Administration Officer Review

I work in CMS - Answering customer calls and queries, dealing with changes on cases relating to income, shared care etc in line with policy, legislation and procedures.

Whilst in my job role yes, whilst on this apprenticeship no.

I haven't enjoyed doing this apprenticeship at all. I have almost 15 years customer service experience including supervisor positions. Child Maintenance does not operate like a regular retail business and so most of the information in this apprenticeship does not apply. Once this apprenticeship is completed none of the information I have covered will be used in my role and the qualification itself will add nothing to my CV that my work experience doesn't already say.

The initial learning on lifetime is well structured, each module is easily identifiable with a suggested date of completion. The preparation for my end exams has been awful. I have had my coaches changed part way through, I have had to chase them for help or to review my work and have struggled to reach them. I am now a month away from entering gateway for my exams and am having to race through work as up until last week I had not been given any indication of what work was to be completed for this, when it would be due or any guidance on this.

My T/L has been great and I get the time each week to complete my work. The roll out of this across new entrants has been inconsistent however. My team has had no choice in taking on this apprenticeship, later recruits don't have to do it and so as this is a relatively new thing, information and guidance can be limited.

As mentioned in question 4, I have struggled to reach my coaches on multiple occasions. For example, I sent an email a month ago asking them to look at the portfolio I had created and offer guidance where I was struggling and they have yet to review this and provide any feedback. They attempted a meeting with me whilst travelling by train, which had to be ended as the signal and connection was so poor. They then sent me an email of updated forms a few weeks later and as I was not on my apprenticeship day and did not reply to the email that morning, called my personal mobile to ask if I had received the email. At the point of writing this my portfolio has still not been reviewed.

My honest answer is that it will not help me in the slightest. I have customer service experience, I have experience of leading a team. I know how to speak to people and have excellent feedback from both T/L's and customers on my service skills. Child Maintenance doesn't operate like a retail business, there's no competitors, we don't do customer surveys etc so sitting a module that covers all of this and expects me to pull together figures which don't exist for my exams is absolutely pointless.

We have Hassra which offers a lot of these activities. We also have team time where as a team we come together to catch up on work etc.

Yes

DWP is flexible and inclusive. The work is extremely difficult within my department and the pay is shocking (Minimum wage) for the work we do but the flexibility and pension payments really make a difference.

Consider which department will best fit you.