We advise applicants to read the following notes carefully.
The decision to shortlist you for interview will be based solely on the information you provide in the application form, unless other selection techniques are used. This advice is designed to help you to complete the application form as thoroughly as possible.
Make sure that you read through your completed application form to check for errors or gaps. Check the closing date and make sure you send your application in plenty of time. The council will only consider late applications in exceptional circumstances. You should return your form to the address on the advertisement/application form.
How will you know what we are looking for?
The employee specification describes the skills, experience and qualifications we are looking for. We will assess your application against this specification. The job description and employee specification show the main duties, responsibilities and personal attributes of the post. You should read them carefully and try to identify the key words and phrases.
Do you have what we are looking for?
You should use the information in the advertisement, job description and employee specification to consider if you have the skills, knowledge and experience we are looking for. You should show how you currently use these and how you have used them in the past. Don’t forget that skills can be transferable. The tasks that you perform may not be the same as those in the job you are applying for, but the skills you use to carry out those tasks may be the same.
Remember that the skills and experiences you have gained outside paid work can demonstrate skills you have taken for granted. For example skills gained from domestic responsibilities, unpaid or voluntary work and organising social or community activities. These could be a clear sign of your ability to do a job.
Convictions/disqualifications
A criminal record check will be done on successful applicants for certain council jobs. This mainly applies to posts that involve contact with children and/or vulnerable adults and are considered to be ‘exempt’ under the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
The council will obtain a Disclosure via the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). The CRB makes relevant checks with establishments such as the police, the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills. The CRB will request a standard or enhanced disclosure (depending on the nature of the post) for all successful applicants to exempted posts. The information obtained will be kept strictly confidential in accordance with the code of practice issued by the CRB.
You will be informed if the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. If the post is exempt, you are not entitled to withhold information about convictions that are regarded ‘spent’ under the Act.
If you are working with vulnerable service users the post will be exempt from Section 4(2) of the Act. This means that you will need to give details of all convictions and cautions, including ‘spent’ convictions. Any information that you give will be strictly confidential and will be considered only in relation to exempted jobs for which you have applied. If you are not shortlisted the information will be destroyed.
For more information go to our Recruitment of ex offenders and CRB Disclosure procedure.
Asylum and Immigration
An Act of Parliament places a legal responsibility on employers to only recruit new employees/staff from those who are eligible to work in the United Kingdom. Anyone who doesn’t comply will be committing a criminal offence. They could be subject to a maximum fine of £5,000.
In practice, this means that every* candidate who is shortlisted for interview must bring some documentary evidence to the interview that confirms they are eligibile to work in the United Kingdom. The Home Office has specified several documents that will satisfy this requirement.
The specified documents will be inspected and copied and the original will be returned to you. Any personal information in the document is supplied by you and will be kept confidential. We will not use it for any purpose other than compliance with the Act.
* Note: Current employees are automatically eligible. They do not need to bring a specified document.