To: Applicants for the Post of National Organiser

/ Telephone
Fax
www / Carlow St
London NW1 7LH
020 7756 2500
020 7756 2501
ucu.org.uk

To: Applicants for the post of National Organiser

25 July 2016

Dear Potential Candidate,

Thank you for your request for an application pack and further details of the above post with UCU.

You should read the guidelines enclosed before completing the application form, and please do not include your name on any part of the form, other than where you are specifically requested to do so.

Applications will not be acknowledged but, if you are to be called for interview, you will be notified shortly after the closing date. It is anticipated that interviews will be on28 September. We will not be able to provide feedback on applications from candidates who are not short-listed.

The closing date for this post is 26 August at 12 noon.

If e-mailing completed applications, please send to

Please note that CVs in isolation are not accepted

JOB APPLICATION FORM

Please either type directly onto this form using Microsoft Word or print out and complete the form in black ink.

It is essential that you read and consider the notes attached to the back of this form before you complete it.

Application for Employment as: / National Organiser

A EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Present post: / Job title:
Employer: / Date started:
Salary and benefits:
Brief description of duties and responsibilities:
Previous posts (please start with the most recent):
Job title: / Employer: / Dates (from-to): / Brief description of duties and responsibilities:

BOTHER EXPERIENCE

Please provide details of other experiences that are relevant to this post e.g., voluntary, community, trade union activities.
Dates (from-to): / Activity

CEDUCATION/TRAINING

Further/higher education: / Dates attended: / Qualifications/grade:
Secondary education: / Dates attended: / Qualifications (with date)/grade:
Other relevant training, professional qualifications or work related skills (for example TUC training; IT skills training; management training):
Are you undertaking any course of study at present? (if so, please give details)
Do you have membership of any professional bodies? (if so, please give details, including any offices held)
It is UCU’s policy to verify the qualifications of all successful job applicants and you may be asked at a later stage in the recruitment process for your consent to checks being carried out.

DADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This section will be considered against the person specification as part of the short-listing process. This is an opportunity for applicants to say why they believe they should be appointed to the post, and to provide any additional information on skills, abilities and experience, required by the person specification, that the application form has so far failed to provide an opportunity for them to display. It is important, therefore, that you ensure you translate your experience, knowledge and understanding into written evidence to support your application.
KNOWLEDGE
Please tell us about the following:
Your knowledge and understanding of current issues and political trends in post-16 education.
Your knowledge and understanding of campaigning and organising in a trade union or similar environment.
EXPERIENCE
Please tell us about the following:
Your experience of campaigning and organising in a trade union or similar environment.
Your experience of organising and delivery of training.
APTITUDES AND SKILLS
Please tell us about the following:
Your ability to communicate effectively orally with a wide range of audiences.
Your written communications skills.
Your ability to plan and organise projects.
Your ability to lead, motivate and build teams.
Your ability to work with minimal supervision whilst operating as part of a team.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS
Please tell us about the following:
Your ability and willingness to travel within the UK.

EREFEREES

Applicants should provide, in the space below, the names and addresses of two referees, including one from your present or recent employer or the education institution if you are applying directly from education.

1. Name: / 2. Name:
Address: / Address:
Telephone number: / Telephone number:
Email: / Email:
Occupation: / Occupation:
Time known: / Time known:

Please note that references are only taken up for successful candidates after interview.

FPERSONAL DETAILS

THE ‘PERSONAL DETAILS’ SECTION IS DETACHED FROM ALL APPLICATIONS, AND THE INFORMATION ON IT IS NOT USED IN THE SHORTLISTING/APPOINTMENT PROCESS, EXCEPT TO IDENTIFY DISABLED CANDIDATES WHO MEET THE PERSON SPECIFICATION AND WHO ARE TO BE GIVEN AN INTERVIEW.

Surname:
Forenames:
Current address:
Email address:
Day time telephone number:
Evening telephone number:
Mobile telephone number:
Other Details
What is the notice period required in your present post?
Do you have a full driving licence? / Yes / No
Do you have use of a car? / Yes / No
Are you a British subject or a national of any EU country? / Yes / No
If not, do you have the right to work in the UK and a current work permit? / Yes / No
If so, please state the expiry date of your right to work in the UK and/or your work permit:
Where did you see the advertisement for the post?
Convictions
Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence? If so please give details of any unspent convictions. Spent convictions do not have to be declared as the job is not one covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Disabilities
UCU have given their commitment to shortlist all applicants for a vacant post who indicate in their application that they are disabled and who meet all of the criteria in the person specification. At the shortlisting stage, application forms will be checked to verify if any applicants are disabled. If so, those persons will be given an interview. Up until the interview stage, candidates are identified by number only.
To further this commitment, please indicate if you have a disability.
Do you have a disability? / Yes / No
If 'yes', please give brief details of the effects of your disability on your day-to-day activities, and any other information that you feel would help us to accommodate your needs and thus meet our obligations under the Equalities Act 2010:

G DATA PROTECTION

Information from this application may be processed for purposes registered by the Employer under the Data Protection Act 1998. Individuals have, on written request [on payment of a fee] the right of access to personal data held about them.

I hereby give my consent to UCU processing the data supplied in this application form for the purpose of recruitment and selection.

Declaration

I declare that the information given in this application is to the best of my knowledge complete and correct.

Signature:Date:

Note: Any false, incomplete or misleading statements may lead to dismissal.

GUIDE TO COMPLETING UCU APPLICATION FORM

GENERAL

This guide is provided for the assistance of applicants and should be read before completing the form.

Please either type directly onto this form using Microsoft Word or print out and complete the form in black ink. This is required because the application will be photocopied during our own administrative process. If sending applications via Email, please ensure the format is compatible with Microsoft Office. If unsure, please send as text only.

Candidates are identified by number only and Section F is detached before the application is considered by those responsible for appointments. The information is mainly used for administrative and statistical purposes. To accord with UCU’s Disability Policy all disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria, as detailed in the person specification, will be interviewed. The panel will only be informed of the numbers of any disabled candidates after the short-listing has been completed. In that way short-listing is conducted purely by meeting the minimum criteria for the post.

Applicants are required to address the person specification when providing information in support of their application. The form is designed to assist in this process. Applicants should therefore avoid the use of “standard” curriculum vitae documents not prepared specifically for the post in question.

Only the information provided in this written application is taken into account in the shortlisting process, except where a disability is indicated, above, in which case the relevant information provided on the ethnic monitoring form may also be used.

If you have a disability and need assistance completing the application form, please contact the Personnel Department.

If you are successful, the application form and supporting documents will be kept on your personal record file, and computer file which are stored securely and confidentially.

If you are unsuccessful, the application form and supporting documents will be stored securely and confidentially for 12 months after which it will be destroyed.

A. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

You need to provide details of your present or most recent job.

For the previous posts section please include all work including part-time, voluntary and work at home. Remember to list most recent first. If you have no previous employment, write ‘none’.

B. OTHER EXPERIENCE

Please insert any information about other experience you have. For example voluntary work or trade union work.

C. EDUCATION AND TRAINING

This section should be used by applicants to show the range of skills they have acquired which would assist them in the post.

If you are invited to attend an interview you will be asked to bring proof of the qualifications required for the post as stated in the person specification.

D. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This section will be considered against the person specification as part of the short-listing process. This is an opportunity for applicants to say why they believe they should be appointed to the post, and to provide any additional information on skills, abilities and experience, required by the person specification, that the application form has so far failed to provide an opportunity for them to display. It is important, therefore, that you ensure you translate your experience, knowledge and understanding into written evidence to support your application.

E. REFEREES

You need to provide the names of two people who will provide a reference. It is important they are able to verify and substantiate the evidence provided on your application form, therefore, one of the references should be your present or most recent employer.

F. PERSONAL DETAILS

It is important you complete this section accurately, as the information requested is needed to process your application and to allow us to communicate with you.

In order to comply with the law under Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, we will need proof of your eligibility to work in the UK. The starting point of this confirmation is your passport. If you are selected for interview, you will be required to provide evidence, which can be in the form of your passport, birth certificate, etc. If you are selected for the post, you will need to provide further evidence of eligibility to work in the UK, for example a work permit. Details of evidence required will be issued to you with any provisional job offers.

Applicants for vacancies that show a preference for job share shall receive no less favourable selection consideration than applicants who show a preference for full time employment and vice versa.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS AND PENDING PROSECUTIONS

REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT 1974 (ROA)

You are required to give details of ‘unspent’ convictions and pending convictions.

A ‘spent’ conviction is when you have been convicted of an offence but not convicted again within a specified time. A conviction becomes ‘spent’ after a certain length of time, which varies according to the sentence and your age at the time of the conviction.

Below you will find information that will assist you in deciding whether your conviction(s) are spent or unspent (current).

The ROA enables some criminal convictions to be ‘spent’ or forgotten (for the purpose of employment) after a rehabilitation period.

The length of the rehabilitation period depends on the sentence given, not the offence committed.

Sentences of more than 48 months can never be come spent and have to be declared.

Some types of employment are exempt from the ROA and applicants are required to disclose all of their convictions, spent and unspent. The employer has to state on the application form that the job applied for has excepted status under the Exemptions Order 1975. Jobs with excepted status include: work involving vulnerable groups e.g. children under 18 years of age.

The rehabilitation periods that apply in England and Wales from 10 March 2014 are as follows:

Sentence / End of rehabilitation period for adult offenders / End of rehabilitation period for offenders under 18 at the date of conviction
A custodial sentence of more than 30 months, but not more than 48 months / Seven years from completion of the sentence / 42 months from completion of the sentence
A custodial sentence of more than six months, but not more than 30 months / 48 months from completion of the sentence / 24 months from completion of the sentence
A custodial sentence1 of six months or less / 24 months from completion of the sentence / 18 months from completion of the sentence
Removal from Her Majesty's service / 12 months from the date of conviction / Six months from the date of conviction
A sentence of service detention / 12 months from completion of the sentence / Six months from completion of the sentence
A fine / 12 months from the date of conviction / Six months from the date of conviction
A compensation order / The date on which the payment is made in full / The date on which the payment is made in full

In the case of an absolute discharge, there is no rehabilitation period (i.e. the conviction is spent immediately).

Where the duration of an order, for example a community or youth rehabilitation order, is not specified, the rehabilitation period is two years from the date of conviction.

Rehabilitation periods for custodial sentences run from completion of the sentence. For example, a custodial sentence of between six and 30 months has a rehabilitation period of four years from the end of the sentence. This means that an individual with a sentence of imprisonment of two years will have an additional period of four years from completion of the sentence before the conviction becomes spent.

We will not discriminate against ex-offenders. If you have previous convictions this will not automatically prevent you from getting the job. We consider how previous convictions could affect the job you are applying for. The information you provide will be kept confidential.

DISABILITY

If you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 and you meet the essential requirements of the person specification, you will be invited for an interview.

STATEMENT

If you give false or misleading information on your application form, it will be rejected.

If you gain employment with UCU by making such statements, you will be liable to action which could result in your dismissal.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES MONITORING FORM

UCU is committed to equality in employment. Our aim is to ensure equality for all existing and prospective employees and will not discriminate either directly or indirectly because of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, or pregnancy and maternity.

In order to assess how successful this policy is we have set up a system of monitoring all prospective and existing employees. We would therefore be grateful if you would complete the questions on this form.

The information will be used for statistical and monitoring purposes only, and will be treated in confidence and be subject to the provisions under the current Equality Legislation and Data Protection Act.

COMPLETED FORMS

The completed Application Form and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form should be returned to:

INSERT RETURN ADDRESS

PLEASE NOTE THAT ATTACHED CVS ARE NOT ACCEPTED

JOB CONTEXT FOR THE POST OF NATIONAL ORGANISER

UCU – University and College Union

UCU was formed on 1 June 2006 with the merger of the AUT (Association of University Teachers) and NATFHE (the National Association of teachers in further and higher education). The new union is still in a process of harmonisation following the merger.

UCU is the largest trade union and professional association for lecturers, learning support staff, academic related staff, trainers, researchers and managers working in further and higher education in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our 120,000 members are employed mainly in universities, colleges of further education, colleges of higher education, and in adult, prison and land-based education. We also have members in the private sector, for example in private training agencies and language schools, as well as members working on a freelance basis. Students training to teach in post-school education also belong to UCU.

BACKGROUND

The National Organiser works as part of UCU’s national organising team and is responsible for the delivery of identified key projects as part of UCU’s National Organising Plan.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Post Title:
National Organiser / Department:
Policy & Campaigns
Reporting Line:
Head of Campaigns / Salary Scale:
Grade E
Purpose of Post:
To be responsible for the effective delivery of identified key projects as part of UCU’s National Organising Plan.
Key duties and responsibilities
To be responsible for the delivery of key projects as part of the National Organising Plan in accordance with the policies of the Recruitment, Organising and Campaigning Committee (ROCC)
To contribute to national recruitment, organising, campaigning and training initiatives as required.
To contribute to the design and production of materials for key projects including the preparation of articles, newsletters, leaflets, posters and other campaign materials.
To contribute to the planning, implementation and delivery of the DAN training programme, including the identification of members to be trained.
To demonstrate through example best practice with regard to organising, recruitment and campaigning.
To maintain awareness and knowledge of key professional and industrial relations issues in FE/HE and contemporary trends in organising and campaigning techniques.
To identify any personal training needs and report these to the Head of Campaigns.
To monitor and report regularly to the Head of Campaigns, the Campaigns and Organising Officer and ROCC on performance against national and regional targets and objectives.
Responsibility for information resources
To develop and maintain a database of active members.
Other responsibilities
To develop and maintain positive relationships with branch activists.
To liaise and work collaboratively with colleagues in the regions and at Head Office.
To attend Annual Congress and other conferences/committees and events as required.
To promote equality and diversity in all aspects of UCU’s work.
To undertake such other duties as the National Head of Policy & Campaigns and Head of Campaigns may reasonably require.

PERSON SPECIFICATION