National Recruitment Service

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Additional Campaign Information

HSE (2012 intake) SPONSORSHIP STUDENT MIDWIFE RECRUITMENT SCHEME

Higher Diploma in Midwifery

REF: NRS0495

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a career with the HSE.

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

In this document we lay out the regulations by which the campaign will run. It outlines what we require from you and in what format we require it, it also explains what will happen after the interview process and how panels will be managed.

This is to ensure that we have the same information from all candidates and that candidates are treated in the same manner.

  1. Campaign Time Scales

Closing date for HSE 2012 Sponsorship Student Midwife Recruitment Scheme, Higher Diploma in Midwifery is :

  • Closing date for receipt of completed on-line application form by pac is no later than 5.00pm Friday 9th September 2011.
  • Closing date for all supporting documentation*is no later than 5pm Friday 16th September 2011.

THIS MEANS APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER 5pm Friday 9th September 2011 AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION* RECEIVED AFTER 5pm Friday 16th September 2011 WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

*Supporting Documentation =

  1. Verification of 1 year post registration experience in general nursing within the past 5 years, working a minimum of 74 hours per month. Please ensure that your current or former employer signs this form, validating the post registration general nurse service claimed by you. This form may be downloaded from the PAC system and returned completed, quoting your PAC Ref. No to HSE NRS , 20-23 Merchant’s Quay, Dublin 8.
  2. Additional questions to application. This form may be downloaded from the PAC system and must be returned completed, quoting your PAC Ref No. to HSE NRS, 20-23 Merchant’s Quay, Dublin 8.
  3. Parchment and transcripts for qualification in general nursing. Please send copies directly to PAC, 1Courthouse Square, Galway, quoting your PAC ref No .

It is anticipated that interviews will be held week commencing 24th October 2011 in Dublin.

  • Candidates who do not confirm their interview attendance prior to the date and time supplied in the invitation to interview will have their slot cancelled.
  1. How to apply for the HSE 2012 Student Midwife Recruitment Scheme Higher Diploma in Midwifery.

Candidates must apply for sponsorship online through We will not be able to process applications by CV or any other method this means that if you apply by any other method than the approved application form you will not proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process i.e. you will not be invited for interview

NB This is a competency based application form. In order for your application to be considered, the supplementary section of the application form, i.e. competency based questions must be fully completed. If you do not complete all questions, we will be unable to process your application further.

Candidates please note the National Recruitment Service will only review applications after the closing date for the receipt of applications. This is due to the high volume of applications. The National Recruitment Service can only accept applications fully submitted and acknowledged by PAC by the closing date and time 5pm Friday 9th September 2011.

N.B. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NATIONAL RECRUITMENT SERVICES WILL MAINLY CONTACT YOU BY MOBILE PHONE & E-MAIL. SOME COMMUNICATIONS ARE SENT BY POST (e.g. INVITATIONS TO INTERVIEW, SELECTION PROCESS RESULTS) , THEREFORE IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT BOTH YOUR MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBER & E-MAIL ADDRESS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR APPLICATION AS WELL AS A POSTAL ADDRESS. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR MOBILE VOICE MAILS, TEXT MESSAGES AND EMAILS. THIS MEANS THAT IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE YOUR WORKMOBILE AND WORK EMAIL ADDRESSES YOU MAY RECEIVE COMMUNICATIONS THAT HAVE A TIME DEADLINE REQUIREMENT WHILE WORKING AWAY OR ON LEAVE.

  1. Who should apply?

Applicants who:

  • Are registered in the General Division of the Register of Nurses maintained by An Bord Altranais or entitled to be so registered.
  • Have a minimum of 1 year post registration experience in general nursing within the past 5 years (by closing date for receipt of completed applications, i.e. 9th September 2011), working a minimum of 74 hours per month.

Applicants from outside the European Economic Area and Candidates who are Bulgarian or Romanian Nationals

While the HSE is an equal opportunities employer, in line with current Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Work Permit requirements, applications from non European Economic Area (EEA) citizens will only be considered in the event that an EEA citizen cannot be found to fill a vacancy. This means that if you are not an EEA citizen, and you are successful at interview, you cannot be offered a sponsorship place until all successful EEA citizens are offered and unless an EEA successful candidate cannot be found to fill a sponsorship vacancy.

However, we welcome applications from holders of the following documents:

  • A scanned copy of your documentation which entitles you to work in this state
  • A scanned copy of your passport showing your identification details and immigration stamp showing you have permission to be in this state

Please see Appendix 1 for further information and a for a list of EEA Countries

Please note the National Recruitment Service will request proof of authorisation to work in Ireland at a later stage in the recruitment process. Candidates who do not provide proof of authorisation to work in Ireland in the specified time scale outlined by the National Recruitment Service will not be appointed to posts. Only candidates with valid authorisation to work in the Republic of Ireland will be appointed to posts

Further details regarding work authorisations can be found on

  1. Who cannot apply?
  • 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. VoluntaryHospital's Superannuation Scheme (VHSS) (Officers or Non Officers Schemes)
  4. Nominated Health Agencies Superannuation Scheme (NHASS)

(Please see Appendix 2 for further details and additional questions to application form .)

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

  1. Will I get a sponsorship place through this campaign?

The allocation of places is based on –

a.Your placement, by order of merit, on the panel.

b.Maternity Site/HEI Choice

c.Availability of advertised sponsored places.

The HSE Maternity Sites will offer sponsorship for the duration of the training programme. Successful candidates must commit to an 18 month programme, including college attendance and clinical placements in the sponsoring HSE maternity hospital and must commit to a 12 month, full-time service commitment to their HSE Maternity site if available and offered by the sponsoring agency. NB: however, please note that the availability of the service commitment is subject to employment controls

  1. Where are the sponsorship training places located and how many places are available?

Cork University Maternity Hospital/University College Cork (CUMH/UCC) 32 places *

UniversityHospital,Galway/National University of Ireland, Galway (UHG/NUIG) 17 places

Mid West Regional Maternity Hospital/University of Limerick(MWRH/UL) 20 places

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda/Dundalk Institute of Technology (OLOL/DKIT) 15 places

* It is envisaged that there will be 32 places available. The number of places available is subject to change.

  1. Interview Locations

Interviews will be held centrally in Dublin.

Interviews will be held in person only, therefore candidates must be available to present for interview in Dublin. Interviews will be held on the dates specified by the National Recruitment Service and no subsequent or alternative interview dates will be offered to candidates. There will be no alternative interview methods e.g. telephone / video conferencing.

You will also be required to produce the following documentation upon your arrival for your interview. Candidates who do not bring the required documentation listed below will not be admitted to interview.

  • Form of recent photographic identification i.e. drivers licence, passport or student/ HSE Work I.D. This identification will be checked and returned to you immediately on the day.
  • Garda Vetting Form - you will also be required to complete a Garda vetting form which will be enclosed in your invitation to interview letter. You will be required to fully complete this form and return it to the National Recruitment Services staff on the day of interview. All candidates must complete the Garda vetting form. This includes current HSE employees. We strongly recommend, to avoid delays on the day of interview, that you complete your form in advance of your interview as per the instructions enclosed with your form.

Security Clearances

Our office will seek Garda Vetting for all of your residences in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

All appointments will require satisfactory security clearances. If you lived in any country for 6 months or more other than the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland you will be required to provide security clearance for each jurisdiction in which you have resided. Your security clearance must be dated AFTER you left that country and cover the entire period of your residence. Seeking security clearances from other countries (e.g. UK, USA etc) are the responsibility of the candidate. It is a process which can take an amount of time. Therefore if you are interested in pursing a career within the HSE we would strongly advise that you commence seeking international security clearances now. Please see Appendix 3 for more information on international clearances.

Please note if you require overseas security clearance and are unable to produce it at the time of job offer then the job offer may be withdrawn.

  1. What is the selection process?
  1. Candidates must apply online through . There is an application fee of €45.00 payable to PAC.
  1. Candidates who apply must be suitably qualified (see above “3. Who Should Apply?”). Candidates should pay due attention to the “Professional Experience” section of their application form with regard to demonstrating their eligibility. Candidates who do not provide sufficient evidence of their eligibility will not be processed onto shortlisting (if applicable) and interview. Candidates arerequired to submit verification of their post registration general nursing experience. If verification is not received by 5pm Friday 16th September 2011, your application will not be processed further.
  1. Candidates must complete the “Competency Based Questions” section of the application form. Those applicants who do not fully complete the “Competency Based Questions” section of the application form will not be processed onto shortlisting (if applicable) and interview.
  1. A shortlisting exercise may apply based on the information you provide in your application form. This means that a shortlisting board comprised of Directors/ Assistant Directors of Midwifery will shortlist applicants based on information put forward in the applicationform. Please note the criteria for shortlisting is based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements. Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.
  1. Appointment to the sponsorship programme will be subject to satisfactory references, Garda/Security clearance, medicals and other clearance requirements.
  1. Formation of Panels

What is a panel?

A panel is a list of candidates successful at interview placed in order of merit. Candidates are awarded a mark during the interview process and the candidate who scores the highest mark is placed first on the panel. The allocation of places is based on –

a.Your placement, by order of merit, on the panel.

b.Maternity site/HEI choice

c.Availability of advertised sponsored places

Marking System

Candidates are given marks for skill areas during the interview. These elements are clearly indicated in the Application Form and Competency Based Questions.

Where two or more candidates score the same marks and are interested in the same LHO Area and HEI a further ranking process will apply. A previously agreed skill area of the interview will be chosen to further rank successful candidates e.g. Karen and Mary are both successful at interview. They have both applied for LHO Longford/Westmeath and for St. Angela’s College Sligo. They both score 121 at interview, which would place them at joint number 3 on the panel for LHO Longford/Westmeath.

If Professional Knowledge has been the secondary ranking chosen then the candidate who has scored highest in this area will receive the first job offer.

Karen scored 19 in the Professional Knowledge element and Mary scored 18. Karen will be number 3 a. on the panel and Mary will be number 3 b. on the panel.

Where candidates have the same mark on the secondary ranking, an additional ranking will be applied and so forth.

  1. Acceptance / Refusal of Sponsorship places

The National Recruitment Service will require that you include in your application form your:

  • mobile telephone number
  • e-mail address

These are the communication channels the HSE will use to contact you. If you change your e-mail address or mobile telephone number it is your responsibility to inform the National Recruitment Service.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have access to your mobile voice mails, text messages and emails. This means that if you choose to use your work mobile and work email address you may receive communications that have a time deadline requirement while working away or on leave.

Should you be offered a sponsorship you will beoffered only one HSE maternity site/HEI. If you decline this offer you will be removed from the panel.

Should you be offered, you will receive a message from the HSE and a message on your PAC account.

You will have one working week, i.e. 5 working days, in which to accept a sponsorship offer made in the first round of offers. Should there be subsequent rounds of offers the timeframes for accepting sponsorship offers may be shorter and will be clearly indicated at offer stage.

Please note that the option to defer sponsorship is not available.

Medical Clearances:

It is the successful candidates' responsibility to ensure that all relevant immunisations are up to date prior to the commencement of the programme. Individual HEIs will advise on specificrequirements on acceptance of the programme place. Please note that clinical placements may be delayedsignificantly if immunisations are not current.

  1. Police Clearances from Abroad

It is the responsibility of the candidate to obtain police clearances for all jurisdictions in which they have lived and worked in excess of six months outside the Republic of Ireland. You will not be issued a sponsorship agreement or be able to take up your sponsorship place without all clearances on file. Therefore, we advise you to commence the processing of your police clearances from abroad immediately to ensure your availability to commence employment should you be deemed successful at interview and offered a sponsorship.

Please see Appendix 3 which will provide additional information.

Appendix 1

Applicants from Outside the EEA

Applicants from outside the European Economic Area and Candidates who are Bulgarian or Romanian Nationals

The National Recruitment Service will request proof of authorisation to reside and work in Ireland after the closing date of 9th September 2011. Candidates who do not provide proof of authorisation to reside and work in Ireland in the specified time scale outlined by the National Recruitment Service will not be processed further.

N B This means that your application will not be submitted for the shortlisting exercise (if applicable) and subsequent invitation to interview.

As previously stated in point 3 the NRS will contact you to submit the following documentation:

  • A scanned copy of your documentation which entitles you to work in this state
  • A scanned copy of your passport showing your identification details and immigration stamp showing you have permission to be in this state

EEA Nationals

EEA nationals who do not require work permits / visas / authorizations are nationals of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland.

Bulgarian and Romanian nationals, will continue to require a permit to take up employment in Ireland and the job will continue to be subject to the current requirement for a labour market test. Bulgarian and Romanian nationals who are already in the IrishState on a valid employment permit for an uninterrupted period of 12 months or longer prior to the 31st December 2006 will not need an employment permit.

Appendix 2

Persons in receipt of a pension from specified Superannuation Schemes

The HSE has implemented a policy which prohibits the rehire of retired members of HSE staff in all grades. You will not be eligible to compete for posts to be filled in this campaign if you have previously worked for the HSE/former Health Boards and are now in receipt of a pension awarded under the terms of one of the following Pension Schemes:

  1. Local Government Superannuation Scheme (LGSS)
  1. HSE Employee Superannuation Scheme
  1. VoluntaryHospital's Superannuation Scheme (VHSS) (Officers or Non Officers Schemes)
  1. Nominated Health Agencies Superannuation Scheme (NHASS).

Prospective candidates must satisfy themselves as to their eligibility to be employed by the Health Service Executive before applying/competing for posts to be filled through this recruitment campaign.

Former Health Service and public sector employees must ensure that they adhere to their contractual obligations where they have previously availed of the Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER), 2010 Voluntary Early Retirement Scheme (VER) or 2010 Voluntary Redundancy Scheme (VRS).