Choosing the programme

I chose to do the Chartered Manager Health and Social Care Degree Apprenticeship because I felt that it would enhance my role, develop learning, and formalise my management skills. I chose Manchester Met because they are the leading university provider of apprenticeships.

I like that I will gain three qualifications from the course: a degree, an apprenticeship qualification, and the integrated Mary Seacole programme – an accredited leadership programme provided by the NHS.

We come to you

The location of the course was an important factor. I live in Kent, so travelling the short distance to London for lectures is straightforward and allows me to get home in good time to look after my daughter. Working full time and being a mum, I needed something close to home. I couldn’t have undertaken the course if it had been delivered in Manchester.

The mix of face-to-face and online delivery of the course was important for me. Any questions you have you can discuss with the tutor, and it’s beneficial to work alongside my fellow apprentices in person.

Collaborative working

What I’ve enjoyed most about the degree apprenticeship is the collaborative working with my peers and mixing with people I wouldn’t normally work with. I meet clinical and non-clinical staff and people from a range of backgrounds. It’s really interesting to hear about their experiences, what they’ve done and how they’ve done it, and then utilising that to influence my own ways of working.

Stretching myself

In a very short amount of time, the impact of the apprenticeship programme has empowered me to jump out of my comfort zone and explore different styles of management, which is something that I’ve never had the opportunity to do before. Gaining new perspectives has allowed me to speak to my team in a different style and as a result, I have drawn out aspects of members of my team I haven’t seen before. The learning I have done on the course, in just a few months, has already helped my team.

New experiences

The degree apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to work with and explore different departments and teams within the Trust. I’ve worked with HR, business analytics and the equalities team, which is something I’ve never been able to do before and has improved my understanding of how the Trust is run.

The right choice

Choosing the degree apprenticeship was definitely the right choice for me. I have been working at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust for five years and so I was looking for something that would give me a bit of a boost. I thoroughly enjoy my role but I wanted to work towards something that I could put on my CV that would help my organisation as well. It has allowed me to give back to the Trust while broadening my horizons – exploring different sides of the Trust that I wouldn’t normally have access to.

Recommending the programme

I absolutely recommend degree apprenticeships. I think that it pushes you out of your comfort zone. It is hard work, but I think it really does pay off. Through self-reflective practice, you’re able to develop yourself, your team, and your peers.