Kristian at London Borough of Bexley

While being on the NGDP, I have had the opportunity to undertake a variety of work. This has helped me understand local government, develop professionally, and gain experience of working closely with senior officers within the council.


During my first six month placement in the Directorate on Environment and Wellbeing, I was responsible for carrying out a review of the Council's Exercise Referral Scheme (a service for residents with specific medical conditions). This included chairing meetings with heads of service, reviewing the work of other local authorities to learn from ‘best practice' and culminated in me producing a report with recommendations for how the Council could improve its service. I also had the opportunity to present my work to one of the Council's Cabinet Members.

After this, I moved to my current role in the Corporate Programmes Office. Here I am responsible for managing a number of adult social care projects. I am responsible for ensuring that projects are kept within budget, meet deadlines and deliver the best outcomes for residents. The variety of the projects that I manage means that I have had to pick up knowledge quickly while still ensuring that results are delivered.

My time so far has helped me gain invaluable skills in areas such as project management, finance and partnership working and I know that these will all come in handy in whatever role I take on in the future. In particular, I have loved how much responsibility I have been given. I have always felt that my mangers have trusted me to get on with my work, while still being available to offer advice and support whenever needed.

The support networks available through the NGDP mean that I have been able to get input from key thinkers within local government as well as the advice of other National Management Trainees on the programme.