Candidate Information Pack

All our vacancies are available online at

www.jobsdoncaster.co.uk

Doncaster Council Achieving Excellence • • • • •

We are one Council We are Winners We take Responsibility We Dare to be Different We are Proud

Contents 1 About Doncaster Council and the Borough

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2 Working for Doncaster Council

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3 Guidance notes - general information

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4 Guidance notes - completing an application form

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5 Guidance notes - applying by Curriculum Vitae and letter

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6 Additional information

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7 Recruitment process

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8 Doncaster Council Achieving Excellence - our values and behaviours

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Information can be made available in other languages, or other formats such as Braille or Audio Tape, on request. Please contact Pay and Employment Direct on 01302 862610 for more information, or if you need any other help or advice. They can arrange to speak to you in your own language if you need them to.

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About Doncaster Council and the Borough This is a truly exciting time to work for Doncaster Council. Doncaster is undergoing a period of unprecedented regeneration. A number of exciting projects are currently transforming the face of Doncaster and the Council's Neighbourhood Management model has revolutionised service delivery.

The Council How the Council performs has a dramatic effect upon the success of the Borough. Doncaster's elected Mayor is the only one in Yorkshire and the Humber and one of only eleven nationally. The Mayor leads over 15,000 Council staff in serving around 140,000 households, setting policy and priorities, championing the regeneration of Doncaster but also ensuring that the Council is delivering quality services that meet local needs. Local services are the main focus of any local authority and the Neighbourhood Management model has revolutionised the way the Council delivers its services. The new system divides the Borough up into areas, which are managed by a team of people that provide a range of services on residents' doorsteps. Area managers and neighbourhood managers have been appointed to deliver services at a local level - local solutions are now applied to local problems. A Mayoral Green and White Paper consultation system is allowing local people to have a far greater direct impact on the formulation of policy, addressing issues such as economic regeneration and special education needs.

The Borough Almost £1 billion has been invested into Doncaster since the millennium, funding exciting developments, which include the international airport, the Frenchgate transport interchange and retail complex, a new Community Sports Complex, a revamped racecourse, and the state-of-the-art Doncaster Education City (DEC), a multi-million-pound education and training initiative. The redevelopment of the Borough continues whilst looking forward to a new Civic and Cultural Quarter. Also boasting beautiful country parks and rural treasures, Doncaster undoubtedly offers the best of both worlds - a lively and stylish town nestled within acres of countryside. Located in the centre of England, Doncaster's excellent transport links give the Borough an edge over many of its neighbouring cities, making it an ideal location for living and working.

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Working for Doncaster Council Benefits Work/Life balance We believe that everyone works better and enjoys their job more if it fits in with their other responsibilities. We offer a variety of options to give the flexibility you need. These options are dependent upon the job and include: • • • •

Flexible hours Childcare Vouchers Career break scheme Flexible retirement

• Term time working • Job share • Generous holiday entitlements

If you are interested in working flexible hours and this is not stated in the job advert, please contact the recruiting manager to discuss the options available.

Pension Local government has its own pension scheme for employees. The South Yorkshire Pensions Authority runs this scheme locally. For appointments of three months or more, employees are entered into the pension scheme and pay contributions directly from their salary. The Council also contribute to the scheme on behalf of employees. In many cases it is possible to transfer pension contributions from previous employment into the South Yorkshire Pension scheme. This should be done within the first twelve months of employment with Doncaster Council. Employees are given the opportunity to opt out of the pension scheme should they wish to and a refund of contributions will be made if the application to opt out is received within three months of the start date. For teaching posts, employees are eligible to contribute to the Teachers' Pension scheme.

Smoking at Work The Council has made a commitment to promote healthy living initiatives and empower people to lead healthy lives. This includes operating a SmokeFree environment policy for Doncaster Council employees.

Performance Management We have a performance management approach that is supported by the use of an annual Performance and Development Review and a regular one to one meeting with your manager.

Health and Well Being Doncaster Council values good attendance from employees and has developed a policy to promote this. Managing employee health and well-being is a key factor underpinning our Values and in the Achievement of Excellence. We have a dedicated Health and Well-Being service, which is staffed by trained medical personnel who work to pro-actively maintain a healthy workforce. The services include pre-employment health screening; strategies to reduce the incidence of health related absence; driver clearances; immunisation programmes; health monitoring; workplace assessments; stress counselling; advice to managers and employees on health related matters; and pro-active health promotion and lifestyle advice. We will also assist in ensuring that employees who have a disability or who become disabled during their working life are given support to secure or to remain in employment with us. 3

Guidance Notes - General Information Applications are invited by either application form or CV. The job advert will state which method of application you should use. To help the Council keep costs and administrative effort to a minimum, please apply on line at the address below. This will help speed up the process and ensure you hear from us quickly, even if you are unsuccessful with your application. Applications should be submitted via: www.jobsdoncaster.co.uk or by email to: [email protected] or by post to: Doncaster Council Pay & Employment Recruitment Team Floor 6 The Council House College Road Doncaster DN1 3DA Please note - if you are applying for a job based in a school, the application may have to be sent directly to the school. Please check the advert carefully and follow the instructions given to prevent delays in your application being received. Internet and email access is available at many of Doncaster Council's Libraries and Customer Service Centres. Please contact Pay & Employment Direct on (01302) 862610 or [email protected] if you would like details of the locations. Please submit your application by Noon on the closing date stated in the job advert unless stated otherwise.

Job Description and Person Specification Every job has a Job Description and Person Specification which give details of the main duties of the job and will list the knowledge, experience, skills and where appropriate, the qualifications that are required for the job. Please make sure you read these documents carefully before you start completing your application. You may find it helpful to make some notes or a draft of your ideas to make sure you have covered all elements before you start.

Our Values Doncaster Council is an organisation that is driven by its Values. It is important to the Council that all employees live the Values and Behaviours at work. A copy of our Values and Behaviours are included within this document and assessment against these will be part of the recruitment process. An assessment will take place at interview stage.

Interview Dates The interview date will in most cases be shown on the job advert. Please state on the application if you will be unavailable on that date and whenever possible we will try to offer you an alternative interview date.

Redeployment If you are already an employee of Doncaster Council and are applying for the post on the basis of redeployment, please specify this on your application. This will ensure that the selection panel are able to follow the appropriate procedures in dealing with your application. 4

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form The information you supply in this form allows us to monitor our recruitment process to ensure no candidate is treated more or less favourably on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnic origin or belief. The data helps us to know if we are doing all we can to ensure appointment is on merit and create a workforce representative of the community. Please be assured that this information is not seen by the panel short-listing for interview and will not be used in the selection decision.

Candidates with a Disability According to research, around 1 in 5 people are regarded to have a disability. Disability is defined under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 in a specific way. Under the DDA, a person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial (more than minor or trivial) and long-term (more than 12 months, rest of life, recurring condition) adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. The list of disabilities is not exhaustive or exclusive but examples include visual and hearing impairments, mobility difficulties, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and heart conditions. Mental health conditions and learning difficulties are also classed under the definition of disability. If you have any doubts as to whether your condition is classed as a disability, you can obtain guidance from specialist websites such as: Disability Rights Commission at www.drc.org.uk Telephone 08457 622633 / Textphone 08457 622644 or from the Government at www.direct.gov.uk.

Why should you tell us? Disclosure of disability is a matter of personal choice. Informing us that you have a disability allows us to make reasonable adjustments for you at all stages of the recruitment process. Under the national Disability 'Two Ticks' Symbol Scheme, the Council is committed to arranging an interview for all applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for the job. Please indicate if you are seeking an interview under this scheme. You may be receiving support from a disability agency/organisation such as Remploy or Shaw Trust. If you have already have been in contact with these agencies, you are asked to inform us on the application or supplementary information form. This ensures that we continue your links with these organisations to enable them to help you. We have received recognition from Jobcentre Plus of our commitment as an employer towards the recruitment, employment, retention and development of applicants with a disability. Jobcentre Plus provides a Disability Employment Advice service and will provide advice and support when requested. Tel (01302) 503503.

Eligibility to work in the UK You will be asked to confirm that you are entitled to work in the UK at application stage. If you are invited to an interview you will be asked to provide evidence of this entitlement - for example, passport, birth certificate or valid work permit. If you require any further details about the documents, which confirm eligibility to work in the UK please visit www.workingintheuk.gov.uk or telephone 0870 606 7766 or ring our Pay and Employment Direct team on (01302) 862610 or email [email protected] for details.

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Employee Interests The Council requires that employees declare any financial or non-financial interests they or a close relative has which may conflict with the interests of the Council. Examples of such interests are other employment, running a business, beneficial interest in property or land or having a contract with the Council. You will be asked to make this declaration if you are successful in being appointed to a post.

Reference Policy You will be asked to provide contact details for two individuals who will be able to verify some of the details you have provided, including your employment history, attendance and disciplinary record (and where appropriate to the post, your suitability to work with children and/or vulnerable adults). To verify your employment details we may also contact previous employers who have not been named as referees. Please provide a contact name for your referees along with the company or organisation name and the full postal address, telephone number and email address (if available). Providing incomplete information at application stage can cause delays later in the recruitment process. If possible you should confirm with your referees that they are willing to provide a reference for you and can respond promptly should this be required. Please provide reference details as follows:

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Candidate Employment Position

Reference 1

Reference 2

Currently employed

From current employer

From employer prior to current

Not currently employed

From most recent employer

From previous employer (if most recent was for less than five years)

Never been employed

Character reference - school, Not required college, voluntary organisation (where possible). This should not be a family member.

Currently self-employed

From organisation who can verify self-employment dates e.g. bank or accountant

From previous employer (if self-employed for less than five years)

Guidance Notes - Completing an Application Form The application form is split into two sections - one asks for Personal Information and the other asks for Selection Information. It is important that the form is completed in full either hand written in black ink, typed or by completing an electronic version of the form, available at www.jobsdoncaster.co.uk Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification when completing the application form. The presentation of your application form is important. Submitting a poorly completed or incomplete application form may affect your chances of success. 1 Contact Details When completing your contact details, please supply a telephone number where you can be contacted during office hours if possible. This can be home, a mobile telephone or at work if appropriate. 2 Employment History Please provide details of your employment history in the last ten years starting with your current or most recent position. This can include voluntary and unpaid work that you feel is relevant to your application. 3 Education, Training & Vocation Qualifications Please provide details (including dates) of your qualifications that you consider relevant for the post. Also include details of apprenticeships or training you have undertaken or short courses/seminars you have attended in the last five years that may be relevant to the post. In addition please specify any membership/registration you hold with a professional body. 4 Supporting Statement This is where you are asked to demonstrate that you meet the requirements of the post. Using the Job Description and Person Specification, you should illustrate with details of your knowledge, skills and experience, giving examples of how you meet the requirements. The examples can be from any activity; work based, from college or university, voluntary or social.

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Guidance notes - applying by Curriculum Vitae and letter When producing a CV and Letter please refer to the Job Description & Person Specification.

Curriculum Vitae Please include the following information in your CV: 1 Personal Details Please include, your full name, address and contact details (work/home telephone number/mobile or e-mail address). 2 Supporting Information This should be a profile of your fit with the Person Specification. You should include details of skills and experience you have gained through any activity work, college or university, voluntary or social. You should provide appropriate evidence and examples that you meet the requirements of the post. The examples you use should be those you feel are your strongest and most relevant to the post you are applying for. It is important that you back up your statements with examples, rather than just stating that you possess the relevant skills. 3 Career History Please provide a career history for the last ten years. Give an outline of your current role only and just include job title, organisation and the dates in each position for any other posts. Include details of any periods when you were not in employment. 4 Qualifications You should provide details of academic qualifications, with dates, which are relevant to the post. 5 Professional Memberships Please include details of memberships to any relevant professional bodies. 6 Courses and Seminars A summary of key training courses/seminars attended in last five years. 7 Continuous Professional Development This should be a summary of evidence of Continuous Professional Development.

Accompanying Letter The letter should state which post you are applying for and other relevant details you may wish to provide in support of your application that has not been included on your CV.

Supplementary Information Form In addition to the CV and covering letter, you are also asked to submit some additional personal details that will assist with the recruitment process. This form is included with the application pack, or can be completed at www.jobsdoncaster.co.uk as you submit your CV and letter. Along with your CV, accompanying letter and supplementary information form, please also submit an Equal Opportunities monitoring form. Please see page 5 for further information about Equal Opportunities monitoring data.

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Additional information Disclosure of Criminal Convictions The Council requires all short-listed candidates to declare any criminal convictions that are unspent as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. For posts that involve contact with children and vulnerable people, the Council also requires a declaration of spent convictions as allowed for and defined by the Exemptions Order associated with the legislation. Short-listed candidates will be sent the appropriate form to complete prior to interview. This should be completed and brought along to the interview. For posts that involve substantial unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults, checks are made with the Criminal Records Bureau and against lists of 'persons considered unsuitable' for such appointments. Details of the checks to be carried out will be indicated on the person specification document for the post. For further information about the Rehabilitation of Offenders legislation or about CRB checks please visit www.crb.gov.uk or telephone 0870 9090 811.

Medical Clearance As part of the clearance process prior to commencing employment, successful candidates will be required to have medical clearance. These candidates will be required to complete a pre-employment questionnaire, which will ask a series of questions about their health, their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities and, where appropriate, their health during previous employment. In some circumstances, which may be related to a health issue or the job they will be doing, they may be required to have enhanced medical screening. This may involve being seen by a Nurse Advisor in our Health and Well Being department.

Interview Expenses We will consider reimbursement of reasonable costs that are incurred for travel and/or accommodation when attending an interview. Travel costs will only be reimbursed for journeys additional to your normal commute. We would ask you to provide receipts to verify the costs. Please contact Pay & Employment Direct on (01302) 862630 or email [email protected] for details.

Travel/mobility Some jobs require the post holder to travel within an operational area and this will be stated in the person specification for the post. Costs incurred for any travel necessary for the post are reimbursed. This may mean that a valid driving licence and the use of a car, with appropriate insurance cover are required, unless the role can be effectively undertaken using alternative transport arrangements. For applicants with a disability, as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act, the scope for reasonable adjustments will be explored with the applicant as part of the selection process. Costs incurred for travel relating to the duties of the post will be reimbursed.

Complaints Procedure If you have a concern or comment about our recruitment and selection procedure, please contact Pay and Employment Direct on 01302 862610 for information about the complaints procedure. 9

Recruitment process

Application

Upon the closing date for the vacancy the applications and the Equal Opportunities monitoring forms are separated. The applications are passed to the selection panel for consideration and short-listing and the Equal Opportunities form is retained by the Recruitment Team for monitoring purposes.

Short-listing

Short-listing is carried out by comparing the applications to the Job Description and Person Specification. The strongest applications from candidates who have demonstrated that they meet the requirements of the post are selected. These candidates are then invited for interview. The interview date will usually be published with the advert and candidates who have not received an invitation to interview by that date should assume they have not been successful for short-listing.

The successful candidates are contacted (by email unless you state otherwise on your application) and invited to interview. The invitation will Interview and Selection include details of where and when the interview will take place and state which documents that you must take along. Details of any additional selection methods will also be notified at this stage, for example testing or presentation. At the interview, candidates will be asked questions that relate to; duties of the post as detailed in the Job Description, skills, knowledge and experience required as shown in the Person Specification and the Values and Behaviours of Doncaster Council.

Offer of Employment

Following the interview, and any other selection methods, the recruiting manager will contact the successful candidate to make an offer of employment. The offer will be conditional until all pre-employment checks have been completed satisfactorily. This often will be a telephone call, followed up by a letter.

The unsuccessful candidates will also be informed at this time, usually by Pre-employment checks telephone within a few days of the interview. Feedback will be available at this stage. Pre employment checks will take place, which will include: • Checking of references • Confirmation of qualifications required for the post * • Confirmation of eligibility to work in the UK * • Disclosure of convictions * • Medical clearance (Initial Questionnaire)* • Criminal Records Bureau check (where appropriate to post) Those indicated * will be carried out at the interview stage. Appointment

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Once the pre-employment checks are complete, the candidate will be contacted to confirm the offer of employment and arrange a suitable starting date.

Doncaster Council Achieving Excellence Our Values and Behaviours Please find below our core Values and Behaviours. We consider these essential to enable us to achieve excellence. The ‘generic’ behaviours are required of all employees and the additional ‘leadership’ behaviours are required of all employees with line management responsibilities. Evidence of these Values and Behaviours will be sought and assessed throughout the interview and assessment process.

We are One Council Generic behaviours We: • co-operate with each other rather than compete • take pride in other's achievements • share knowledge • promote the Council • are open and honest • are available and interested Leadership behaviours Leaders: • involve people in decisions • give all staff the ‘Big Picture’ • practise ‘Management by Walking Around (MBWA) • meet regularly with staff, and listen carefully to their issues

We are Winners Generic behaviours We: • thank people personally for a job well done • maintain high personal and professional standards • focus on solutions • maintain a commitment to excellence in service delivery and service recovery • are confident, persistent and resilient • are flexible in adapting to new challenges • demonstrate a positive and proactive attitude Leadership behaviours Leaders: • recognise and reward people based on their performance • make sure people know exactly what is expected of them • challenge established ways of doing things to get a better outcome

We take Responsibility Generic behaviours We: • accept responsibility for our actions and behaviour • demonstrate a 'can do attitude' • use our common sense 11

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have a ‘no blame’ culture show initiative, seize opportunities and take risks give timely, constructive feedback support and challenge each other

Leadership behaviours Leaders: • provide specific feedback about the performance of individuals and the Council itself • support and encourage ongoing learning and development • address unsatisfactory performance

We Dare to be Different Generic behaviours We: • do what is right for Doncaster • don't accept mediocrity • encourage brave ideas, take risks and see mistakes as opportunities to learn, develop and grow • strive to create a work environment in which people feel comfortable, trust each other and have fun • are flexible in working practices and hours • are willing to put good ideas into action by making changes • show appreciation for effort and commitment • challenge conventions and bureaucracy • reward innovation and creativity Leadership behaviours Leaders: • reward innovation and creativity • support staff to support the people who are important in their life

We are Proud Generic behaviours We: • are proud to work for DMBC • are advocates and ambassadors for Doncaster within and beyond the Borough • focus on building mutually beneficial relationships with our suppliers and customers • are attentive and responsive to customer needs • value and make the most of the diversity in our community and workforce • are champions of social justice and equality within our community • celebrate achievement and success Leadership behaviours Leaders: • Leaders are seen, have presence and impact • Leaders instil an atmosphere of pride, high achievement and satisfaction

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