Guidance Notes
Completing the form
We welcome your application, which will receive fair and serious consideration. All information provided by applicants will be treated as confidential.
To help us in ensuring that you have an equal opportunity along with other applicants we have set up the application form in a specific way to help recruitment panels find key information about you from the various sections of the form. For this reason we ask you to complete the form in full. Any inaccuracy or omission in the information supplied may compromise your application. Additional information may be provided with the form, but you should be aware that it is essential to complete all sections of the form in full as this is what will be used in assessing your suitability as a candidate. Please complete the application form clearly in BLACK ink or print for photocopying purposes.
N.B. Please note that you should not substitute a CV for the attached form as this may invalidate your application.
Returning the form by e-mail
Applicants returning forms by e-mail will be required to sign their form at interview stage.
For disabled applicants only – Guaranteed Interview Scheme
In order to encourage people with disabilities to apply for work with the Council there are no questions about health or disabilities on the application form.
To help people with disabilities, the Council operates a scheme which provides a guaranteed interview where a disabled applicant (it is not necessary to be registered as disabled) formally requests this at the Guaranteed Interview section on the form. Please note, however, that you are only guaranteed an interview if you meet the minimum or essential criteria for the job applied for.
How to apply
If you have a disability you have two options when applying for a vacancy with the Council as set out below
You may complete an application form without identifying yourself as disabled on the application form.
You may ask to be included in the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by ticking the GIS box on the Application Form.
Further advice for disabled applicants
If you wish to discuss the Guaranteed Interview Scheme in confidence or enquire about any other matter related to the application you should contact the Personnel Officer of the Service advertising the vacancy.
Equal opportunities monitoring
Please note that there is an Equal Opportunities monitoring form which we request that you complete and return with the application form.
This section of the form will be handled in a confidential manner and will not be available to the recruitment panel. The Council will extract information for statistical purposes to assess how well the Council is performing as an Equal Opportunities employer.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
This Act permits certain convicted persons to become ‘rehabilitated’ after a certain period and the conviction becomes ‘spent’ with no requirement to disclose the conviction to a potential employer. The length of the ‘rehabilitation’ period varies from 6 to 10 years dependent upon the penalty imposed. N.B. Convictions resulting in imprisonment for more than 30 months are never spent.
Employment where the Act does not apply
Various kinds of employment, occupations and professions are, however, exempted from the provisions of the Act. These include any appointments concerned with the provision of accommodation, care, leisure, recreational facilities, school, education and childcare services, social services, supervision or training of persons under the age of 18 which would involve access to such minors in the ordinary course of employment.
If you are applying for such a post you may be required to complete a Criminal Conviction Declaration Form which will be referred to the Scottish Criminal Record Office for checking. Normally you will only be asked to do this if you have been recommended for appointment.
Please note, however, that in certain service areas such as Social Work and residential homes you may be the subject of earlier enquiries and may be asked to complete a Criminal Conviction Declaration Form prior to interview and may also be invited to a pre-selection interview.
N.B. Canvassing of Elected Members or Officers of the Council directly or indirectly in connection with this post may disqualify your application.
Please now complete pages (1) to (5) of the application form and the Equal Opportunities monitoring form.
