Important guidance before you start filling in your application

Who sees your application?

How we decide who to interview

Guaranteed interview scheme for disabled people

References

When will you find out if you have got an interview?

How we decide who is suitable for the job

Interview expenses

Feedback Policy

CRB checks

Complaints Procedure

Employing people with a criminal record

Important guidance before you start filling in your application

• Use black ink, type or fill it in online.
  
  
• We have designed the form to get information in a consistent layout from everyone applying for a job, so do not send a CV with your application.
  
  
• Fill in every section of the form as fully as you can. The information you give in your application is what we will use when matching your experience, qualifications, skills and knowledge to those needed for the job. We cannot make assumptions about these.
  
  
• Read the job description and person specification carefully. The person specification will list the experience, skills, knowledge and qualifications needed for the job and tell you how we will assess whether you have them. An A means we will assess the criteria from the form, an I means we will ask about it at interview and a T means you will need to do a test. Do you have the experience, skills, knowledge and qualifications that are needed for the job? If so, plan how you will demonstrate this on your form. Make sure you list your relevant qualifications on the front page.
  
  
• Use the blank section fully to describe the relevant experience, skills and knowledge you bring to the job. Explain how you meet the requirements of the job listed in the person specification. Give examples of how you match each requirement where possible. Use extra sheets of paper if you need to.
  
  
• Don't just repeat your career history - explain what you have learned and the skills you have developed. Relate everything back to the person specification of the job you are applying for.
  
  For example, if the person specification asks for experience of reception work, possible responses could be:
  
  Poor example:
  
  "I have worked as a receptionist for two years."
  
  Better example:
  
  "I have worked as a receptionist for two years and I am responsible for dealing with all visitors and incoming calls through a switchboard. I also distribute mail and frank outgoing mail. I have developed my skills in verbal communication and can confidently deal with difficult or sensitive situations and complaints.
  
  Both examples tell us that the person has done reception work but the second example tells us what it involved and the skills the person has as a result of doing that work.
  
  
• Remember that the experience you have gained outside paid work is also important. Think about work done in the home or voluntary work when considering how you meet the requirements of the job. For example, youth club leader, Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Scouts, Guides and charities.
  
  
• Don't send the same application for all jobs - pay attention to the specific requirements of the job listed particularly in the person specification - you need to match each form to the job.
  
  
• If possible, make a copy of your completed application so that you can refer to it in the future.
  
  
• Then before you send your application in, go over it again. Follow the guidelines we have given to make sure your application goes in the 'Yes-interview' pile rather than the 'No-interview' pile.
  
  
• Remember that we usually get lots of applications for every job we advertise and many candidates have similar qualifications and experience. Consider how to make yours stand out. Make sure you do yourself justice by accurately describing why you are suitable for the actual post for which you are applying.
  
  
• Return your application to us before the closing date.

Who sees your application?

For recruitment purposes, only those involved in dealing with the application will see it. We use the Equal Opportunities section of applications for checking our policies are working and we are guided by the Data Protection Act.

How we decide who to interview

We only interview someone if their application shows that they meet the essential requirements of the job. The shortlisting panel only uses your application to assess how far your skills, experience and knowledge match those needed for the job.

Guaranteed interview scheme for disabled people

We are committed to employing disabled people. We guarantee an interview to disabled people who want one if they meet the essential requirements of the job. We realise that some disabled people will not want to use the scheme as they prefer to be offered an interview purely on their own merits, so we give you a choice. If you want to apply under the guaranteed interview scheme, tell us by filling in the Disabled people at work options form which will be enclosed with the job details.

References

Tell us the names of two people who will give you a reference that is relevant to your application. The first reference must be from your present or most recent employer, or head teacher or lecturer if this is your first job since leaving school or college. We only contact your referees if we offer you an interview.

When will you find out if you have got an interview?

We are a good employer with an excellent reputation so we receive a large number of applications. Therefore we do not always write to you to tell you when you have not been shortlisted for an interview. If you do not receive a letter within six weeks please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

If we invite you for interview we will give you:

• at least one week's notice of the date of the interview
• details of where and when the interview will take place and who to ask for
• information about any tests we may ask you to do at the interview.

If you are a disabled person and are invited to interview please tell us as soon as possible if you need us to arrange any support for you such as British Sign Language Interpreter, an induction loop, car parking space or something else. Please give us advance notice about any of these.

How we decide who is suitable for the job

Usually, at least two people and sometimes three or more will interview you. The questions they ask will be designed to test how you meet the requirements of the job given in the person specification. We have excellent training courses on interviewing and the people who interview you will be trained and experienced to get the best out of you and select the most appropriate candidate.

Interview expenses

You may claim travelling expenses and subsistence to cover your interview costs. Usually we reimburse the cost of second class rail fare or bus fare but where public transport is not available and you have to use your car we will pay the appropriate mileage rate for essential users. Disabled people can use whatever transport is most accessible for them.

Feedback Policy

You can ask for feedback about your application. If you have not been shortlisted, you should contact personnel and ask for feedback within eight weeks of the closing date or, if you have been interviewed, within four weeks after the interview. We usually give constructive feedback by telephone or textphone.

CRB Checks

Derby City Council have a policy statement on how we will do CRB checks. for more information please download our CRB Policy Statement   - 57Kb. You can also download the Criminal Records Bureau Code of Practice ( - 376kb), which we adhere to.

Complaints Procedure

If you think you have been treated unfairly please tell us.

Step one

Contact the personnel officer in the department which had the vacancy to ask about why you have not been shortlisted or appointed. Contact them in the timescales mentioned earlier.

Step two

If you are not happy with this feedback, write to the Director of the department which had the job vacancy explaining the reasons for your complaint. Do this within two weeks of receiving the feedback.

The Director will nominate someone to investigate your complaint and let you know the outcome, usually within eight weeks of receiving your letter.

Employing people with a criminal record

Policy statement

• The Council aims to promote equality of opportunity for all, and welcomes applications from diverse candidates.
  
• When recruiting we only consider criminal records when the conviction is relevant. Unless the type of the work demands it, we will not ask you to disclose convictions which are 'spent' under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Having an 'unspent' conviction will not necessarily bar you from employment. This will depend on the circumstances and background to the offence(s).
  
• For posts that are exempt, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check from the Criminal Records Bureau, CRB, before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions.

Exempt posts under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act

• Work involving matters of national security, for example some civil service posts or defence contractors.
• Work that brings the person into contact with vulnerable groups such as the infirm, elderly, mentally ill and young people under the age of 18.
• Professions that have legal protection, for example nurses, doctors, dentists, chemists, accountants.
• Posts concerned with the administration of justice, for example, police officers, lawyers, probation officers, traffic wardens.
• Health service appointments. 

Rehabilitation Periods

Type of sentence	Rehabilitation period if aged 18 or over when convicted	Rehabilitation period if under 18 when convicted
Prison and Young Offender Institution sentence of 6 months or less	7 years	3 years
Prison and Young Offender Institution sentence of more than 6 months to 2½ years	10 years	5 years
Fines, compensation order probation - for people convicted on or after 3 February 1995 -, community service, combination order, action plan, curfew order, drug treatment, reparation order	5 years	2 years
Borstal - abolished 1983	7 years	7 years
Detention centres - abolished 1988	3 years	3 years
Absolute discharge	6 months	6 months
Probation order - for people convicted prior to 3 February 1995 - conditional discharge, bind over, supervision order, care order	Until the order expires –minimum period of one year	Until the order expires –minimum period of one year
Attendance centre orders	Length of the order plus one year	Length of the order plus one year
Hospital order	Two years after the order expires - with a minimum of five years from the date of conviction	Two years after the order expires - with a minimum of five years from the date of conviction

Suspended sentences

Treated as one that has taken effect and the rehabilitation period will be the same.

Consecutive and concurrent sentences

An offender who is sentenced at one time for several offences may have consecutive or concurrent sentences.

Example: Two terms of imprisonment of six months each to run concurrently results in a rehabilitation period of seven years. If they were consecutive, the period would be ten years.

Extension of rehabilitation periods

If someone receives further convictions while an original rehabilitation period is still running, the rehabilitation period can be extended depending on the seriousness of the second offence.