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Applications in Welsh

If you wish to submit your application in Welsh, please complete the Welsh Job Application Form (PDF) and return to recruit@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk before the closing date.  Please save a copy before completing the application.  Any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.  The Council welcomes applications in Welsh and English and we will communicate with you in the language of your choice, as long as you let us know which you prefer.  Corresponding in Welsh will not lead to any delay.

Useful tips on how to apply

You should complete the application form fully ensuring all mandatory fields have been completed.  A curriculum vitae (CV) will not be accepted as supplementary information or as an alternative to completion of the application form.

The application form is the only information we have on a candidate when deciding who to select for interview.  It is important that you complete all sections of the form as fully and concisely as you can, based on the information we have provided to you about the post.  It is also important that you read all the information enclosed with the application form and think about why you want this job and what experience and skills you have to offer before actually completing the application form.

The job description and person specification list the main duties and relevant qualifications, experience and personal competencies required for undertaking the post.  It is crucial that you demonstrate in your application form how you are able to satisfy each of the essential and if applicable, desirable criteria stated in the person specification, with particular attention to those being assessed from the application form.

In your application you should address each point of the person specification giving examples of how you have applied your skills, experience and personal competencies in your employment history.  For example, if the person specification asks for ‘experience of working with elderly people’ then writing ‘I have experience of working with elderly people’ is not sufficient.  You will need to explain in more detail about your specific experience and what was involved, for example ‘I worked on a voluntary basis as a Care Assistant for two years which involved helping with personal care, as well as encouraging the residents to become involved in a range of social activities.’

Being invited for interview will depend on whether the information you have written in your application form shows that you meet the requirements of the person specification.  Only those applicants who evidence that they meet all the essential criteria as a minimum will be shortlisted.

If you have never been in paid employment or have not been for some time, please give us information of experience you have gained in other ways.  This might include work experience, voluntary work, leisure interests or through domestic and family experience.

The application form includes an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, which enables the Authority to monitor the effectiveness of its policies and also complies with the requirements of our Recruitment Charter and Code of Practice in guaranteeing interviews for disabled applicants that meet the essential criteria.

You must also ensure that you declare on your application form if you are related to any Councillor or Senior Officer (Scale 7 or above) of this Authority.  Failure to do so will disqualify you from appointment.

Pre-Employment Checks

All appointments to the Authority are made conditional to receipt of the following pre-employment checks:

• Work Health Assessment: It is the Authority’s policy that every new entrant to the Council’s service is subject to medical clearance to undertake the duties of the post. You will be asked to complete a questionnaire and, in some cases, may require a medical examination by the Council’s Occupational Health Service.

• Employment References: Appointments are subject to receipt of two satisfactory references, one of which should be from your current employer. In the case of posts that require a criminal records disclosure, it is the Authority’s policy to check any gaps in employment history, and also to seek references for the last ten years.

• Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS): Certain posts within the Authority are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 due to the nature of the work involved, which could include working with children and/or vulnerable adults. Applicants for these posts will be required to undertake a DBS Standard/Enhanced check of criminal records on appointment and every three years in line with Council Policy.  In addition to this, checks will also be made against information held by the Local Authority including any social services records to ensure that any potential risks to vulnerable people are identified.

Applicants applying for positions that require a disclosure of criminal records must disclose on their application form all convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings on their criminal record, including any that may be regarded as ‘spent’ under the provision of the Act.  Details of the requirement to undertake a DBS check are outlined on the advertisement and job description.  Please ensure that prior to completing this form you read the guidance notes for candidates and have checked the requirement to complete a standard or enhanced disclosure on the job description.

Criminal records will be taken into account for recruitment purposes only when a conviction is relevant. Unless the nature of work demands it, you will not be asked to disclose convictions, which are spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of offenders Act 1974.  Having an unspent conviction will not bar you from employment. This will depend on the circumstances and background of the offence.

• Proof of Qualifications: On appointment, all new entrants to the Authority’s service will be requested to provide proof of qualifications, as outlined in their original application.
• Proof of Identification: On appointment, all new entrants will also be requested to provide proof of identification, for example Birth Certificate, Passport or National Insurance Number alongside proof of the right to work in the UK where relevant.

Re-Employment of Staff

Staff who have left the employment of the Council by means of a voluntary redundancy or a voluntary severance which included a financial package, will not usually be re-employed or re-engaged in any way (i.e. by way of agency or consultancy). In exceptional cases only and where there has been a break of more than two years, re-engagement will be subject to CLT approval on the basis of a report outlining a critical business case. In cases that concern the Chief Executive, Directors or Chief Officers, Full Council approval will be required.

Related Documents

• Welsh Language Skills Guidelines
• Pay and Grading Structure 2024

Contact Information