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Guidance Notes for Applicants

Thank you for applying for a job with Torridge District Council (TDC). This guide is designed to give you background on TDC and help you complete the application process. We have also provided tips that may increase your chance of success.

About Torridge District Council

Torridge District Council (TDC) is located in the North West of Devon. The district is predominantly rural with the main towns being Bideford, Holsworthy and Torrington. The Torridge District covers 380 square miles and has a natural and built environment of high quality. The coastline, historic towns, nature reserves and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are valuable assets.

To find out more about TDC and the Torridge area please visit our website www.torridge.gov.uk.

How to apply

Please complete the standard online TDC application form. This plays an essential part in the selection process; decisions to shortlist candidates for interview are based solely on the information you supply on your form.

Personal data

Your information may be shared internally for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes members of the HR and recruitment team, interviewers involved in the recruitment process, managers in the business area with a vacancy and IT staff if access to the data is necessary for the performance of their roles. Full details are outlined on pages 7 and 8 of the application form.

Eligibility to work in the UK

If you are selected for interview you will be required to produce documentary evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK. Original documentation must be supplied – we cannot accept any photocopies. Copies of your documentation will be taken and verified at interview. Further guidance can be found at www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas.

References

Please give names and addresses of two referees. One must be your present or most recent employer and the second should be your previous employer, covering a minimum of the last three year’s employment history. If you have only worked for one employer then please give details of a second referee who can provide a character reference, such as a school/college tutor. We cannot accept relatives as referees. If you were self employed, please provide evidence that your business was properly conducted, i.e. references from clients, bank manager and accountant.

Rehabilitation of offenders

For all posts, we ask for details of any unspent criminal convictions you may have. However, you must declare details of spent and unspent convictions if you are applying for a job which requires a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check as this post will be exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Please submit this confidential information separately from your application for the attention of the HR Manager. TDC will consider ex-offenders for employment on their individual merits.

Conflict of interest

There may be work or activities that you are involved in which could potentially conflict with the duties of the position that you are applying for and the interests of TDC. If you are in any doubt about your participation in these interests please contact the Human Resources team for further guidance.

Education and qualifications

Please list all relevant education and qualifications gained. Please check that you meet the essential requirements of the post. You may be asked to provide the original documents of all qualifications that you have claimed on your application form. If certificates are lost/not available we may expect duplicates to be obtained from the relevant Exam Boards. Please note the interview may not take place if the certificates are not supplied.

Duplicate certificates or letter of Confirmation of Results are available from the Exam Boards. The Exam Boards hold records starting from as early as 1908.

The main Exam Boards are:

Further guidance is also available from GOV.UK on obtaining replacement certificates including if the Exam Board no longer exists.

Membership of professional bodies

Please enter relevant membership details. Verification will need to be provided

Current or most recent /previous employment

Please enter all previous employment. You will need to make clear reasons for any gaps in employment history.

Supporting statement

Your support statement is one of the most important areas of the application form. You should explain/cross reference your skills, experience and personal qualities against the criteria listed on the Person Specification which make you suitable for the post. We advise using the STAR model (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when completing your support statement, which helps you build relevant examples.

  • Situation Describe the situation or problem, make it relevant to the role
  • Task Outline the task required to solve the issue/problem
  • Action Describe what you did, how and the rationale for the choices you made, what you did to overcome the issue/problem
  • Result What was the outcome and the difference it made This can include interests outside of work.

Lastly...

Once completed please submit your online application form. Please note that applications cannot be accepted once the closing date has passed.

If you have any difficulties in completing the form please contact the HR Department on 01237 428788 or email hr@torridge.gov.uk.