Administrative skills and functions development programme
We’re proud to launch a new two-year programme to support our highly valued administrative workforce across DCHS. This programme is all about getting ready for the future together. As our services adapt to support more people with increasingly complex needs in a digital world, our admin workforce will play a vital role in shaping how we rise to these challenges.
We’re building a development journey for all current DCHS admin staff. It's generally aimed at colleagues on AFC bands 2-6, but everyone is welcome as it'll support developing career pathways.
There’s no need to apply – this programme will involve everyone in an admin role. Our goal is to strengthen and support the admin workforce so we can meet the future with confidence – just as our clinical teams are doing.
We’re starting by listening to you – and building on the helpful feedback already gathered through the Admin Forum.
- Admin insight visits: We’ll be visiting teams to better understand the wide range of admin roles and experiences across DCHS – your work, your challenges, and your ideas. These are similar to our current service insight visits and will shine a light on the impact admin staff make every day.
- Skills development: Together, we’ll co-design a training programme focused on digital and practical skills – to help you deliver the most efficient and confident support to patients and services.
- Career pathways: We’re creating clearer and more consistent admin job descriptions and development pathways. Whether you want to progress, diversify, or simply feel more secure in your role – we’ll design this with you and for you.
- Drawing on your expertise: You know what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to the everyday essentials – like room bookings, ordering stock and much more. We’ll tap into your experience to explore smarter, more cost-effective ways of working.
Once we’ve heard from you, we’ll move into the next phase, working with you and alongside our clinical and managerial teams to:
- Explore your ideas for working differently.
- Look at where technology can make your jobs more doable and improve patient experience.
- Keep listening – ensuring your voice shapes how this programme grows over time.
In the meantime, we plan to temporarily pause external recruitment of any new admin staff for a period of six months, after which this position will be reviewed. This means no new staff, except for a few exceptions, will join the DCHS admin family during this time. Existing vacancies will be filled by existing DCHS admin staff wherever possible. If a vacancy interests you and your manager agrees, you’ll be able to apply for a voluntary move. We typically see around four admin vacancies across the organisation each month.
Thank you for the work you do every day. This programme is just the beginning of a new conversation – and a shared commitment to a stronger, more connected future for admin colleagues across DCHS.