I have had a good day today. My agenda for what I intend to do in my new job for the next 6 months was well recieved by the Senior Management Team. I was worried it wouldn't be as, in line with the Action Enquiry way that I am approaching the development of my new role, it is quite open and makes it clear that I am going to see where the staff and community groups lead me through meetng with them and discussing what their issues are, and what they see my role doing to be the most effective to them. It is not the usual sort of Agenda that SMT get given when someone has been asked to demonstrate their intended actions for the next 6-12 months.

On top of that, my line manager asked if there was anything he could do to help me out as he recognised that already loads of other departments want to have a part in what I do, so almost daily my workload seems to be increasing due to the increase in size of departments I am being asked to represent and work with. I said to him that the work itself isn't really a problem, it is the trying to balance a full time job with my home life (KIDS!) and full time study at year 3 level of a degree that caused me the most stress.

He said that he recognises that the course has been influencial in my development over the last 2 years and that it will have an important and beneficial part in the development of my role at work over the next year, so he has offered me a study day a month for the next 6 months on top of my annual leave allowance!

I was so pleased, not only at the extra time I will have to TRY and meet the deadlines, but at the fact that my manager thinks I am doing a good job, and that he recognises the importance of my UV course in my professional development over the last 2 years.

I am still worried about actually producing a decent level of work for assessment, but it takes a bit of pressure off at a time when I am really worried about getting through to the end of the course.