The application process
Our vision is to have a positive impact on people and communities by providing high quality homes, supporting independence and creating opportunities.
We are looking for people who can help us deliver our vision and who reflect our values as an organisation.
People are at the heart of our business. By treating everyone fairly and understanding diverse needs and strengths, we can serve people better and provide services and opportunities that positively impact on lives of customers and colleagues.
We work together to search for and implement innovative solutions and ideas that overcome challenges faced by our tenants, customers, communities,partners and colleagues.
We are open and honest, with a friendly, enthusiastic and energetic way of working, which is true to what we stand for.
We use our knowledge, expertise and learning to invest in a positive future for all, and aim to excel in all we do to provide the best possible standards of service.
We work in partnership with our tenants, customers, colleagues, local communities and other experts, bringing everyone together to achieve more.
Equal opportunities
We put great importance on ensuring that every stage of our recruitment process is fair and properly carried out. In line with our values, we want to make sure that everyone is treated equally. 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.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
For most jobs you do not need to provide information about spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, some types of job are exempt from this act meaning that you will have to declare any criminal convictions, both spent and unspent. Some appointments will be subject to the checking procedures undertaken by the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Monitoring information and Equal opportunities
In order to help the Group monitor the effectiveness of its Equality & Diversity Policy, you are asked to provide 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.
Progress Housing Group is an Equal Opportunities Employer and as such will:
- Advertise jobs in such a way as to encourage applications from all parts of the community
- Regularly review and monitor our recruitment and selection process to ensure that no job applicant or employee is treated less favourably than another
- Expect all employees to ensure that their personal conduct within the Group reflects the Equality and Diversity policy
- Encourage staff to develop awareness of equality issues and provide learning opportunities.
Disability rights
As part of our commitment to equality and diversity, Progress Housing Group is a Disability confident - committed employer. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies.
The Equality Act 2010 defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to undertake normal day-to-day duties.
On the Equal Opportunities page of the application form you should indicate if you consider yourself to have a disability and wish to be considered under the scheme. You should be aware that if you indicated that you have a disability then you may be asked to provide information on this at interview as the group needs this information to consider the likely impact of your disability on the duties of the post you are applying for and whether any reasonable adjustments can be made, this allows compliance with the Equality Act 2010.
The application process
All applicants are required to complete a Progress Housing Group application form online; CVs are not accepted. Our online application form ensures that you give us all the information we need to properly assess your skills and knowledge against the role and other applicants in a fair and consistent way.
How to be successful in your application
This details the main duties and requirements of the post and should help you to understand the nature of the role.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you have attended any additional courses or training that you feel would support your application, please provide more details.
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.
Please provide details of your full employment history, starting with your most recent employer. You should include any employment undertaken from the date that you left full time education.
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, education etc. If you wish, you may choose to provide further information about any career breaks within your supporting statement.
The 'supporting information' section is really your opportunity to sell yourself. You can include any information here that is not already covered elsewhere on the form, which supports how and why you would be suitable for the job. This is about demonstrating the required skills, knowledge and experience. Include specific examples, such as;
- 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.
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 a course tutor 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 on receipt of all satisfactory pre-employment checks. 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.
The interview process
If you are shortlisted for interview, we will contact you with the location and offer you a selection of dates and times so you can choose your own slot.
The selection process may include 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 details, together with any additional information you may need.
If you have been unsuccessful in your application, we will let you know.
We wish you every success with your application and thank you for your interest in Progress Housing Group
Vacancies