Administrative Officer Review

Item: Administrative Officer at Department for Work and Pensions
Rating: 2.6
Author: Anonymous

at Department for Work and Pensions

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Customer Service

Hastings, East Sussex

Review Submitted: March 2025

Overall Rating

2.6 /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!

2.5/5 - Overview of Role

3/5 - Skills Development

2.2/5 - 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

I am an administrative officer and caseworker for the child maintenance service, my day to day role requires me to take phone calls and administer customer cases using a computer system.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

2/5

I appreciate the opportunity the apprenticeship has given me to look at my role from a different perspective, although I have found the course challenging and stressful at times given the challenges of my role. The apprenticeship at times has increased the pressure on myself.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

3/5

I have improved my computer literacy and customer service in my time at the DWP and my apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to obtain new Maths and English qualifications as I was unable to obtain my GCSE certificates.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

3/5

The apprenticeship is quite well structured although this has been subject to several changes and updates during the course.

How much support do you receive from your employer?

2/5

I feel myself and other apprentices have in the most part been left to our own devices during the course of the apprenticeship although my line managers have been supportive when I've needed them.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

2/5

I have found the apprenticeship challenging at times and have had some difficult interactions with the training provider but in the most part they have been supportive and have made themselves available when needed.

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

2/5

I feel that an apprenticeship in customer service isn't the best fit for my role in the civil service, only some of the topics covered were relevant requiring some creative solutions to complete the modules. I don't personally feel much of the apprenticeship has improved my ability to perform my role.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

2/5

There is an organisation named Hassra that has a local hub, they occasionally organise events other than that I'm not aware of many other things available to us.

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Department for Work and Pensions to a friend?

Yes

Why?

Working for the DWP comes with it's own challenges, in child maintenance we work with a complex computer system that has it's limitations, we have to absorb an incredible amount of knowledge, our pay is just above the national living wage but the people I work with make my work experience better and I would recommend the DWP based on the work environment.