Income and Assessments Assistant Review
at Devon County Council
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Business Operations
Exeter
Review Submitted: March 2023
Overall Rating
3.8 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
3.5/5
-
Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
3.4/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
my department is a customer facing department for the financial side of adult social care. i answer client queries over the phones, in letters, on emails and occasionally in person. the department financially assesses how much a client can afford to pay and sends them letters and invoices relating to that care cost
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
i enjoy my programme a lot. i went to uni and didn't gel with it as it was too full on with too much free time to myself. however, working throughout my programme of study has glued my skills, work ethic and motivation all together. it has been very nice
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
general business and administration skills, business terminology and language, customer phone skills, team working and bonding skills, presenting. I've gained a lot of new knowledge on the business templates, letter writing and emails writing formats. my microsft package skills of one note, word, powerpoint, excel, whiteboard and on outlook.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
Fairly well structured. It is a case of 'i'll show you the learning platform and the resources. now complete and upload work to get everything done', and it is a mountain of work to be done. for the exams, project and presentation/interview it does sneak up on you a lot. since it's such a large percentage of my apprenticeship I suggest dedicating half an hour at the end of each study session through the apprenticeship in order to go through the exam, project and interview.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
they allow me 1 study day a week. i have flexi time i can build up in work in order to take more days off work for the studying and [personal time. any colleague is always there to help me with business/admin related questions. as long as i'm allowed to dedicate enough time to the mountain of work that my apprenticeship requires my employer does not seem to tread on my toes.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
she's available any time for me to speak to which is very helpful. she replies promptly if i have any question. if i'm due an upload to the platform she'll alert me to upload some work so i'm not reported as not participating in the apprenticeship. she does leave us to our own devices more than i was expecting, but this is fine for someone who's familiar with what's required for the qualification by this point.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
my qualification makes me study the wider context in which my organisation and department is placed. it allows me to give added value to the clients i provide a service for should they ask and gives me the useful knowledge of, for example, where our funding comes from, where our money goes and what services are provided that are associated with my department.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
ys there are;
yammer - work social media.
citizens advice 'advice for life' sessions.
opportunity to volunteer on a work day to help run a stool at the devon county show.
apprenticeship networking events.
council-wide annual budget sessions explaining the big changes happening at DCC.
opportunity to have a drink at the coaver club with my colleagues at county hall.
yammer - work social media.
citizens advice 'advice for life' sessions.
opportunity to volunteer on a work day to help run a stool at the devon county show.
apprenticeship networking events.
council-wide annual budget sessions explaining the big changes happening at DCC.
opportunity to have a drink at the coaver club with my colleagues at county hall.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Devon County Council to a friend?
Yes
Why?
as long as you do your work at a fairly fast pace in order to complete the tasks they've set you then they'll be happy with you. there's always work to get done so you'll always have stuff to do to build up flexi-time and book a day off. i can speak for my department only but i have very nice and understanding managers.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Devon County Council?
search a template for a cv done in a business layout, be prepared to give the fullest answer you can for the question 'so tell us about yourself?' I split my answer into 3 parts (and i only mention the stuff that would be associated with the position im applying for, or stuff that would be valuable for the interviewers to hear); my job career/experience thus far, my school qualifications and anything else associated with school, and my sports career (I got to a very high level in swimming so it was a great achievement to brag about). as you go through your career and apply for new jobs this would change. for example i probably wouldnt mention school as much since i've worked in business and administration for well over a year now, so that's more valuable to talk about. interviewers like to hear structured answers, not stuff you're pulling out of the air because you're panicking.
