- Application advice

Guidance notes for completing application forms

Thank you for your interest in working for Nottinghamshire County Council.  These notes have been put together to help you complete your application form.  Please read them carefully, along with any other information supplied, before you start.

Candidates will be short listed solely on the information supplied in the application form, measured against the person specification.  Be clear that you can demonstrate that you meet the essential requirements of the person specification before proceeding.  

As the Council has a normal retirement age of 65, the maximum age for recruiting new employees will usually be 64½.

Please note CVs will only be accepted in support of an application form.

We will not make any assumptions about your abilities and do not take into account any previous applications or any prior knowledge of you.

The form needs to be legible and should be completed in black ink or typed.

It may be helpful to make a rough draft of the form before final completion and to retain a copy.

If the advert states the post is available for job share, make sure you indicate if you want to apply on that basis.

If you would like to receive the form in an alternative format, please contact the Employee Services Centre on e-mail: jobs@nottscc.gov.uk or tel: 0115 846 3523.  Minicom available during office hours, tel: 01623 436657.

Post applied for

Complete job title and reference number as specified in the job advertisement as well as Department/Establishment and Closing Date, in order to enable us to accurately identify the post you are applying for.

Personal details

Enter fully and clearly your name, address and telephone numbers in order that we may contact you if necessary. It is also important to include your date of birth and national insurance number for pay and pension purposes, should you be successful in being appointed.  If you do not have an N.I. number, contact your local Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) office.

Present or last employer

State clearly your present or last employer’s name and address and the details of the post held.

Previous employment

Enter names and addresses of all past employers starting with the most recent. You can also include work experience placements, holiday jobs or voluntary work, in which you have developed skills relevant to the job.

Education, training and qualifications

Provide full details of your education at secondary level and above, where applicable.  Include details of any special skills training, day release, evening classes or other relevant knowledge e.g. ability to speak other languages.  If a qualification has been asked for, make sure you give all the information required and levels of any examinations taken.  You will be expected to provide documentary evidence if invited for an interview.   

Information in support of your application

This section is very important.  It gives you the opportunity to detail why you are the best person for the job and why you are applying.  Use the job description and person specification as a guide, and focus on how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the job requirements, giving specific examples. Also include any voluntary work you may have been involved in, experience at school or any relevant experience outside work.

Referees

Give the name and address of two people who can provide a reference in support of your application.  One of these should be your manager in your present (or most recent) employment (or tutor/head teacher if in full time education). If you are currently unemployed please give details of your Manager in your most recent employment if possible and / or a suitable alternative.  Please note that friends and relatives are not acceptable referees. The Authority reserves the right to approach any previous employer or manager.

Health / medical details

If you have been absent from work for more than a total of 20 days in the last 12 months, due to ill-health, you are required to give details.

Successful applicants will be required to complete a confidential medical questionnaire.

Disclosure of criminal background

If the post you are applying for requires a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, you must provide information about all convictions.  The post will be exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Policy Statement attached) and rules relating to ‘spent’ convictions do not apply.

Following the interview process, if you are the preferred candidate, you will be required to complete a CRB application form.

If the post you are applying for does not require a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, you still need to answer the questions in the section but you do not need to disclose convictions which under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 are considered as ‘spent’. View the Nottinghamshire County Council policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders [DOC 98KB]

If you have queries about the CRB check, or would like a copy of the CRB’s Code of Practice, please contact the Employee Services Centre, tel: (0115) 846 3528 or visit the CRB’s website. www.crb.gov.uk

General

Indicate whether you are interested in job share, when you are not available for interview, if you have a driving licence with any relevant details and whether you are related to a Member of the County Council or an employee of the authority.

It is not normally permissible to appoint direct relatives to posts involving a direct supervisory role.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

Information disclosed in this section is to enable a fair decision to be made and not to discount applicants. It is used to ensure appropriate support is offered through the selection process and to guarantee disabled applicants who meet the essential shortlisting requirements an interview.

Declaration

You will need to sign and date your application form to declare that all information is correct.  You also need to confirm that you have a legal right to work in the UK.  You will be asked to provide documentary evidence of this prior to commencing work with the Authority.

If you are going to send the completed form by e-mail, you will be asked to sign the form, if selected, at the interview.

Equal opportunities monitoring

Information in this section is not used in the selection process at all.  It is used to monitor and ensure the successful development of the council’s equal opportunities policy. All applicants are requested to complete the monitoring information detailed in the form.

Returning completed application forms

You should ensure your completed application is received before the closing date specified on the job advert.  We cannot guarantee that late applications will be considered.

• By e-mail
  You can return your completed application to jobs@nottscc.gov.uk.
• By post
  Return your completed application to: Employee Services Centre, Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7QP.
• By hand
  You can hand deliver your completed application to: Employee Services Centre, Oak House, Ruddington Fields Business Park, Mere Way, Ruddington, Nottingham NG11 6JW.

We are unable to notify individuals who are not selected for interview.  If you have not heard anything within six weeks from the closing date, you should assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We wish you every success with this application.