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Applying for a council job

Information on how to apply for a job with North Lincolnshire Council.

Completing your application form

The decision to shortlist you for interview will be based solely on the information you provide on your application form. CVs are not accepted.

A link to the online application form, or details of where to obtain a job specific application form, will be contained within the advert.

Check the closing date and make sure you submit your application in plenty of time.

In order to keep costs to a minimum, we have reluctantly adopted the policy of only notifying shortlisted candidates. If you do not hear from us within six weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Further information

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.

Teaching/social work registration

If you are applying for a teaching or qualified social worker post you must provide your registration number.

Notice required/date of termination

If you are currently employed this is the period of notice you are required to give. If you are unemployed this is the date that your most recent employment ended.

Summary of main duties

Your summary should be brief. You can provide more detail in the ‘Experience, skills and abilities’ section. Check the employee specification and emphasise any of your current duties that link to the job you are applying for.

Mention all your previous employment and be as accurate as possible. This could include time spent out of work, caring for your family and voluntary work.

List secondary schools, colleges, universities, adult education and any other training. If the post you have applied for requires a specific qualification you will be asked to produce documentary evidence, if you are required to attend an interview.

To be shortlisted you must meet the essential criteria being measured from the application form. If there are too many applications we will use desirable criteria to eliminate applicants.

Study the employee specification carefully. Think about your past experiences and link them to the essential and desirable criteria listed. State which criteria you feel you meet and give examples of work you have done that you feel demonstrates your competence.

We will always need a reference from your present or most recent employer. To speed up the recruitment process we often take up references before interview. If you do not want us to contact your current employer at this point you must make this clear by ticking the appropriate box.

If you are seeking an interview under the disability symbol you should let us know by completing this section. If you meet the essential criteria outlined in the employee specification, you will be invited to interview.

Declare all past warnings or convictions in this section. If the post you are applying for involves contact with children and/or adults you will be subject to a check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The employee specification will outline whether a position is subject to a DBS check.

We are committed to fair treatment of existing and prospective employees. Subject to our responsibilities to protect children and vulnerable adults, we aim to treat all applicants fairly and not discriminate unfairly on the basis of offending background.

For posts which are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, we are entitled to know about all previous convictions, both spent and unspent. Applicants for exempted posts are required to declare all convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. This is regardless of when it was and what it was for.

We are also entitled to undertake criminal record checks for all exempt posts using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This also includes checks on lists of people who are banned from working with children and vulnerable adults.

The DBS was established under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and merges the functions previously carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

DBS Checks 

Depending on the level of contact, we will undertake checks on successful applicants at one of three levels as follows:

  • Standard checks – To be eligible for a standard level DBS check the position must be included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 Exceptions Order 1975
  • Enhanced checks – To be eligible for an enhanced level DBS check, the position must be included in both the ROA Exceptions Order and in the Police Act Regulations
  • Enhanced checks with children’s or adults’ barred list checks – To be eligible to request a check of the children’s or adults’ barred lists, the position must meet the new definition of regulated activity. There are a small number of other positions for which list checks can also be requested

The employee specification for each job will indicate the level of check which is required.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily stop an individual from being employed by us. This will only happen if it is considered that it makes the person unsuitable for the post. We will consider the nature of the offence, how long ago it was and the age of the person when it was committed. We will also consider any other factors that may be relevant.

Failure to reveal information directly relevant to the position will lead to the withdrawal of the offer of employment.

All information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence. It will be seen only by those who are entitled to see it as part of their duties. We fully comply with the DBS Code of Practice. We have a procedure that covers recruitment of ex offenders and the use, handling and storage of information from the DBS. The procedure ensures that we meet all legal and moral obligations under the code of practice. It also ensures that we make safe recruitment decisions, without discriminating unfairly on the basis of an individual’s offending background.

We are working hard to ensure that our workforce reflects the make up of the communities we serve. Completing this section helps us to monitor how effective we are. The shortlisting and interview panel will not see it and it plays no part in the selection process.

We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant to show commitment to the Armed Forces Community.

As part of this, Reservists and Cadet Forces Adult Volunteers employed by the council are
offered up to 10 days’ paid leave to fulfil their annual training requirements as well as
support during mobilisation.

Find out more on our Armed Forces Covenant webpage.