National Apprenticeship Week takes place from 7 to 13 February 2022. To mark the week, we shine a spotlight on one of our apprentices, Phoebe Couchman, Junior Case Manager, and the difference her apprenticeship has made to her career.
I graduated during the pandemic in 2020, after three years studying Law at the University of Southampton, with the hope of finding a job in clinical negligence. After stumbling across the job advertisement for the Junior Case Manager role, I knew it was the position for me. During my time at university, I focused my studies on medical negligence and wrote my dissertation on wrongful birth and wrongful life claims, so I really felt like this role was made for me.
Working at NHS Resolution was appealing in itself, however the apprenticeship scheme is what really attracted me to the role. Being a recent graduate, I wanted a role which would provide development but also allow me to keep studying and gain additional qualifications which would aid my career long term. As the apprenticeship studying is focused more on Insurance, than Law, I knew that this would allow me to develop a specialist area of expertise within NHS Resolution and help me develop the confidence I needed to become a successful Band 7 Case Manager.
I am now one year into the apprenticeship and can see all the benefits it has offered me. Every week we have a dedicated study day, usually a Monday, to use to attend webinars, read and work on our coursework. On a typical study day, ahead of our webinar, I complete my pre-reading which is often anywhere between 1 – 4 chapters and then attend a 2 hour webinar with our course provider BPP. Following the webinar, I write up my notes, complete a consolidation quiz and start preparing my draft for the next section of my coursework. Our most recent module covered Insurance, Business and Finance and has allowed me to develop my understanding of areas such as corporate governance, claims reserving and insurance company accounts. The apprenticeship can be demanding, it requires a lot of hard work and commitment, but with the support of my managers and the training team, I have achieved high grades and it has been a very rewarding experience. With the pass of each exam, you feel a sense of achievement and even more driven to complete the next one. In the run up to exams and deadlines, we are given additional study time and our coach at BPP is always on hand to help, so you never feel alone and the support is always there. As well the study time, there is also constant on the job training. Working in the Training Team, you are given constant opportunities to widen your exposure of different claims, attend methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution and develop your claims handling. These opportunities go hand in hand with studying, and have allowed me to put my studying into practice. A typical day in the claims team involves working on a new claim, attending a 1-1 catch up with my manager where we discuss my goals and any questions I may have, before spending the afternoon drafting referral memos often alongside a Letter of Response.
In my downtime, I enjoy spending time with my friends in London and catching up after a day in our beautiful office in Canary Wharf. When working from home, to relax, I enjoy cooking dinner with my partner or a walk around Knole Park, deer spotting at lunchtime. I grew up in Brighton, so whenever possible, I head down to see my family, take a walk along the seafront with my dog and soak up as much sea air as I can. There is nothing more relaxing to me than the sea breeze!
When I complete the apprenticeship, I will be chartered in Insurance and have achieved a Level 4 Diploma in Insurance. Along with achieving the qualification in Insurance, the apprenticeship will have also helped me secure a Band 7 position and will have given me the tools to grow in my career. I would recommend this apprenticeship to anyone who wants to take the next steps in their career and grow alongside a cohort of enthusiastic and supportive individuals. The apprenticeship has given me confidence in my own abilities, allowed me to develop and take on new and exciting opportunities. I am eager to see where this start in my career and these qualifications take me.
