Guidance Notes – Information for all candidates
Safeguarding Children and Young People
Please read these notes carefully before completing your application form.
Approach to Recruitment
HAGA is fully committed to the promotion of equalities throughout its operations and takes seriously its responsibilities to protect and safeguard children. We aim to provide all applicants for posts within the organisation with a robust, transparent, and fair recruitment and selection process that genuinely reflects the requirements of the role.
The decision to shortlist you will be made from the information you give us in your application form.
As part of our duty of care to safeguard and protect young people and vulnerable adults, the recruitment and selection process followed is consistent with nationally recommended standards. Short-listed candidates applying for designated posts will be required to demonstrate their personal suitability to contribute to and maintain safeguarding standards. The competencies designed to assess personal suitability are built into the person specification and will be tested through the Personal Interview (PI).
The Personal Interview
The Personal Interview focuses on your motivation, behaviour, integrity, ethics and temperament as they relate to the work rather than your technical abilities to do the job.
Rigorous Vetting and Validation
This organisation also applies a rigorous approach to vetting all short-listed candidates, checking the information provided on application forms together with references from previous employers. You will be required to provide proof of identity, including any change of name, together with original certificates evidencing qualifications. Please note that all evidence of identity and qualifications will need to be the original documents. We will also explore your employment history with you.
Information to Candidates on Completion of Application Form
At all times you must provide us with complete and accurate information. If you are appointed and it is subsequently found that you have provided inaccurate, misleading or false information, this may lead to your dismissal.
Employment History
When completing your employment history, you should provide full information from when you finished school. Employment relates to both paid and unpaid (volunteering) work. You are required to provide the full name and address of employers, together with dates of employment (giving at least months and years) and whether the employment was full-time, part-time or sessional. If you are undertaking two jobs simultaneously, you should make this clear. You are also requested to provide us with your reasons for leaving each job.
Any elements of the information you provide in your application form that are unclear will be explored by the interview panel.
If you currently work or have previously worked through an employment agency, you must provide the names of clients with whom you worked on assignments and the relevant dates for each assignment.
We do require you to disclose your date of birth and age. This enables us to identify the age at which you left school and commenced either full time education or employment. Age does not form part of the selection criteria, unless specifically stated.
Criminal Vetting
If you are the preferred candidate, then we will take up checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). You will be asked to complete the CRB/DBS form as part of your application.
Since the post is considered exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) (Exceptions Order 1980), you should note that no convictions are considered spent. In completing your application form, you should, therefore, tell us of any conviction, including formal warnings, that you have received to-date.
Under the Criminal justice and Court Services Act 2000, it is an offence for an individual who has been disqualified from working with children to knowingly apply for, offer to do, or accept work in a “regulated position”. This includes the role for which you are applying.
Safeguarding Form
You are asked to complete the Safeguarding Form. This requests a range of confidential information.
This form will only be opened if, and when, you are short-listed. If you declare information, you will be
invited to a meeting with a senior manager. As a result of this meeting, the manager may take up
further checks. You will then be informed whether or not the organisation is able to continue with your
application.
These questions will also be explored with referees.
Qualifications
You are required to produce the original certificates in relation to your qualifications.
Person Specification – Selection Criteria
Please read the Job Description and Person Specification carefully. The Person Specification clarifies
the selection criteria against which you will be assessed during the selection process and the selection
method that will be used. In the completion of your application form, we expect you to be able to
demonstrate your understanding of the job and how you believe you meet the selection criteria,
particularly addressing those criteria which will be used to short-list candidates. These criteria are
clearly indicated in the application pack.
The Person Specification contains specific criteria relating to your motivation, behaviour, attitudes,
ethics and temperament. These will be assessed through the personal interview.
We will not use CVs to shortlist candidates. You must complete the application form in full.
References
References should be from your current and previous employers, and from a senior manager in the
organisation who has personal experience of your work. Personal references from friends and family
are not acceptable. You should make clear the relationship between the referee and yourself, e.g.
immediate line manager.
When providing referees, you should think about the people who are most likely to be able to
comment on your capacity in relation to the role for which you have applied. We reserve the right to
take up additional references to those you have provided, but we will seek your agreement before
doing so.
We also reserve the right to phone your referees and discuss your reference with them.
We will take up references, including current employer references, on all short-listed candidates prior
to assessment/interview, unless you give us reasons why we should not do this. We recognise that
some candidates may prefer us not to go to their current employer until they have been interviewed.
Even in this instance, referee information must be provided prior to interviews. We will not offer
employment until we have received satisfactory references.
As any referees who do not respond promptly will be contacted by phone, contact numbers must be provided.
Safeguarding FormTo be completed by all Candidates
This form should be completed and returned in a sealed stamp addressed envelope. The envelope will not be opened unless you are short-listed. If you are not short-listed, the unopened envelope will be returned to you. If you do not provide an S. A. E., we will destroy the letter unopened.
Your application will not be considered unless you complete this form and return it with your application form.
If you are invited to interview, you will be asked to bring original documents that verify the information given on both this and your application form.
If we think that the information which you provide may be relevant to safeguarding young people or vulnerable adults, or if our checks reveal child protection or adult protection related concerns, you will be invited to a face-to-face meeting with a senior manager to explain the circumstances. If you choose not to attend this meeting, we will not proceed with your application.
If we decide not to proceed with your application on the basis of the meeting with you or information obtained through our checks, we will let you know.
In relation to safeguarding young people and vulnerable adults, we only consider relevant cautions or convictions. We operate strict protocols to ensure that people who declare criminal convictions or cautions are treated fairly and their personal information held securely.
If we discover information about a criminal or disciplinary offence that you have not previously disclosed, we will regard this as a fundamental breach of trust. If we have offered you employment, the offer will be withdrawn immediately and without compensation. If you are already in the new post, this may result in your instant dismissal.
APPLICATION FORM
Haringey Advisory Group on Alcohol
177 Park Lane, Rothbury Walk,
London,
N17 0HJ
Tel: 020 8800 6999 Fax: 020 8802 0081
Please email your completed application form to or post to the address above marked for the attention of the HR department
- POSITION APPLIED FOR:
2. PERSONAL DETAILS
Surname:Forenames:
Title:
Address:Telephone Number (Home)
(Work)
Email address:
- PROFESSIONAL/VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Dates from and to inc. month / Qualifications Obtained / Subject / Grade
- EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Dates from and to inc. month / Qualifications Obtained / Subject / Grade
- EMPLOYMENT HISTORY Please start with your present or most recent employment (Continue on a sheet attached if necessary)
Start & end dates inc. month & year / Name and Address of Employer
Nature of Business / Your Job Title / Brief Description of Duties / Salary, and Reason(s)
for leaving
- FURTHER INFORMATION
Please ensure that the information you give is related to the person specification. CVs will not be accepted. Please also provide any relevant details of experience or skills which you feel would support your application.
Continue on a separate sheet if necessary
7. Please confirm you have a legal entitlement to work in the United Kingdom
YES/NO
N.I. No:
8. Please give any dates when you would not be available for interview and if you require any reasonable adjustments?
- Are you in any relationship with an employee or Committee Member of Haringey Advisory Group on Alcohol? YES/NO
10. If offered a position, when would you be free to commence employment?
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and due to vulnerability of the client group you must declare all convictions spent or otherwise. Please detail on section 6 of the attached Monitoring Form, if appropriate. This information is confidential and may not automatically disqualify you for the post.
- REFEREES
Please give the names and addresses of two referees, one of which must be your present or most recent employer. Please note: employment agent references will not be accepted.
Name:Name:
Address:Address:
Email:Email:
Daytime Telephone No:Daytime Telephone No:
Capacity in which they know you: Capacity in which they know you
Can we contact your referees before interview? YES/NO
NO approach will be made to your referees without consent.
- DECLARATION
The above information is correct to the best of my knowledge.
Signed: ………………………………………………………………………..
Date: …………………………………………………………………………..
HAGA Safeguarding Children and Young People Information Request
Declaration of Confidential Information
SurnameForenames
Previous surnames
Place of Birth
(town/county & country)
Present address (including postcode)
Length of time at present address
Professional registration no. (or other professional body if appropriate)
Name of awarding body
Certain positions where employees have both direct and indirect access to young people or vulnerable adults are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all subsequent amendments (England and Wales) and the Rehabilitation Offenders Order 1978 and all subsequent amendments (Northern Ireland). For these positions you are not entitled to withhold information about convictions that would otherwise be considered “spent”.
Have you ever been convicted of any offences, cautions or bind overs?Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Are you subject to any pending prosecutions or current criminal investigations?
Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Are you disqualified from working with children and young people, either through a court imposed disqualification order or through your inclusion on either the Department of Health or Department of Education and Skills Lists of those banned from working with children or the PoCA Register?
Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Are you subject to any pending disciplinary action, complaint or investigations in your current employment?
Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Has a previous employer ever taken disciplinary action against you or have you been subject to a disciplinary investigation?
Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Have you ever been dismissed by a previous employer?
Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Has a young person made an allegation against you involving abuse, malpractice or professional misconduct?
Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Have you OR a member of your family living with you OR a person not related to you but living in your home, been the subject of a child protection investigation or enquiry either currently or in the past?
Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Have you ever had a child for whom you had caring or parental responsibility removed from your care?
Yes/No If yes, please give details:
Have you ever had a child for whom you had caring or parental responsibility on the child protection register?
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN EMPLOYMENT
HAGA wants to meet the aims and commitments set out in its equality policy. This includes not discriminating under the Equality Act 2010, and building an accurate picture of the make-up of the workforce in encouraging equality and diversity.
The organisation needs your help and co-operation to enable it to do this, but filling in this form is voluntary. if you do respond, all information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence and used only for the purposes of providing statistics for equal opportunities monitoring. The information you provide will stay confidential and be limited only to the Human Resources Department. The monitoring form does not form part of your application and therefore should be sent to us separately. You can always email or send this to us in the post separately, if you wish.
Gender:
Male Female Prefer not to say
Are you Married or in a civil partnership?
Yes No Prefer not to say
Age:
16-2425-2930-3435-3940-44 45-4950-54
55- 59 60-6465+ Prefer not to say
What is your ethnicity?
Ethnic origin is not about nationality, place of birth or citizenship. It is about the group to which you perceive you belong. Please tick the appropriate box
White
English Welsh Scottish Northern Irish Irish
British Gypsy or Irish Traveller Prefer not to say
Any other white background, please write in:
Mixed/multiple ethnic groups
White and Black CaribbeanWhite and Black African White and Asian Prefer not to say Any other mixed background, please write in:
Asian/Asian British
Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Chinese Prefer not to say
Any other Asian background, please write in:
Black/ African/ Caribbean/ Black British
African Caribbean Prefer not to say
Any other Black/African/Caribbean background, please write in:
Other ethnic group
ArabPrefer not to say Any other ethnic group, please write in:
Do you consider yourself to have a disability or health condition?
Yes No Prefer not to say
What is the effect or impact of your disability or health condition on your ability to give your best at work? Please write in here:
The information in this form is for monitoring purposes only. If you believe you need a ‘reasonable adjustment’, then please discuss this with your manager, or the manager running the recruitment process if you are a job applicant.
What is your sexual orientation?
Heterosexual Gay woman/lesbian Gay man Bisexual
Prefer not to say If other, please write in:
What is your religion or belief?
No religion or beliefBuddhist Christian Hindu Jewish
Muslim Sikh Prefer not to say If other religion or belief, please write in:
What is your current working pattern?
Full-time Part-time Prefer not to say
What is your flexible working arrangement?
None Flexi-time Staggered hoursTerm-time hours
Annualised hours Job-share Flexible shifts Compressed hours
Homeworking Prefer not to say If other, please write in:
Do you have caring responsibilities? If yes, please tick all that apply
None
Primary carer of a child/children (under 18)
Primary carer of disabled child/children
Primary carer of disabled adult (18 and over)
Primary carer of older person
Secondary carer (another person carries out the main caring role)
Prefer not to say
Thank you for taking the time to complete this form.