South West Finance Academy: Work Shadowing

The South West Finance Academy is excited to announce the launch of our Work Shadowing Programme, designed to support professional development, collaboration, and knowledge sharing across NHS finance teams.

This newly approved initiative offers finance staff the opportunity to shadow a counterpart in a different NHS organisation for a day – gaining insight into new environments, broadening skills, and building networks.

What is the Work Shadowing Programme?

This one-day experience allows NHS finance professionals to step into the shoes of a colleague in a similar role at a different organisation and/or system. Whether you’re interested in budgeting, payroll, procurement, or another area of finance, this is your chance to explore how others work, exchange ideas, and develop your own practice.

You can take part in one of three ways:

Be shadowed by a colleague
Shadow someone at another Trust in the region
Reciprocally shadow each other

Who Can Apply?

The programme is open to all NHS finance staff across Agenda for Change (AfC) bands. We will match participants with peers at a similar banding level (e.g., Band 3-4, Band 5-6, etc.) to ensure the experience is relevant and valuable for both parties.

What to Expect:

Tailored matching based on your role, interests, and location
A structured shadowing day including introductions, meetings, and Q&A
Pre-shadowing briefing via a short Teams call to help you prepare
Post-shadowing support, including access to mentoring, coaching, and career advice

Practical Details:

You will chose the date(s) that suit you best
No overnight stays as placements will be arranged within reasonable travel distance
Reasonable travel expenses reimbursed by the South West Finance Academy
Manager approval required before applying
Follow-up feedback will help us continuously improve the programme

Suggested approach for the day:

Morning: Introduction to the host department, overview of responsibilities, and key processes.
Midday: Observing daily operations, attending meetings, and engaging with finance teams.
Afternoon: Interactive discussions, Q&A session with the host, and reflections on key takeaways.

Application details:

Please apply to this initiative via this Microsoft Form. It should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and via this form you can either apply to: shadow someone, be shadowed, or both.

Due to the nature of the programme, matching may take some time while we find the most suitable colleague based on your role, interests, and location. All data will be stored confidentially, and we’ll contact you as soon as a match is confirmed. For any questions, please contact: charley.spicer@hfma.org.uk.