| You are advised to read the following notes carefully as the decision to shortlist you for interview will be based solely on the information you provide on your application form. If there is anything on the form that you don’t understand, please talk to the named Together contact for the job that you wish to apply for. They will be happy to help you.
The advertisement and job description will tell you what skills and experience we are looking for. The person specification contains the things we are looking for in a candidate. You should pay particular attention to this when completing the application form.
Remember, do not send us a CV, as this will not be considered.
- Completing the application form
Read the application form carefully before you write anything.
If you are working on paper, it might help you to make a copy of the blank form to write out a rough copy. And please complete the form in dark ink or type.
Please write in English. If you have a disability, or need assistance in completing the form, please contact the named Together contact for the job that you wish to apply for.
- Your personal details
Please give us as much information as possible.
We ask you your age because some of our jobs require you to be at least 18 or, in some cases, 21.
Under the terms of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 we are obliged to confirm with you that you are eligible to work in the UK. We will ask all applicants invited to interview to provide us with documentary proof of this.
- Your employment details
Write the names and addresses of your present and past employers (if any), giving the current or most recent first and including dates, job titles and duties, salaries and reasons for leaving. Please include any part-time or temporary jobs. Please note that we will ask you about any gaps in your employment history.
- Your education, training and personal development
Tell us about all your achievements at school, college and university etc. Please draw our attention to any relevant professional qualifications, short courses or memberships of professional bodies.
- References
We will only take up references if we propose to offer you the job, which will be after any interview. We require two references – at least one of which must be from your present or most recent employer. If you are a school or college leaver, then please let us have the most recent educational establishment you have attended. If you have been working on a temporary basis through an agency, then please let us have their details.
If you are returning to work after an extended period and have difficulty in providing us with details of your last employer, please let us know. Your referees should be in a position to provide an assessment of your suitability for this post. References from friends or family members are not acceptable. We will not be able to confirm an appointment unless we have received references satisfactory to Together.
- Your health
Please tell us of any problems or conditions that have or might affect your ability to do the job for which you have applied. You may be required to complete a pre-employment health questionnaire, should you be invited to attend an interview. Only successful candidates will have their forms referred to our Occupational Health Advisor, who may request that you attend a health-screening interview prior to an appointment being considered.
- Supporting information
Use this part of the form to tell us why you have applied for the job and how you are suitable for it. You will need the job description and person specification to help you to complete this section. Please keep them, as you may need to refer to them if selected for interview.
Pick out those aspects of your experience or skills that are relevant to this job. It is not sufficient for you to say simply that you have done or can do this job. Explain how your ability, your skills and knowledge match those required in the person specification. Remember to consider experience from previous work and relevant experience gained outside of paid work such as that gained in the home, at college or through voluntary, leisure or community pursuits. Ensure that you refer to all items on the person specification identified as selection criteria.
If you already work for Together, do not assume that those dealing with this application will know anything about you or your abilities. Even if we do know you, we will use the application forms as the sole criteria for shortlisting.
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974
The aim of the Act is to try to ensure that those people who have been convicted of certain offences and have served their sentences or paid their fine are not disadvantaged in the job market. In many instances an individual who has a conviction for a criminal offence is, after a specified time, allowed to treat the conviction as if it never occurred ie it is ‘spent’.
However, under the Act, certain types of jobs are exempted from this, and applicants for such jobs will have to give details of any convictions. As the majority of our work involves providing care to vulnerable people, Together has a number of these exempted jobs. So if the job for which you are applying involves working with vulnerable people (in one of our establishments around the country) or is in finance, you must answer the question about criminal convictions.
- Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
If the job you are applying for involves one-to-one contact with vulnerable people, then any appointment, should it be offered, will be conditional on a CRB check (disclosure). Without this check we are unable to offer you the job for which you have applied.
This means that, with your permission, we will contact the CRB, who will provide us with details of any spent or unspent convictions that you might have, as well as any cautions, reprimands and final warnings held on the Police National Computer. The disclosure will also contain non-conviction information from local police forces and information from Department of Health records.
Our policies on ‘employing people with criminal records’ and ‘disclosure’ are available from the named Together contact for the job you wish to apply for.
Important note: A criminal conviction will not necessarily exclude you from employment with Together. We will consider all applications on merit.
- Equal opportunities monitoring form
We would be grateful if you would also complete and return this part of the application form. It is to help us monitor the effectiveness of our equal-opportunities policy. The information that you give us will be separated from your application form and will be treated in confidence.
- Data protection statement
By ticking the relevant box on this section of the form, you are giving us permission to process your data. We will do this confidentially. Should you be successful in getting the job, we will use the information you have provided to commence your personal file.
- Returning your application form
If you are completing a paper form, please return your completed form to the address quoted on the covering letter sent to you with your application pack. You may also fax it to the number on the letter headed paper.
Finally, please retain your application pack. The information we have sent you will help you should you be invited to interview.
- Closing date
Complete the form in good time and submit it (or send it to the address on the covering letter). Make sure that you are aware of the closing date and please make sure that your form is returned in plenty of time. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Should you be selected for interview, you will be contacted as soon as possible after the closing date.
Unfortunately we are not able to contact unsuccessful applicants. Unless we contact you within a month of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion.
- The interview process
The interview panel is normally made up of between two and four people who will ask questions related to the job and your application. The panel keeps a record of their assessment of each candidate so that the reasons for their decisions are clear, consistent and objective. For some jobs you will need to sit a practical assessment eg a typing or in-tray test. If you are unable to attend the published interview dates, please ensure you tell us at the time of applying.
- Feedback on unsuccessful applications
Should you not be successful with your application, either at the selection for interview or after interview, we offer a positive feedback service. If you wish to take advantage of this, please contact the named Together contact for the job for which you applied.
We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your interest in Together.
|
