Organisational Development Consultant (Level 3 Team Leader/Supervisor) Review

I lead and manage the Organisational Development team, making sure our people and resources are used well to support the Council’s priorities. Day to day, that means shaping and delivering OD work around things like leadership development, values and behaviours, performance, talent, culture and employee engagement, as well as equality, diversity and inclusion, including line managing the EDI Lead. I act as the organisation’s OD specialist, giving practical advice to managers and senior leaders, helping them navigate change and build their capability, and bringing in best practice from across the sector. I also oversee external OD contracts, work closely with HR and L&D colleagues, and focus on making sure our OD interventions genuinely improve how people work and how the organisation performs.

My Level 3 apprenticeship programme has been well organised and clearly structured, with a strong balance between theory, practical application, and reflective learning.
The programme was supported by me undertaking the in-house aspiring leaders programme which had key milestones and learning outcomes that aligned with the apprenticeship.
My training provider started with questionnaires around my learning styles to ensure they were working to my strengths and allowed me to explore topics that interested me in detail to enhance my experience.
The learning was delivered in manageable sections that aligned well with my role, allowing me to apply new knowledge immediately in the workplace. My tutor would regularly check in with me to ensure that I understood the theory and either that I had already or knew how to apply that into practice.

I receive a high level of support from my employer, which has been key in enabling me to bit just successfully complete the Level 3 apprenticeship but to earn a promotion whilst doing so.
As per the apprenticeship agreement I have been given protected time to focus on apprenticeship learning, assignments, and reflection, which has helped ensure I could focus on the qualification rather than competing with my workload.
In addition, WSCC and my manager has actively invested in my development by supporting my participation in the Aspiring Leadership Programme, which has reinforced and extended the learning from the apprenticeship.
Beyond these two formal programmes, I have also been encouraged to access broader development opportunities, including stretch assignments (Such as volunteering to work/lead project/programme teams), participate and lead reflective discussions, and practical attend leadership and management training that would have been only offered to individuals already managing teams. This allowed me to apply learning immediately in a WSCC context.
Overall the support I have received from WSCC and my manager whom I have replaced and my current manager has made me a better individual and given me the chance to learn and grow in a psychological safe environment.

My training provider (Weir Training) went above and beyond. They flexed their delivery style to meet my needs and would constructively challenge my thinking whilst supporting me to understand and learn new concepts.
I had regular meetings with my tutor to ensure progress was monitored both via video calls and regular touch point e-mails. This was extremely helpful to me to ensure that I was constantly building my knowledge, completing my assignments, regularly taking the time to reflect and address any gaps in my knowledge or practice early. Overall, the structure supported sustained development over time rather than last‑minute preparation, making the programme purposeful

My qualification, has supported me significantly in performing more effectively in my role.
First and foremost, undertaking the Level 3 team leader / supervisor apprenticeship directly supported my successful application for the Organisational Development Manager role. While I already had strong technical knowledge and experience as an OD practitioner, my prior management experience was largely limited to leading programme and project teams rather than holding formal line management responsibility.
The qualification has helped to bridge that gap by giving me greater confidence in my own leadership capability and providing an environment in which to reflect on and develop my emotional intelligence. It has enabled me to explore my leadership style, understand its impact on others, and adapt my approach to meet the needs of individuals and the team as a whole.
In particular, the learning around team dynamics and models such as Tuckman’s stages of team development has been invaluable. This has helped me to better support my team through a period of significant change, where we lost a long term manager (whom I replaced) and several key team members while also welcoming new individuals into the team.
Overall, the qualification has strengthened both my confidence and competence as a manager, allowing me to apply theory directly to the challenges I face on a daily basis and lead the team more effectively through transition and growth.

Yes

I joined West Sussex County Council nearly 12 years ago as a HR Graduate Trainee. In that time I have had 6 different roles (Whilst not all have been promotions they have all given me the chance to expand my knowledge, skills and experience). It has been the perfect environment to learn and grow. I have worked with wonderful colleagues and whilst there are challenges the goodwill and willingness to get the best for our customers despite these difficulties is what ensures that we continue to have a positive impact on our County.