Deputy Governance Lead Review

Day to day dental service running, seeing patients and working chairside. Dealing with phone calls and appointments. Logging booking referrals for hospital treatment which involves liaising with outside agencies. Acting as safeguarding champion for our dental team. Completing orders of stock and equipment and overseeing budgets. Training and clinical supervision and ensuring all competencies are kept up to date.

I have improved my communication skills especially when dealing with difficult circumstances or patients, this has proved very useful during Covid -19 where patients are often confused and frustrated at the ever changing policies of attendance. Our patients are special needs so many have suffered mental health issues and some conversations have been very difficult .

I am enjoying doing the apprenticeship as it has been very easy to integrate it within my working day. The 20% off site work is allowing me to use the time to develop and activate projects that we can use in the work place to increase positivity and productivity as well as completing assignments

The programme was set out and looked well thought out and structured. Unfortunately due to Covid-19 we underwent a severe staff shortage due to sickness and absence so the program was put on hold for 1 month and then our tutor and some of the candidate were ill so we have had to reschedule some sessions, but we are still working and haven't got too far behind

The support from the whole Solent team has been great. As a group of candidates we all support each other when needed and my line manager has been really helpful at letting me shadow and take on projects. I have also had great feedback from senior management and the Pastoral support has introduced themselves and let me know I have them if I needed. I have also had my first review and have the next booked in, so feel well supported

My tutor is always at the end of the phone or email if needed, even when she was ill I was still able to contact her. She has been great telling me to send any work/tasks in that I do and she maps them to see if they can be used as evidence for my portfolio. Any queries are answer within hours so I never hang around waiting.

My line manager has a joint role Practice Manager/Governance Lead but there is only a deputy Governance lead position so when she is not in I often felt I was deputy in both areas, doing this course means that not only do I feel more comfortable now as I am understanding more but as I also shadow her my confidence is growing.

As part of one of my assignments I have had to look at ways to improve the moral within the workplace so we have already arranged a night out- our first since the outbreak and we also are doing an inhouse step challenge until the end of June. We have 2 teams that are uploading their step count daily, we get summaries at the end of each week to keep the motivation going.

Yes

I have worked for several NHS Trusts over the years and find that Solent , even through a global pandemic, have been the most supportive of them all. They really take staff well being into consideration, they are always visible and contactable - whatever level they are at. I have seen more or the Solent board members here(prior to Covid-19) in the first 6 months that I did in the previous 6 years under other trusts.

Solent NHS Trust is a great place to work. I have found myself happier that I have been in years and actually enjoy coming into work now. They have listened to me and praised ideas and actions and actually make the whole department feel like a team, who cares and works together.