Information for applicants
When selecting and recuiting, we make sure we follow good practice and guidelines to get the best people for the jobs.
Our hints and tips on completing your application form will help you fill it in right first time.
Equal opportunities and monitoring
We monitor our vacancies in order to produce information about the profile of our applicants, our shortlisted candidates and successful candidates.
As you would probably expect, this information deals with age, sex, ethnic background, disability and other information that will help us to ensure that all groups within society are being fairly treated.
We request that you complete the monitoring form. However, please note that you are not under any legal obligation to supply this information. The definition of a disabled person under the The Equality Act 2010 is someone who has a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his/her ability to carry out normal day to day activities.
In order to assist with identification of ethnic origin we have used categories approved by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Ethnic origin questions are not about nationality, place of birth or citizenship. They are about colour and broad ethnic group.
Data protection
The personal information that you supply to us in support of your application will only be used for recruitment and selection and nothing else. The successful candidate's application form will be kept for the duration of their employment and all other application forms will be destroyed within a few months of their receipt. Equal opportunities monitoring forms will be separated from the application forms at the time of receipt.
These will only be used for monitoring purposes and they too will be destroyed within a few months.
Acknowledging receipt
If you apply online then you will receive an automatically generated e-mail, which confirms receipt of your application.
However, due to the large number of applications we receive for some posts we are not able to acknowledge applications received by any other method.
Short listing is undertaken soon after the closing date of advertisements.
If you have not been contacted within four weeks of the closing date, then you have not been successful.
Travelling costs and directions
We will pay reasonable travelling costs for those travelling from outside the District. In the case of those living outside the UK this will be restricted to reasonable costs from the point of entry into the UK.
Please download and submit an
Interview expenses claim form. These costs should be discussed and agreed beforehand with the Council department concerned. If you are not familiar with Harrogate town centre you can download a
town map showing the location of the main council office buildings.
Work Permits
In order to comply with the Immigration, Asylum & Nationality Act 2006
, all candidates are required to provide proof, at interview, of their entitlement to live and work in the UK. Please bring with you the original of:-
A passport, showing you are a British ctizen or a national of the EEA or Switzerland.
A residence permit, registration certificate or document certifying or indication permanent residence.
A Biometric Immigration Document or an Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office or Border and Immigration Agency which states you can remain indefinitely or you can stay and are allowed to do the work applied for.
A passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK or has the right of abode in the UK.
If none of the above, then an official document giving details of your permanent National Insurance Number plus one of the following, full birth certificate
(must
include the name(s) of at least one parent
),
or a full adoption certificate, certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, or official letter stating leave to remain in UK indefinitely.
A passport or travel document endorsed to showing that you are allowed to stay in the UK and allowed to do the type of work applied for, providing that it does not require the issue of a work permit.
An official document bearing a National Insurance number, plus a birth certificate, or a letter from the Home Office, or an Immigration Status Document.
A work permit, plus either a passport or a letter from the Home Office, which in either case must confirm that the holder has permission to enter or remain in the UK and take the work permit employment in question.
References
Unless you ask us not to, we will request references for candidates who are shortlisted, prior to interviews taking place.
One of the references you supply must be your current or last employer if you are not currently working.
Neither reference should be that of a family member or close personal friend. If you wish to withhold permission to contact referees, clear reasons should be given on the application form or in a covering letter.
Qualifications
It is our policy to verify qualifications stated in candidates' applications, at interview. Please bring certificates with you if invited for interview.
Declaration of relationship
All applicants must state in writing whether they are the relative of an existing employee or councillor, or partner of such persons. There is space for this information
on the application form In section 1, Personal Details.
If such a relationship is not disclosed, the applicant may be disqualified for the appointment and if appointed will be liable to dismissal without notice. Depending on the circumstances, any officer implicated in such non-disclosure may be dismissed for gross misconduct.
Job sharing
We operate a job sharing policy for all of its full-time posts and have many job sharing employees working successfully. Applicants may apply as a job sharing couple or we will find a job share partner if this is possible.
An offer of a job sharing arrangement will only be made on the understanding that if we cannot find a job share partner, the offer will be withdrawn. If you wish to apply for a vacancy as a job-sharer, you will need to indicate this on the application form.
Disclosure posts
We use the Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure service to make safer recruitment decisions when employing people into positions of trust.
It will reduce the risk of employing a person who may have an unsuitable background to work with children, vulnerable adults or occupations set out in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
A criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position.
Before withdrawing an offer of employment we will discuss with the applicant any matters revealed in Disclosure information.
We encourage all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record at an early stage in the application process.
We request that you provide details of the offence, dates, sentences, fines or other penalty in a sealed envelope marked Rehabilitation of Offenders Information with your application. The information will be treated in confidence and will be destroyed if your application is unsuccessful.
We follow the Criminal Record Bureau's Code of Practice and have policies on the recruitment of ex-offenders and on the secure, correct handling and safekeeping of disclosure information.
If you are offered a post, which is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, then you will be asked to complete an application form for Disclosure information, which will include the, "Guidance for Disclosure Applicants". Deliberate failure to disclose full details will result in your application being rejected or may lead to your later dismissal.
Positive about disabled people
If you indicate on your application form that you are disabled and you meet the essential criteria on the person specification, you will be guaranteed an interview.
If you are unable to meet some of the requirements of the job specifically because of your disability, please address this in your application. If you meet all other essential criteria, you will be shortlisted and we will explore jointly with you ways in which the job can be changed to enable you to meet the requirements.
This could include adjustment to premises and equipment or job duties.
Appointment to all posts will be on merit.
Probation period
New entrants to local government will be subject to satisfactory completion of a probationary period of six months, during which they are expected to establish their suitability for the post.
Medical clearance
The appointment is subject to the completion of a medical clearance.
A medical examination may be required.