Excellence & Standards Advisor Review

I oversee the quality assurance programmes set in place for coop Funeralcare. I set out assurance planning following any implemented changes to ensure colleagues have fully understand the changes. I also complete business as usual quality assurance. I feed all assurance back to our senior stakeholders and provide focussed improvement where necessary.

During my apprenticeship I have learnt various new skills and have also developed existing skills. For me personally I would believe that I have mainly developed myself with my confidence levels more than anything as I have been exposed to projects which I may not have been on without the apprenticeship.

I have neither enjoyed or disliked my apprenticeship. As an older student, I feel my ability to learn and study has been somewhat harder to how I would have been able to study to when I was able to when younger. I also wouldn’t address myself as an academic as such.

My programme wasn’t the best structure. I felt as though everything was all clumped together rather than being spread out. I would find that within one week we would be taught a multitude of topics and then sent on our way to complete the studies which were all due at once, then we went periods with no work.

I was provided the support from a time perspective throughout most of the apprenticeship. I was also offered support from my line manager for my portfolio, when asked she provided witness statements within a speedy time frame which I really appreciated as it helped very much so. Support from a mentor would have benefitted me

I don’t feel there was much support from an educational perspective from the training provider. I feel it was very much so a case of, here is the work to complete, we can review 20% only and then you’re on your own. Well-being was supported with links to different companies.

I feel that my role was not suited to the programme as I do not have direct reports nor do I deal with finances hence why I felt I struggled to complete my personal portfolio for the apprenticeship side of the qualification. Hopefully now I have the qualifications I may be able to progress though.

I have never heard of any social activities whilst working within the support centre however this was something I used to do in operations but it was locally organised. We do have several networks though of which I am part of our LGBTQ+ network which is a good support to colleagues.

No

Over the last few years Co-op have undergone several restructures which in hand does not provide any job security whatsoever. Every year or so you are worrying if you are going to loose your job from another restructure. When questioned about this, senior leaders do not provide any reassurances that it will stop.

If this was for the apprenticeship, I would advise to make sure you either have a mentor in the business who you can use as a sound board when completing assignments and also make sure that you are in a position which you can actually use your new learnings in so it’s easier to understand.