3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Application workshop Volunteer Befriending Scheme Coordinator

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates What we will cover Why this workshop? Confidentiality Equal opportunities Completing the application form Scoring system Interviews Time for questions

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Why this workshop? Aim to ensure that people with a wide range of backgrounds and experience are able to submit applications that do justice to their experience We hope that this will also be useful for applicants applying for other jobs, particularly in related areas Confidentiality- we are not involved in the shortlisting/ interviewing for this post, and no information from this workshop will be passed on to those involved in the recruitment process.

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Equal Opportunities All applications will be assessed following the same process We ask for information about your ethnic background etc; however this information is for monitoring only and will not be used in assessing applications (the interviewers will not have access to the equal opportunities monitoring form)

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Completing the application Personal details- use your home details if possible References- if you are currently working, this should include your current employer. If you have not been employed in the UK, other possible references may be volunteer managers, support workers, representative of community/ faith group The reference will not be used in the initial decision making process- references will be followed up to confirm suitability if you are selected for the post Rehabilitation of offenders act- as the post works with vulnerable adults, must also declare spent convictions Asylum and immigration act Vacancy information. Jobshare isn’t available due to short timescale Start date/ declaration

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Completing the application cont. Education- list formal qualifications here, if possible with UK equivalents if foreign Training/ other relevant experience- include informal courses etc, voluntary experience, experience in the home etc. Focus on experience relevant to this particular job Employment history- include employment both in the UK and overseas, you can also include a more substantial/ relevant volunteering role here

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Personal Statement This part of the application is very important in deciding who to shortlist You MUST carefully read the job description and person specification, and relate your experience to this (including experience mentioned in other parts of the form) Your application will be judged on how well you meet each point of the person specification. Address each point, (you may find it easiest to do this in order), and explain how your experience meets this point

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Personal statement- example For example, ‘Ability to work on own initiative, and as part of a small team’ Don’t write ‘I work well on my own initiative and as part of a team’… you need to prove this E.g. I work well on my own initiative, as demonstrated in my previous role as a Health Outreach Worker, where I was responsible for organising meetings with clients, and keeping up to date records on my own initiative. I also work well in a team, as demonstrated by my work with the Ethiopian Community- for example as part of a team of four we put on a successful community event, attended by 100 people.

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Application continued We recommend filling in a draft application to start with, and filling in the final application once you are happy with this If you want to, you can type the personal statement and attach it to the application, with a note saying ‘see separate sheet’ The application must reach our office by the date and time specified- we will not consider applications received after this time

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Scoring Applications will be assessed using a scoring system The recruitment panel will each assess each application separately They will look at each point on the person specification, and will look to see how well you meet the point, from 3 ‘completely meet this point’ to 0 ‘does not meet this point’. Once the panel have each assessed each application, they will come together to compare scores. They will select candidates to shortlist according to these scores.

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Interview The purpose of the interview is to assess in more detail the suitability of shortlisted applicants for the post There will be a panel of 3 interviewers The interviewers will ask questions based around the job description and person specification, this may include questions about your previous experience, how you would respond to a scenario etc. You may take some time to think about the question, and may also add points that you didn’t think of at the time at the end of the interview

3.1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Appendix 2.10 Application pack - application guidance for candidates Any questions?