Thank you for your interest in working for with Progress Housing Group.
Your application form is very important and the following advice is designed to help you complete it as effectively as possible. We hope that you find it helpful and it answers some of the questions that you may have. If, however, you have any more questions, please ask.
We put great importance on ensuring that every stage of our recruitment process is fair and properly carried out. We have a duty to ensure that everyone is treated equally. Whilst short listing candidates, we will not consider any previous applications or personal knowledge. The information that you provide in your application is the only information we will use in deciding whether or not you will be invited for an interview.
All applicants are required to complete a Progress Housing Group application form either online or by post; CVs are not accepted. Our application form ensures that you give us all the information we need to properly assess your skills and knowledge against the role and also other applicants in a fair and consistent way.
Postal application forms should be completed in black ink or type. No preference will be given to either handwriting or type, but the presentation must be neat, clear and legible.
JOB DESCRIPTION
This details the main duties and requirements of the post and should help you to understand the nature of the role.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
The person specification describes the skills, experience, aptitudes and qualifications that you will need to carry out the role. Please look at this carefully so that you know what the job involves and the range of expertise required. Ask yourself why you are interested in the job and whether you feel that you meet the requirements.
PERSONAL DETAILS
We will use your personal details to contact you in the event that you are shortlisted for an interview. Please ensure that you write clearly and provide as much information as you can about how we can contact you.
In some instances we may try to contact you at work. Please indicate whether you are happy for us to do this. We acknowledge that sometimes it is difficult to take personal calls at your place of work and your wishes will be respected at all times.
If you are not a British national or the holder of an EU or EEA passport, you will need to provide evidence that you have permission to work in the United Kingdom. If you are selected for interview, you will be required to bring with your original passport.
EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS
You will need to provide details of your educational qualifications and any professional memberships, together with the grades and dates of award as appropriate.
If you are selected for interview, you will need to bring the original certificates for any qualifications that are relevant to the post that you have applied for.
OTHER TRAINING/SHORT COURSES
If you have attended any additional courses or training that you feel would support your application, please provide more details.
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
Please provide us with name, address of your employer and a brief description of your current role. If you are not currently in employment, please leave this section blank.
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
Please provide details of your full employment history, starting with your second most recent employer. You should include any employment undertaken from the date that you left school/college or university.
If you are completing a postal application, please continue onto additional sheets if necessary.
We ask that you provide full details of your previous employers’ names and addresses, as it will sometimes be necessary to write to them for a reference.
Please give a brief description of the duties you have carried out so that we can get an idea of the type of work you have done previously. It need only be brief; for example, if you have previously been a clerical assistant you may wish to state that you used various computer systems or filing systems, etc.
If you have had breaks in between employment periods, please explain the reason for the break e.g. care duties, full time education etc. If you wish, you may choose to provide further information about any career breaks within your supporting statement.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
The 'supporting information' section is really your opportunity to sell yourself - so make sure you use it to your advantage. You can include any information here that is not already covered elsewhere on the form, which backs up how and why you would be suitable for the job. This is about convincing the recruiter you have the required skills, knowledge and experience - and that they really should be inviting you for interview.
You can include, among other things, more details about:
- Your duties and responsibilities
- Your skills, knowledge or experience relevant to the post
- Apparent gaps in your career profile
- Any voluntary work you have carried out
- Achievements in and outside of work
- Publications or presentations
- Activities outside of work that demonstrate relevant skills
REFERENCES
Please provide the names, positions, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of two referees. Ideally we would like both of your referees to be employers but we recognise that this is not always possible. Where possible, your first reference should be your current or most recent employer. Your second reference should be your most recent previous employer. If you have been employed with your present employer for less than three years, you will also need to provide details of a previous employer.
If you’ve just finished full-time education and have not been employed before, please provide the name of your course tutor(s) or head teacher, and any other suitable professional who you think might be appropriate.
It is our policy to request references following an offer of employment, which is conditional upon receipt of two satisfactory references. Occasionally we will request references in advance of interviews and you should therefore indicate on the form whether this is acceptable to you.
Sometimes we may feel it is appropriate to request a further reference from one of your previous employers, for example, if you only worked for the referee you have provided for a short period.
REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT
If you have a criminal conviction that is not considered under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, you are required to give details. However, certain positions are exempt from the 1974 Act, which means that you must declare any criminal convictions, including those which would otherwise be considered spent. Some appointments will be subject to the checking procedures undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau.
MONITORING INFORMATION
In order to help the Group monitor the effectiveness of its Equal Opportunities Policy (and for no other reason) you are asked to provide the information requested on the Equal Opportunities page of our application form. The information you give us will be detached from your application and will be kept confidential. This information will not be seen by the Designated Appointing Officer or the interview panel and will not be taken into consideration when assessing your suitability for the post.
IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY
You are not required to inform us whether you consider yourself to have a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. If, however, you require assistance with any aspect of our recruitment process, we will be happy to assist you as much as we can.
If you are concerned that you may be unable to meet some of the job requirements because of a disability, please address this in your application. If you meet all other criteria, you will be shortlisted and we will explore with you if there are any ways the post can be reasonably adjusted.
As part of our commitment to being ‘Positive about Disabled People’, we guarantee to interview all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities.
For more information about this, you can call the Disability Rights Commission on 08457 622 633 or visit their website at www.drc-gb.org
COMPLETED APPLICATIONS
Please check that you have completed all sections of the form. This includes signing and dating the declaration. If you submit your application online you will be expected to sign the form, at any subsequent interview.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
If you are shortlisted for interview, we will write to you to your home address with the location, date and time of your interview.
Depending on the post, we may also ask you to undertake a practical test, a written exercise or a presentation as part of your interview. Details of these will be sent to you with your interview letter, together with any additional information you may need.
If you have been unsuccessful in your application, we will write to let you know after the closing date.
If you want to discuss why you have not been shortlisted, please contact the Personnel Department who will be happy to assist you.
DATA PROTECTION
The information you provide to us will be held in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Your application form will be seen and processed by Personnel staff or by a nominated independent officer who will pass your application to the Designated Appointing Officer and interview panel members in order to assess your suitability for the post.
If you are unsuccessful in our recruitment and selection process your application form will be destroyed after a six-month period.
We wish you every success with your application and thank you for your interest in Progress Housing Group.
