Guidance Notes for Applicants
Please complete the different sections of the application form to the best of your ability and only append additional sheets when you have run out of space.
Equality of Opportunity
The use of our own Application Form rather than individual CVs helps to ensure equality of opportunity during the selection process. Please note therefore that CVs will be disregarded.
Personal Statement
This is your opportunity to tell us why we should offer you the position. Aim for between 500 and 1000 words.
Please give your reasons for applying for this post and explain how you meet the Knowledge, Job Related Skills, Qualifications & Experience section of the role profile, in particular the essential criteria, ensuring that you give evidence and examples of how you meet these short-listing requirements. It is important that you demonstrate your suitability against the specific requirement of the role as set out in the job profile.
To effectively address each requirement, copy and paste each heading from the person specification into your personal statement. Then, write a brief but specific description underneath each criteria, explaining how your skills, experience, values, and accomplishments align with the criteria.
Applications from candidates who do not meet the essential criteria are unlikely to be short listed.
Working Time Regulations 1998
The Working Time Regulations were introduced in 1998 as a health and safety measure. Average weekly working hours are limited to 48 hours (normally calculated over a 13 week period).
Employers are required to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the limits to working times are not exceeded. This includes inquiring whether a person is working elsewhere. All applicants are therefore asked to declare all other employment.
References
A minimum of two references are required. One of the references must be your current or most recent employer. If you have only just finished your education and have little or no work experience, please provide a referee from your school, college or university.
Additionally, for any roles where you have worked with children or vulnerable individuals, we are required to verify your employment history and the reasons for leaving any previous roles with each previous or current employer.
References will not be taken up without your prior agreement.
Summary
If you are made an offer of employment with Pathways to Independence UK you will be required to:
Consent to references and employment checks being taken up.
Complete a health questionnaire
Demonstrate, by producing approved documentation, that you’re entitled to work in the UK
Undertake an Enhanced Disclosure Check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Undertake an Overseas Criminal Record check (if necessary)
Provide a full employment history, together with a satisfactory explanation of any gaps in employment, in writing
Provide proof of relevant qualifications
Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
Pathways to Independence UK actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, with the right mix of talent, skills and potential, and applications are welcome from a wide range of candidates.
We undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any applicant on the basis of a criminal record or other information revealed. Criminal records and other information will be taken into account for recruitment purposes only when they are relevant.
We select all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience. We ask all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record. Depending on the nature of the position applied for, we may request details of your entire criminal record or only of ‘unspent’ convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
If a candidate is invited to interview we will request that this information is sent under separate, confidential cover to a designated person within Pathways to Independence UK and we guarantee that this information is only seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process. We would point out that for the successful candidate, this information will be verified by requesting a Disclosure statement from the Disclosure and Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed.
Failure to reveal information that is relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment or subsequent dismissal.
We ensure that all those in Pathways to Independence UK who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. We also ensure that they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex offenders e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
At interview, or in separate discussion, we ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matters that might be relevant to the position.
For those positions where a Disclosure is required, a Disclosure will be requested in the event of the candidate being made a conditional offer of employment.
We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a Disclosure with the person seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with Pathways to Independence UK. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of any offences. However, as the nature of the Pathways to Independence UK’s work brings its employees and volunteers into contact with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults, a criminal record or other information which makes an application unacceptable for a position of trust will render the applicant unsuitable.
As an organisation using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure service to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, this policy complies with the DBS Code of Practice.
Declaration of Criminal Background and Guidelines for Working with Young People and/or Vulnerable Adults
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 sets out to help people who have been convicted of a criminal offence and have not been convicted again in a specified period. This period is known as a rehabilitation period. Once a rehabilitation period has expired and no further offending has taken place, a conviction is considered to be ‘spent’. Once a conviction is spent, the convicted person does not have to reveal it or admit its existence in most circumstances.
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order) gives some exemptions from the Act, whereby details of ‘spent’ convictions have to be declared. One of these exemptions is working with children and/or vulnerable adults. When recruiting people to work in such positions of trust an employer is entitled to ask for details of all convictions, spent and unspent.
If you are invited to an interview we will ask you to complete a Declaration of Criminal Background Form which will be sent to you separately and ordinarily by email. It asks for details of spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. You should complete the form and return it to the sender, marked as ‘Private and confidential’, addressed to the Interview Panel.
The information relating to criminal convictions will only be seen by the interview panel if we are considering offering you employment. If you wish to discuss the information that you have given, please mention this to an interviewer. Having made its selection, the panel may wish to discuss any information given with you. Having a conviction will not necessarily bar you from consideration for the post. Criminal records will be taken into account only when they are relevant to the position for which you are applying. The information you provide will remain confidential.
If you are made a conditional offer Pathways to Independence UK will apply for an Enhanced DBS Disclosure depending on the nature of the job.
The DBS offers organisations a means to check the background of job applicants to ensure that they do not have a history that would make them unsuitable for the post. DBS Disclosures are provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service, an executive agency of the Home Office. Enhanced disclosures provide details of a person’s criminal record including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings; they also contain details from lists held by Government departments of those considered unsuitable for this type of work. Organisations using the DBS process must comply with the Code of Practice, a copy of which is available on request.
If you have any queries, please speak to a member of the HR team at: recruitment@ptiuk.org.uk.