Andy Waite
Countywide Business Support – People Place and Corporate Service
I’m Andy Waite. I’m a County-wide Business Support Manager supporting our frontline Business Support teams for both Children social care and Adult social care teams.
When did you join Devon County Council?
I joined Devon County Council in June 2020 in the middle of the pandemic so this was a complete remote operation for recruitment and required me to initially work from home.
What made you choose to work for Devon County Council?
I chose to work for Devon County Council because it has a fantastic reputation in Devon. It is also one of the largest employers across the the region and the county and it really is an inclusive environment where everyone is given the opportunity to shine develop and grow should they should they wish to.
How did you come to be in this role?
So I initially started my career in education um and after many years I decided it was time for a change and so I looked on the DevonJobs website and saw there was an opportunity for the role of a service support officer supporting our MASH which is our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, supporting our Business Support in that team and for frontline social care. I applied for the role thinking you know I wouldn’t hear anything and I was successful in getting an interview and that very same day after the interview I was told that I was successful and was offered the position which is fantastic. And who would think nearly two years down the line I’ve progressed and been promoted within the organization. and I really do believe in in the value of what we do as an organization and protecting the most vulnerable people in our society.
What support did you receive when you joined DCC and how have you been supported in your role as your career has progressed?
When i initially joined Devon County Council I was given a very clear and robust induction plan which included a daily catch-up with my line manager in quite an informal and sort of coffee style so it was it was you know quite a relaxed environment which enabled me to be able to ask questions but also for us to cover off some of the key business elements that we needed to within those daily catch-ups. We would also have other colleagues in there so we were able to you know build those relationships and develop bonds with our colleagues that we’re working with which was brilliant for me because it’s really important you feel comfortable and confident with the colleagues that you work with.
How have you progressed through/into your role?
I say I initially started as a Service Support Officer with Devon County Council in the MASH team um and I very quickly identified my place within the organization, and I was very quickly encouraged to partake in training and development opportunities. And an opportunity came up for an internal secondment which isn’t unheard of lots of opportunities for that within Devon County Council and it was for the role of a Service Support Manager to support Business Support in our North Children’s Social Care team. I applied for it thinking I’ve not been with Devon County Council very long I might not be successful but I got an interview which was fantastic passed the first hurdle um and then shortly after a couple of days later found out that I was successful and I had secured the Secondment opportunity obviously I was thrilled, also a little bit nervous it was a big jump in terms of responsibility but it was something I was ready for and I felt as though my skill set would would really support me and being able to deliver objectives within that role. Not so long ago the opportunity came up to apply for the role of County-Wide Business Manager to support one of one of four posts within the organization to support frontline Business Support. I applied for it again not thinking too far forward past the application stage I got an interview and very, very pleased to say that I was successful and secured that promotion opportunity. So in summary really it’s about you know being able to show that if it’s something you really want to do within business support there are great opportunities for promotion and progression for the right people who really want to develop and grow within Devon County Council.
What do you enjoy about your job?
I enjoy my job because it gives me a variety of different things to do from one minute. I can be inputting information into a spreadsheet to then receiving a phone call and answering questions on behalf of a colleague to then responding to emails to joining a teams meeting to having to put together a document with information it is a very varied job role.
What benefits do you enjoy?
Devon County Council do offer a lot of benefits for their employees and one of the main benefits that I appreciate with Devon County Council is the flexible working policy that we have in place. It does enable me to have a great work-life balance and that’s something that you know I really value a lot from Devon County Council. We have lots of other opportunities in terms of the organization for ongoing training and development so if you really do want to work your way up the ladder and you want to think about a management career within Devon County Council you are very much supported and encouraged to partake in those training development opportunities something I’ve done personally and I’m a real advocate of it. and I think it’s something that the council is is really good at and promoting from within and encouraging its workforce to continually develop
What do you enjoy about living and working in Devon?
I have to say living and working in Devon is something for me that that I love. I moved to Devon in 2004, you might be able to tell from my accent it’s not a local Devonshire accent, and like I said 2004 uh moved to the Southwest and never looked back. We have so many great things to see and do we have countryside we have obviously the coast we have some really unspoken green areas which are you know just beautiful and for anyone who’s looking to relocate to the southwest um don’t think anymore just do it. It’s a beautiful part of the world and and I love where I live.