Application Form Guidance
Thank you for your interest in University College Birmingham (UCB).
These guidance notes have been written to ensure that you are able to complete
the application form successfully and to make you aware of some important
points relating to our recruitment and selection process.
These guidance notes include sections on:
Completing the Application Form Disclosure and Barring Service Check Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Information for Disabled Applicants Employment History Education Membership of Professional Bodies Requirements of the Person Specification References Data Protection Policy Declaration Equality and Diversity Sending the Application Form Shortlisting System The Selection Process
Please read these guidance notes before completing your application
form.
Completing the application form
The application form is a standard form to be completed by all
applicants for jobs at UCB. It is the first stage of the recruitment and
selection process and will be used to assess the suitability of candidates
against the Person Specification and decide whether to shortlist for the
interview stage. The application form is the only basis for considering your
initial suitability for the job. It is therefore important that you complete
the form as fully as possible. Please do not send in a CV as a substitute for
any part of the form.
Remember:
To complete all parts of the application form. If a particular section
does not apply to you, please write N/A in the space provided. To ensure that the information you provide is clear, accurate and
appropriate to the job you are applying for. If you do not include information which could be relevant to your
application, we cannot make assumptions about you. To
check with the individuals you appoint as referees that they are happy to
support your application and that they consent to you providing their contact
details. To return your application by midday on the published closing date.
Applications received after the closing date will not normally be considered.
Personal Details
Please provide full
contact information so that we are able to contact you regarding your progress
within the selection process.
Please refer to the
University’s Privacy Notice on Employment
Applications for further information about how your personal data is held and
processed.
Disclosure and Barring Service Checks
UCB are committed to abiding by
the DBS Code of Practice, which provides guidance on the recruitment of ex-offenders and the correct
handling and safekeeping of Disclosure information. The DBS Code of Practice can be
found on their website. Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
The protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults is a
matter of great concern to UCB in both its capacity as an employer and a
provider of high quality, safe services. The best way to guard against harm to
children, young people and vulnerable adults is by careful selection and
vetting procedures for staff. Part of the selection process will be to check
for past criminal records so that we are aware of any criminal history and
associated risk. The application form enables applicants to disclose any
relevant information at an early stage in the selection process.
At interview, or in a separate discussion, we ensure that an open and
measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matter
that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is
directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an 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.
We make every subject of a DBS Disclosure aware of the existence of
the DBS Code of Practice and make a copy available on request. Having a
criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working at UCB.
This will depend on the nature of the position applied for and the
circumstances and background of the offence.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (exceptions) Order 1975
Since 29 May 2013, certain old and minor
convictions and cautions, reprimands and warnings have been filtered from DBS
certificates.
The filtering rules (which will remove certain old
and minor convictions and cautions, reprimands and warnings from a DBS
certificate) were developed by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice and
introduced with new legislation.
The amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013)
provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected' and are not
subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance
and criteria on the filtering of cautions and convictions can be found at the
Disclosure and Barring Service website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service
If you do have any convictions, cautions,
reprimands or warnings, before submitting the application form, you must check
the filtering rules to determine if you should declare them or if they are now
'protected' and no longer require disclosure.
Failure to disclose any previous convictions,
cautions, warnings, reprimands or bind-overs that are not protected could
result in dismissal should it be subsequently discovered. Any information
given, either when returning this application form or at interview will be
entirely confidential and only considered in relation to this application.
If you do have any criminal convictions, cautions,
warnings, reprimands or bind-overs that are not protected, or are barred or
disqualified from working with children, or subject to an interim prohibition
order by the Teaching Agency, please include the information with your
application.
Information for Disabled Applicants
UCB is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are treated
fairly and well, are supported at work and enabled to carry out their role
effectively.
You are encouraged to identify any particular arrangements we can make
to assist you at interview on the application form. This information is
requested in accordance with S.60 (6) of the Equality Act 2010.
For further information please contact the Human Resources department on 0121 232 4150.
Employment History
Starting with the most recent employer, list all the employers you have
worked for previously including the job title and the period you worked for
them. The reason for leaving must also be included.
In order for the University to comply with Safeguarding best practice,
we require a comprehensive account of an individual’s employment history.
Please therefore provide full details, including any posts which you may not
feel are relevant to the position applied for.
Education
Please complete this
section as fully as possible, giving details of qualifications obtained with
dates of award.
In order to
support your application, you will be asked to provide original documents
verifying the qualifications you have declared as part of the selection
process.
Inaccurate
information regarding qualifications will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis
and may result in the University ceasing to progress your application further. Membership of Professional Bodies
Please provide full details including membership type and registration
number for professional body membership. Requirements of the Person Specification
This is your opportunity to demonstrate your suitability for the post.
Remember that the panel will be using the information in your application to
decide on the shortlist for interview. You should use the sections headed
Experience, Skills and Abilities, Education and Qualifications, Training and
Continuous Professional Development and Other Attributes to fully explain how
you meet the criteria outlined in the Person Specification.
References
Your nominated referees must be able to provide sufficient information
to assist the panel in confirming your suitability for the post. Both of your
referees should be your current or most recent employer(s). Where this is not
possible, you may list someone else who is qualified to comment on your
performance at work or in full-time education (in the case of recent graduates)
or from a voluntary/community organisation with which you were involved.
Referees should not be friends or family.
It is your
responsibility to ensure that the individuals you nominate as referees consent
to you providing their contact details.
In line with the
General Data Protection Regulations, your consent will be sought prior to
requesting reference information.
Data Protection
Declaration
If submitting an
application form online, you will be required to indicate your consent to the
University holding and processing your data in line with the relevant Privacy Notice prior to submission.
If an applicant wishes to submit an application form
off-line (e.g. via email or hand written) you will still need to indicate your
consent by providing a signature and date in the designated fields. Any
applications received which have not been signed must be rejected, and
therefore disqualified from consideration.
Where possible, a member of the Human Resources department will
notify the applicant in cases where an application has not been signed,
requesting that a signed version is resubmitted.
Equality and Diversity
UCB strives to actively celebrate
diversity and promote equality of opportunity for all who learn and work here:
to create a culture where inclusion, equality and diversity are embraced; where
employment and educational opportunities are open to all; and where everyone
involved with UCB is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.
We serve a diverse community and seek
to develop a workforce that is representative of the community. No applicant
will be treated less favourably than others on the grounds of age, gender,
disability, family or marital/civil partnership status, race, nationality,
national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religious or other beliefs, or
for any reason which cannot be shown to be justified.
We appoint on the basis of the best candidate for the job. Our policy is
to ensure that the recruitment and selection process is as fair and objective
as possible. Applications are considered purely on the basis of merit and any
information you provide pertaining to your personal characteristics is removed
prior to shortlisting. All candidates are assessed against the same criteria
and asked the same set of questions when interviewed at first stage. You will
not be asked questions about your domestic or personal circumstances which have
no relevance to your ability to carry out the job.
Sending the Application Form
Completed
application forms must be submitted by midday on the published closing date,
unless stated otherwise. Applications received after this time will not
normally be accepted.
You can submit your application:
Online (via the website): jobs.ucb.ac.uk
Email: recruitment@ucb.ac.uk
Post:
Human Resources department
University College Birmingham Summer Row Birmingham B3 1JB
Only application forms submitted electronically will receive
confirmation of receipt.
Shortlisting System
Your application form will be
considered by a shortlisting panel who will review it against the Person
Specification for the job. This is an important document and you should ensure
that you address the requirements of it within your application form.
In particular you should address the following:
The panel will be looking for evidence that you meet the requirements of
the Person Specification. Where possible, use examples to demonstrate how
you meet each criterion. If you do not have any directly-related work
experience, you may consider relevant voluntary or community work. Remember, if
you do not demonstrate to the panel that you meet the Person Specification
criteria, you will not be shortlisted.
If you wish to apply for more than one job, you need to complete
separate application forms for each specific job to make sure that each
application addresses and reflects the Person Specification for the job. You
are able to do this conveniently online by clicking the "Edit Your
Application" link from the left hand menu.
The shortlisting panel will assess your application in line with each
area of the Person Specification following the structure below:
Score:
0 = Criteria not met
1 = Criteria mentioned but not clearly demonstrated
2 = Criteria met
3 = Criteria very well demonstrated
For example, if the criterion was ‘experience of working in a customer
service environment’ the panel would score as follows:
0 = No experience OR not mentioned at all
1 = Experience is implied but not explicitly stated 2 = Experience stated and supported by evidence 3 = Experience stated and supported by evidence AND further supported by
specific examples and relevant skills gained as a result
The Selection Process
Depending on the position applied for, the interview process will be conducted over either one or two stages, and dates of interview(s) will be made available at the earliest possible opportunity. It is not normally possible to rearrange interview dates as all interviews involve a selection panel who will have agreed the dates in advance.
In most cases, if you have not been contacted within one week of the first interview stage, please assume that your application has not been successful. Feedback to those applicants who are unsuccessful at the shortlisting stage will be given, if requested.
If you are successful in being selected for interview we will contact you either by telephone or email to provide an outline of what will be involved in the interview process. In the majority of cases, the first stage selection process will involve an appropriate assessment, which candidates will be informed of in advance.
Selection for the post will be made by a panel of at least two (but more usually three) people, all of whom have been trained in recruitment and selection. The selection decision will be based on assessment against the Person Specification criteria; taking all elements of the selection process (interview/assessment) into account. Panel members will take notes during the interview and you will be given the opportunity to ask questions about the role and the conditions of service.
If you are unsuccessful you will be notified either in writing or by telephone. All candidates who come for an interview but are unsuccessful will also be offered some constructive feedback. This will be given by a member of the interview panel. Interview feedback will not normally be given in writing.
If you are offered a post, the offer will be conditional upon two references satisfactory to UCB, a satisfactory medical report (taking into consideration UCB's Equal Opportunities policy and duties under the Equality Act 2010), a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced disclosure, confirmation of your entitlement to work in the UK and satisfactory verification of relevant qualifications.
For information on any matter not covered in these guidance notes, please contact the Human Resources department on 0121 232 4150. |
