Meet our NGDP trainees
During the programme, our NDGP trainees work in a range of departments and roles to build their leadership and management skills. Here are some personal accounts from our current trainees to give you an insight into some of the opportunities available and what the programme entails at Royal Greenwich. I have been working in the Change and Improvement (C+I) team in a variety of exciting areas, including Medium Term Financial Strategy initiatives, facilitating workshops with cabinet members, and helping to implement our new Corporate Plan across the whole organisation. This placement is at the heart of the council’s corporate core and offers a unique opportunity to gain a ‘birds eye view’ of how different teams and departments operate and interact with each other. As well as writing and implementing corporate strategy across the council, C+I supports many different teams on a project-by-project basis, so it can be a great way to meet new people in different parts of the organisation! My favourite moment so far was helping to deliver an engagement event with Corporate Senior Managers across the council. This was an opportunity for our team to speak about some of the work we’ve been doing to develop an ‘Annual Plan’ and receive expert input from a diverse range of leaders across the Council. Moments like this are when you really get to see initiatives come to life and gain an understanding of how different parts of the organisation are constantly working together to improve! I would recommend this scheme to anyone who wants to make a positive impact with their career and is passionate about delivering exceptional public services. One of the best things about the scheme is getting to try out lots of different areas during your placements, engage with a wide cohort of other graduates, and see the impact of what you are doing in the local area.
My first placement started within Children’s Services working in the quality improvement team.
During my time in Children’s Services, I have found myself surrounded by such an amazing team who have supported me thoroughly with all my projects. I would say my favourite moment so far during this scheme is going to Warwick and meeting all the other National graduate trainees across the UK, I found these two days a great opportunity to network and meet other individuals in similar position to myself. Overall, I would recommend the NGDP scheme as it provides you with an opportunity to understand the workings of local government as well as valuable skills which can be transferred to any workplace. My first placement is in fleet and waste strategy at Birchmere. Initially, I was sceptical as it was away from the other NMTs and TWC but as I slowly settled in with my manager and team, I found myself being really immersed in my work and enjoying it. Attending a Leadership Away Day. This consisted of RBG colleagues in senior positions and individuals who have been working at RBG for over 30 years. I found it interesting being around all these individuals, taking in all their experience, advice, and skills so that I can apply them into my placements. The opportunity to work closely with senior members of staff is something that other graduate schemes cannot always offer. This factor has helped me develop at a much more efficient rate than if I was potentially at a different scheme. Also, the fact that there are 4 placements is something that other schemes can’t offer - being able to experience different departments and pick up different skills is invaluable. My placement thus far has really allowed me to get involved with local government policy. I feel like I’m getting involved in real and impactful change. Meeting someone that I believed would be perfect to head up one of the projects I’m working on. It was really intriguing and inspiring to hear about their work. If you actually want to see change on a local level; if you’ve always wanted to get involved in helping people: I recommend the scheme. The Leader's office Hosting the launch of a new commission and seeing my work come to life! In under 6 months I can already feel in myself that I have changed and become more confident! I have spent time working with various councillors and directors, which I never would’ve thought I would be granted the freedom to do so early into the scheme. It has made me feel like a truly valued member of staff and as though I can look ahead to progressing further in my career. One of my favourite moments so far has been getting experience out in the community. This has been by visiting the Advice Hubs, Welcoming Spaces, and Community Meals where I have met residents and community workers and could learn more about their thoughts and experiences. These visits have also helped me in researching my project evaluations. Hosting the launch of a new commission and seeing my work come to life! On the scheme you get to experience so much variety, working in different teams with different people and on different projects. You can pick up all sorts of skills. The scheme also helps you to be more adaptable as you move between different teams and working environments around the council. Violence Against Women and Girls - Safer Communities When we went to Greenwich Peninsula to hand out free women's safety kits. It was a great opportunity to speak with residents and hear their concerns first hand and learn how our work in local government is making a positive impact to their lives. The opportunity to undergo 4 different placements is a chance to try something new! I had never done work related to my current placement before, but by applying the skills I learned from university and previous jobs, I was able to add my input to the council's work and support in new stimulating projects that are expanding my knowledge and experiences. Additionally, the scheme is allows you to meet new people. Everyone in the council is happy to help and you'll be joined by other graduates on this journey so there's a whole network of support. Many of our trainees have gone on to secure key roles within the Council after they have completed the programme. Read about their experiences below. My first placement has been in the Change and Improvement Team at Greenwich. So far I have supported initiatives put forward for the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and helped with the development of the council’s Annual Plan. This has given me lots of exposure to senior leaders, a good understanding of the broader challenges facing the council and an insight into the importance of corporate strategy. The project I have been leading on has involved liaising with departments across the council to collect data against our success measures within the Corporate Plan. I’ve found this both interesting and rewarding as it’s involved working with lots of different people across the organisation to collect data intended to monitor corporate performance, which will ultimately be published in our Annual Plan. I’d really recommend the scheme to anyone who wants to work in local government but isn’t sure what area they want to specialise in. The scheme provides you with a great opportunity to get involved in all different types of work, learn new skills and make connections across the organisation. Greenwich also has a great support network and is a very welcoming environment – if you ever have questions, people are always happy to help. My first placement was in Housing, as part of the community participation team, working with council tenants and leaseholders. In this role, I got to produce a newsletter, which was circulated to 30,000 tenants and housing panels, to help tenants and leaseholders feel heard. In my second placement, I worked on several programmes within HR that looked out for staff wellbeing, including promoting counselling services and mental health first aiders, as well as researching and creating action plans for a number of potential new programmes around mentoring and equality. I have really enjoyed working with the other graduates at Royal Greenwich, and the opportunity to meet other people on a similar career path to myself. I have really enjoyed being able to work with other graduates in some of the placements so far. I would recommend the scheme for anyone who is interested in working in the public sector, as graduates on the programme in Royal Greenwich receive a lot of exposure to the different elements of a local authority. The scheme enables you to experience a variety of front and back office operations in a council, which provide a wide range of transferable skill sets. You will also be able to access opportunities, such as attending council meetings, ‘Meet the Director’ sessions and a mentoring programme with directors and assistant directors.
I am currently in my first placement working the Safer Communities Team, which deals with domestic abuse, violence against women and girls, women's public safety, and modern slavery. It is a really interesting role to have as my first placement, as the work is so varied, and I would never have known that this was part of the council's responsibilities. Many tasks involve working with partner groups, like the police, NHS and voluntary services, and it has been great to see how other organisations interact with the council. Women's safety is something that has come to public attention a lot in the past year. I enjoy this work, knowing that I could be helping to make women feel safer in the borough. My favourite moment so far was helping to organise the council's White Ribbon Day event last November, which was partly held to commemorate the tragic death of Sabina Nessa. We had a range of really insightful speakers, and it was great to see people from across the council and community come together for an important cause like this. Since then, I have been working on getting the Royal Borough of Greenwich its White Ribbon Accreditation. I would definitely recommend this scheme, and working at Royal Greenwich, to anyone who wants a job where you feel like you are making a difference. Even if you are not dealing directly with members of the public, you know that the work you are doing is helping people in the community. There is so much more to council work than I would have expected, and so there is certainly a role for all interests. Everyone I have met in the Council so far has been welcoming and supportive, and I have really enjoyed my time here. My first placement has been in the Continuous Improvement (CI) Team. If there is a project that seeks to drive change in the organisation, or works across multiple directorates, the team will provide project support and leadership. As a result, I’ve had the opportunity to work with teams across the Council and gain lots of exposure to senior leaders.. So far, I’ve supported the development of our next corporate plan, helped design a staff champion model for our equality, diversity and inclusion programme, and supported the Women’s Safety Taskforce with improving safety and access to services for women. Much of the work has been strategic and policy-focused, and I’ve been given real responsibility and ownership from the beginning.
It’s tricky pinpointing one particular moment! One area of work I’ve really enjoyed is setting up the NGDP Policy Network. The network’s purpose is to demystify a career in policy and connect current and former NGDP graduates interested in working in policy or engaging in policy issues. The experience has allowed me to meet graduates across the country, and I recently hosted an online panel event with different policy experts. It pushed me outside my comfort zone, but it was incredibly rewarding and helped me grow in confidence. I feel incredibly privileged to be on the NGDP scheme at Greenwich. As someone who was previously in a different sector, the range of learning and development opportunities on the scheme is unique, as well as the flexibility you have to explore your areas of interest. I think it’s fair to say that local government doesn’t always have the most glamourous reputation, but I’ve been surprised and impressed. The remit of the council is huge – from public health, to education, to climate change, to housing, to women’s safety and more! It tackles some of society’s biggest issues at a local level. When considering graduate schemes, you’d be hard-pressed to find one in such a diverse and varied organisation. It’s also lovely to start a new job with graduates in a similar position, sharing a similar experience.
My first placement was in the adult transformation team in the Health and Adult Services directorate. I primarily worked on the development of the local authority’s online adult social care directory – a service designed to give residents more choice, control and awareness of health services available to them in the community. By the end of that placement, I had successfully made the case to invest in the latest platform update and to merger the adult’s and children’s online directories to create a single space to access a directory of services available. In my second placement, I worked in the recruitment team in HR, procuring an online solution to replace the Council’s paper-based approach to Disclosure and Barring Service forms. Alongside this, I also picked up some side projects such as a review of some of the HR policies, our Armed Forces Covenant Silver submission, and the procurement of a headhunting service for Chief Officer recruitment. As I came to the end of my second placement, I was approached about a managerial role that had opened in the Leader’s Office and was successfully appointed after going through the recruitment process. I’ve now been working there for two years, providing day-to-day support to the Leader of the Council and managing a team of staff that provide administrative support to the Leader, Deputy Leader and Chair of Overview and Scrutiny. I absolutely love my job and couldn’t have imagined that I’d ever find myself in this position after joining the organisation three years ago. We are really fortunate, at Royal Greenwich, that the scheme is so heavily invested in, from both a resourcing and access point of view. I was part of a cohort of nine, who all joined at the same time, and we had fantastic support from both colleagues in HR and graduates who had previously come through the NGDP scheme. In my first week at the scheme, we met with and heard from each of the directors and have also had opportunities to meet with the leader and members of the cabinet. When you meet with other NGDP graduates at other local authorities, you tend to find that access like that isn’t the norm. The support network is incredible while you are on the scheme and you are joining at the most exciting but challenging time for local government. Resident expectation and need is rising, against a backdrop of diminishing financial resources - made even more complex by COVID-19. Royal Greenwich has to think about how it can change, adapt and improve to ensure it provides quality services for its residents, so you really will have a huge opportunity to shape what future services can look like. .
My first placement was in Health and Adult Services, where I worked with residents and saw the difference we make to the community. One of my responsibilities included creating a video clip for residents with learning disabilities, to ensure that there is better understanding of Direct Payments. Next, I worked with the HR Workforce Development team. I was able to gain an insight into how internal departments are supported, co-manage the Employee Mentoring Programme and assist in creating new guidance documents. Then my third placement was in Public Health. I took part in researching mental health attitudes across the borough and challenging the stigma around it. For my fourth placement, I joined the Community Participation and Diversity team in Housing and Safer Communities. This role was about increasing community engagement from our council tenants and leaseholders and I had the opportunity to manage another member of staff for the first time, write a scrutiny report and produce our Talk Housing newsletter. Then I joined the Procurement team as a bonus placement. In this unique role, I was able to check through contracts, uncover legal issues, and develop a working knowledge of the different processes for procuring goods and services for the council. During my bonus placement in Procurement, I noted that a role was advertised in the Community Participation and Diversity Team. I enjoyed working with the team during my placement and, as I had worked in the team before, I had a good insight into their key priorities. I worked hard on my application and was successful at interview and I started in January 2020.The role provides so many opportunities to get involved in different projects. An important aspect of my role is that I work with councillors and the Directorate Management Team (DMT). I really enjoy my role in the council. My best memory is co-managing the Employee Mentoring Programme with two other graduates in our cohort. An enjoyable experience, we worked well as a team to transform the previous scheme. It was an opportunity to lead a project early on in my placement journey. Royal Greenwich promotes the graduate scheme, which is extremely helpful when you are a new graduate. I have felt supported both professionally and personally and I would certainly recommend the programme to others.Meet our trainees
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My placements during the programme
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