could be either because it’s painful to talk about, or you’re simply not ready to share
- You may not need to share your whole story – but just the parts that are relevant
- Have a phrase prepared that you can use in case a question comes up that you don’t want to answer, such as, “I would rather not talk about that topic”
- Save some contact details of people who can support you, in case you need them
- Make a plan to manage anything distressing that may come up
- Write a list of your favourite ways to cope with stress, such as dancing to your favourite song
- Write a list of ideas for self-care for after your interview, such as calling a friend for a chat
FAQs
Will people know what I've said in my interview?
No, what you share with in the interview will be kept anonymous. Nothing you say will be linked to your name, unless you share anything that suggests that you or someone else is at risk of harm (in this case the interviewer will tell the appropriate authorities who can help).
I am anxious about the interview, what will happen if I don’t want to discuss something?
The interviewer will be guided by you and if there is a question you don’t want to answer or anything you don’t want to talk about that is absolutely fine, just let them know.
There are some things that I don’t remember about the time of Covid, does that matter?
Don’t worry if you can’t remember everything about the time of Covid. However, when you do the interview, please do bring along an object or image that you associate with the pandemic to help jog your memory.
What if I need to speak to someone about the interview beforehand?
If you would like to talk to somebody in advance of your interview, the emotional support team at The Exchange can listen to your concerns and let the interviewer know if there is anything they can do to help you feel ready to take part in the interview. You can book in a pre-interview call with them by clicking on Covid Interview Support Hub | Exchange Counselling.
Will I be able to come back here to get help after the interview, if there are things I want to discuss?
If thinking and talking about your experiences of the pandemic in your interview has made you feel upset or worried in any way, we are here to support you. Please book in a call with one of our team if you want to talk things through via xxx.
Can I change my mind and not take part?
If you change your mind about taking part, please let the person who arranged the interview with you know (you’ll have a confirmation email from them). You don’t need to tell them why. If you do take part in an interview, you can take a break or stop at any time.
Find out more
The Mix's interview support hub
Welcome to this interview support hub for people taking part in an interview with Verian on behalf of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
Useful articles
Partners
The Mix is proud to partner with Verian and The Exchange on behalf of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Verian is an independent research company that has been asked to carry out research on behalf of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. If you would like to find out more about Verian, you can visit their website here: veriangroup.com.
The Exchange is part of The TCS Group- a specialist counselling organisation with over 18 years' experience in schools. The Exchange are providing one-to-one mental health support to young people taking part in interviews as part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. You can find out more about The Exchange here: exchange-counselling.com.
About The Mix
The Mix is the UK’s leading digital charity for under 25s, reaching over 6 million young people each year. Whatever issue a young person is facing, The Mix is always there for them – via our website, our supportive online community and our 24-hour crisis messenger. Our support is free, confidential and anonymous and can be accessed wherever young people are.
We connect young people to experts and their peers to talk about everything from money to mental health, homelessness to jobs, break-ups to drugs and more. No topic is out of bounds, and we are completely non-judgemental.
