Senior Investigator Review

My role involves completing casework and providing support to both investigators and ombudsman managers in the pod in a variety of different ways. This mainly involves ensuring the pod runs smoothly, identifying problems and implementing solutions, and heading projects which require oversight. It is a busy but fulfilling role to be a part of.

As a senior investigator, and when looking to progress to ombudsman manager, part of the role is being able to manage people effectively and be a good leader. For someone who has no experience of managing people, this course has been extremely useful. I am now able to step back from a situation, understand what possible ways there are to deal with it, and decide how best to proceed rather than just acting instinctively.

I enjoy the programme and the learning content. I think I am exploring and learning useful skills which will aid me in my future career. The more difficult aspect is balancing the work required with my day to day responsibilities and do everything justice. It can be overwhelming at times.

I think the programme is as structured as your coach from the provider makes it. At the start it did not feel very structured and I think I could have been given clearer and better information about what's expected, by when and how to access the information needed. It felt like I had to figure it out on my own or received some information too late. Now it feels more structured than before but without any real accountability at times.

My employer has been supportive in offering the program and making clear the expectations of managers and people around you when completing the course. This has been useful for setting the tone and invaluable in terms of being able to develop my skills for the future so I am grateful for the ecperience.

My coach is supportive and always willing to answer questions as and when I have them. The majority of the content is self learned and applied, but support is available to go over things that you need assistance with. I enjoy my interactions with my coach and their attitude is open and friendly.

I have been using skills learned on the course from the very start. It has made me feel more prepared and able to handle managing a team and taking a stronger leadership role within my wider team. Starting with self reflection is such an invaluable tool as you can really learn to develop yourself in the right way.

My employer has a series of networks covering a range of areas which you can join and be a part of. In addition, there are activities and learning that you can participate in all year around. These include personal development, career development, social and economic talks. The activities are inclusive.

Yes

The service is a good place to work if you are passionate about helping people and resolving disputes. It can feel as though the pay does not reflect the work done. However I have always felt supported, encouraged and allowed to grow and progress so I would recommend the service to a friend.

I would say that's it's important to have the right attitude, be passionate about the work we do and be resilient. These are all things that will assist with progression and enjoyment of the role and the responsibilities that come with it. We currently are undergoing a period of change, so we'll see what things look like when the changes are all in place.