Service Development Officer Review

Whilst completing the apprenticeship, I have been carrying out service development duties for the Children and Young People's Commissioning Team. This involves analysing current services using performance data and feedback, supporting redesign, co-production with stakeholders and preparing reports with recommendations. The Level 4 Project Management apprenticeship has taught me how to best analyse ways that these tasks can feed into a project management plan, as well as documents and approaches to support new ventures.

I feel that Heart of England prepared me well for the commencement of the course, though the day courses could possibly have been ordered more sequentially. There were sometimes courses too close in succession to process the learning, and too much content in each course support the embedding of knowledge. Half day courses may have been more effective. However, the structure of meetings and assignments arranged by my educator have been very helpful.

I have been supported at all points of the course and I feel that my managers have a real desire for me to succeed. They have asked what I felt I needed to begin the course, have been given ample time to complete tasks and have been given opportunities to apply my learning. My manager has arranged opportunities for shadowing and feedback.

In recent months, my educator has been so helpful with revision of topics. She has shared materials and podcasts to help break topics down and has asked what topics I would like further support with.

There have been some great opportunities for applying my learning to new commissioning projects. My next steps are to apply some of the document templates into regular practice.

Yes

The support I have received here has changed my life. I feel that I have been supported my with work and my own wellbeing. I feel that colleagues and managers have a real desire for me to succeed. I very much enjoy my job.