Please read these notes carefully as they have been written to help you make the best of your application.

The decision to short list you for an interview will be based solely on the information you provide on the application form.  We will not make any assumptions about your experience, knowledge, skills and abilities to do the job.

Always complete your application form in black ink or type, and keep a photocopy of your completed application form before returning it. You may find it helpful to do a rough draft first.

The person specification describes the essential knowledge, experience / professional qualifications which you will need in order to do the job as described in the job description.  You need to demonstrate that you have these skills and that you understand and are committed to equality and diversity

Complete this section fully and clearly.  If you do not know your National Insurance Number, you can obtain it from your local Benefits Agency office.  All successful applicants will be required to produce documentary evidence of their eligibility to work in the UK.  Verification of identity is required before confirmation of appointment.

It is important to give full information, including the organisation or school you work in, or most recent employment if not currently working, full dates, addresses and other requested details.

Your referees will be contacted when you are called for an interview.  Your first referee should be your current or most recent employer. We reserve the right to approach any previous employer for a reference.  If your last post did not include working with children, a reference will be sought from your most recent previous employer where you were working with children and young people

Include here any relevant work experience, including part time or work undertaken on a voluntary basis in this section, starting with your most recent experience.  Ensure you put in full details of dates for the past 10 years, names and addresses and your job title including those outside of the UK. You will need to explain any gaps in your employment.

Ensure that you give all the information requested.  Proof of qualification is required before the appointment is confirmed

This is an important part of the application form and is your opportunity to explain how you meet the person specification for the post.  You should demonstrate your skills, knowledge and experience and give short examples.  Describe how you match the requirement of the job; include experience gained from previous jobs, community or voluntary work.  Ensure that the information you give is well organised, relevant and brief. You may find it helpful to list each person specification requirement as a separate heading to explain how you meet that requirement. If you do not complete this section of the form, you will not be considered for short listing.  CVs will not be accepted.

If this applies to you, please let us know the help you require and we will ensure that reasonable adjustments are made.

The amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’ and are not subject to disclosure to employers, and cannot be taken into account.  Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found at the Disclosure and Barring Service website. You must declare any cautions and convictions that are not ‘protected’, including those that are ’spent’.  Details of any conviction(s) or offence(s) must be provided in a sealed envelope marked private and confidential with your application form.

You will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check if you are successful. 

If you do have a spent conviction this will not automatically disqualify you from employment.  RBL operates a Disclosure procedure in line with DBS guidelines.  If you are successfully selected for a position within RBL, you will be subject to this procedure. All Disclosures are carried out in the strictest confidence and are made only in connection with your application for employment and for no other purpose.   All RBL posts will require an Enhanced Disclosure

In the event of a successful candidate having a criminal record, the candidate will have the opportunity of discussing the disclosure with a senior member of staff.   As a minimum, the following will have been taken into account:

• Whether the conviction or information was disclosed during the application stage;
• Whether the conviction or information revealed is relevant to the job;
• How long ago the offence(s) took place;
• The candidate’s age at the time of the offence(s);
• The number and pattern of offences;
• Any other relevant circumstances

No decision will be made until your explanation and the above issues have been considered. We will then carry out a full risk assessment prior to engagement which must be approved by the RBL Board.

If you believe the disclosure information Is inaccurate you would need to contact the DBS.

All disclosure information is kept securely and will only be seen by those who need to use it to carry out their duties.  The disclosure forms are not kept on personal files.

If this applies to you, please give the name of the employee, the department they work in and the relationship e.g. partner, daughter

Before you send in your completed form, please read through it to ensure all sections of the application have been fully completed and you have addressed all the criteria in the Person Specification.