An tSeirbhís Earcaíochta Náisiúnta National Recruitment Service

Seirbhísí Gnó Sláinte, Health Business Services

Aras Sláinte Chluainin Aras Sláinte Chluainin

Cluainín Ui Ruairc Manorhamilton

Co.Liatroma Co.Leitrim

Teil/Tel: 00353 (0)71 9820518

Faics/Fax: 00353 (0)71 9820598

Additional Campaign Information

Professionally Qualified Social Worker

National Recruitment Campaign

NRS02234

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career as a Professionally Qualified Social Worker.

·  For more information on the services provided by Túsla the Child and Family Agency please see Appendix 7 and refer to http://www.tusla.ie

·  For more information on health and social care services provided by the HSE please see Appendix 8 and refer to http://www.hse.ie

This document contains some additional important information regarding this campaign. We highly recommend that you read this document before applying for this campaign.

This recruitment campaign is being run to create a panel for Túsla and the HSE so that current and future permanent and specified purpose vacancies can be filled. The panel formed through this campaign will fill vacancies in both the HSE and Túsla. The National Recruitment Service will run this campaign on behalf of the HSE and Túsla.

You can choose to work in either Túsla or in the HSE or in both. Further detail on these options is available on page 4.

1.  How to apply?

You must use the Application Form particular to this post, either download it as a word document from http://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/Jobs/ and type in your details which you can email to or print it and fill in by hand and return by post to: National Recruitment Services (NRS), Health Business Services, Aras Slainte Chluainin, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim

·  There is no need to sign e-mailed applications; we will request candidates to sign their application form at interview.

·  If you submit more than one application, the one we will accept is the last one received prior to the closing date and time.

·  We will not be able to process applications by CV or any other method.

·  Applications stored on personal online storage sites, e.g., SKYDRIVE, CLOUD, etc. will not be accepted.

Please ensure that you fully complete the qualifications and eligibility criteria on page 4 of the Application Form. Please note that if you omit information in this section pertinent to the eligibility criteria you may be deemed ineligible and subsequently not called forward to interview. (Full details of eligibility criteria are contained in Appendix 1 of this document)

This is a competency based application form. In order to consider your application, this section of the form must be fully completed. If you do not complete all questions, we will be unable to process your application. This means if you do not answer all of your competency questions in full your application will not be submitted for the ranking exercise and subsequent invitation to interview.

E-mail applications will receive an automated response (within office hours Monday to Friday), which will let you know that we have received your e-mail. Candidates please note the NRS check eligibility after the closing date and time for the receipt of applications. This is due to the high volume of applications. The NRS can only accept applications received by the closing date and time i.e. Wednesday, 29th April 2015 at 12 noon. No applications received after this time & date will be accepted. This means that if your application is blank, you have sent the wrong version of your application form, missing competency questions, have no internet access etc or that you have not attached requested relevant supporting documentation, etc you will not be processed further.

Please note that the NRS will mainly contact you by mobile phone and email. Some communications are sent by post (e.g. invitations to interview, selection process results), therefore it is most important that both your mobile phone telephone number and email address are included on your application form as well as your postal address. It is your responsibility to ensure you have access to your mobile voice mails, text messages and emails. If you choose to use your work mobile and work email addresses you may receive communications that have a full time deadline requirement while working away or on leave. We recommend you use your personal email and mobile number that you have regular access to.

2.  Who should apply?

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates who are interested in Professionally Qualified Social Worker positions at HSE and Túsla sites in the Republic of Ireland. The panel created on foot of this campaign will fill vacancies which may occur for a 12 month period (panels may be extended).

Applicants invited to apply include:

·  Eligible applicants interested in permanent and/or specified purpose vacancies* (please also read Point 3 below for further details on this). * Specified Purpose vacancy is a vacancy of defined duration e.g. a six month vacancy

·  Candidates (Undergraduates Degree / Masters) on a recognised professional social work course due to graduate in 2015.

·  Candidates qualified (qualified pre 2015 and during 2015) outside of the Republic of Ireland on a recognised professional social work course

For more details on suitably qualified applicants see Appendix 1.

For more details on validation see Appendix 1.

Information for Non-European Economic Area Applicants

While the HSE and Túsla are equal opportunities employers, in line with current Department of Enterprise Jobs and Innovation Work Permit requirements, applications from non European Economic Area (EEA) will only be considered in the event that an EEA citizen cannot be found to fill the vacancy.

For more details on EEA countries please see visit the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation website www.djei.ie

Please note:

We welcome applications from suitably qualified Non-EEA Nationals that have refugee status. We would be grateful if such applicants would provide documentary evidence confirming their status.

3.  Candidates who CANNOT APPLY

Applications received from candidates who fall under the below categories will not be processed further in the selection process; this means that you will not be invited to interview.

1.  You cannot apply if you are already on the existing panel for Professionally Qualified Social Worker NRS0856. (Candidates on the existing panel NRS0856 will have received a communication regarding this new campaign.) The existing Professionally Qualified Social Worker panels will take precedence over the new national panel created through this campaign. This means that you and all remaining candidates on the existing panels will be placed in a higher order of merit than the new national panel.

2.  Persons who are currently in receipt of a pension from any of the following superannuation schemes:

1.  Local Government Superannuation Scheme (LGSS)

2.  HSE Employee Superannuation Scheme

3.  Voluntary Hospital's Superannuation Scheme (VHSS) (Officers or Non Officers Schemes)

4.  Nominated Health Agencies Superannuation Scheme (NHASS)

(Please see Appendix 4 for further details.)

4.  Will I get a post through this campaign?

The NRS are running a recruitment and selection process to fill current and anticipated vacancies in the HSE and Túsla during the lifetime of the panel. By participating in this process you are ensuring that you will be included for access to these and future opportunities that may occur.

A position on the panel is not a job offer and does not necessarily mean that you will be offered a post.

Depending on the outcome of the selection process (ranking exercise* and interview) you may be placed on a panel in order of merit, from which specified purpose and permanent job offers will be made.

Please note applicants who have qualified outside the Republic of Ireland must have their qualifications validated by CORU before appointment to a job. For full details on validation please see Appendix 1.

Undergraduates 2015

Applicants who are successful at interview and have completed their studies will remain dormant ** on panels and will not be offered any post until they have informed the National Recruitment Service that they are in receipt of their CORU Registration

* Ranking exercise = a ranking assessment may be carried out with all eligible applicants. Those successful at the ranking stage of this process (where applied) will be placed on an order of merit and may be called to interview in ‘bands’ depending on the service needs of Tusla and the HSE.

** Dormant = you retain your place on the panel but you are not contacted about opportunities

5.  Where are the posts located?

It is our intention to fill all permanent and specified purpose Social Worker Professionally Qualified vacancies throughout the HSE and Túsla through this campaign.

·  Social Workers Professionally qualified employed in the HSE work in the following specialty care areas: Mental Health, Primary Care, Social Care (which includes Older Persons and Disabilities), Acute. The HSE provides services throughout the Republic of Ireland

·  Social Workers Professionally qualified employed in work in the following specialty care area; Children, Youth and Families. Túsla provides services throughout the Republic of Ireland.

From the ‘go live’ date of the panel posts in the HSE and Túsla will be filled from the panels formed through previous campaigns and this campaign, and posts will be offered on a order of merit basis (previous panels will take precedence).

Candidates successful at interview and on the panel will receive full details of the post, site/service and Principal Social Worker contact details through an “expression of interest”. This allows paneled candidates to make an informed decision on a particular post. More details on this are outlined further on in this document under the section “Acceptance / Refusal of job offers”. Appendix 5

6.  Is there anything I need to consider when applying, does it matter what I choose now?

Yes. We expect that the number of applicants will greatly exceed the number of opportunities that may arise. We cannot predict if, when or where vacancies will occur.

Therefore you should make your choice based on where (geographic choice) and in which Service (HSE / Túsla) you would most like to work rather than trying to guess where opportunities will occur.

You will be offered any employment opportunities that occur for the location (and Service if relevant) you have chosen. This is dependent on your order of merit. Job offers and expressions of interest will be operated within the guidelines given under Appendix 5: Panel Management Rules.

The areas you should give greatest consideration to on your application form are:

§  HSE or Tusla Choice or both

§  Geographic choice

HSE and/ or Tusla Choice

If you wish to work as a Social Worker Professionally Qualified in the specialty care areas ONLY of Mental Health, Primary Care, Social Care (which includes Older Persons and Disabilities) and Acute you should indicate your interest in working in the HSE.

·  If you choose HSE only you may be offered jobs in the following specialty care areas: Mental Health, Primary Care, Social Care (which includes Older Persons and Disabilities) and Acute.

If you wish to work as a Social Worker Professionally Qualified in the specialty care area ONLY of Children, Youth and Families you should indicate your interest in working in Túsla.

·  If you choose Túsla only you may be offered jobs in the following speciality care area: Children, Youth and Families.

If you wish to be contacted about all jobs arising in EITHER Tusla or the HSE, you should choose both the HSE and Túsla.

·  If you choose both HSE and Túsla you may be offered jobs in all specialty care areas i.e. Mental Health, Primary Care, Social Care (which includes Older Persons and Disabilities), Acute and Children, Youth and Families.

Depending on the choice you make on your application form, you may be offered a job in the HSE or in Túsla. Panels will be formed in order of merit, a candidate’s placing on either or both HSE or Tusla panels will be determined by their overall mark at interview. Therefore from an order of merit point of view it is immaterial if you choose Tusla or the HSE, or both- it is your mark at interview that determines your place on either or both panels, e.g.

·  John chooses HSE only and scores 200 at interview.

·  Mary chooses Tusla only and scores 250 at interview.

·  Sarah chooses Tusla and HSE and scores 300 at interview.

In this case Sarah will be offered jobs in the HSE and Tusla first. John will offered jobs in the HSE second after Sarah. Mary will offered jobs in Tusla second after Sarah.

Geographic Choice – mandatory to make a single choice

We may call eligible applicants forward to the next stage of the process and may form recruitment panels based on geographic preference. You are required to indicate your geographic preference on your application form. You should make your geographic choice based on what geographic area you are most interested in working in.

·  Please note we cannot accept changes to geographic choice after the closing date and time for the receipt of applications.

If I change my contact details i.e. email address & mobile telephone number how do I update them?

If you need to change/update your contact details during the process you can do so by emailing however you should strongly consider using your long term / most permanent contact details. The email should contain your name, mobile number and please quote the campaign reference NRS02234.

7.  What is the selection process?

§  Applicants who apply must be suitably qualified (see Appendix 1). Applicants should pay due attention to page 4 of their application form with regard to demonstrating their eligibility.

§  Applicants must complete a competency based application form, those who do not fully complete the competency based application form will not be submitted for the ranking exercise and subsequent interview (if applicable).

§  There may be a number of stages of selection stages and a ranking exercise may take place. All applicants will be advised of the next stages in the process after the closing date for the campaign.

§  Any applicant that is deemed ineligible will be informed of the reason for that decision.