14/08/2017
Dear applicant,
Re: Executive Assistant
Thank you for your interest in employment with YMCA North London. This is the Application Pack for the above position. This pack contains the following:
· YMCA North London Briefing Sheet
· Guidelines on completing your application
· Information on Short Listing and Selection
· Application Form
· Person Specification Form
· Equal Opportunities Form
· Declaration of Criminal Convictions Form
· Data Protection Act agreement
Please refer to the job description (which is a separate document) for more information on this post.
Please read all of the information thoroughly before beginning your application. Please complete your application in full, either electronically or using a black pen before returning, as failing to do so may result in your application not being progressed. YMCA North London will accept Curriculum Vitae’s and a completed Person Specification Form for shortlisting purposes but successful applicants will be expected to complete the full Application Pack prior to interview.
Our preferred method for accepting applications is via email. Please attach your CV and completed Person Specification Form and address it to
If you are unable to email your application to us, please post your application to:
Katie Gudushauri
HR Manager
YMCA North London
The New Gallery
Haringey Park
London
N8 9HY
The closing date for completed applications is 12:00 Midday on the 10th September 2017 and interviews/assessments will be held the w/c Monday 11th September 2017.
If you would like us to acknowledge receipt of your posted application please enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope with your application.
Short listing will be based on the completed Person Specification Form. Please show how you meet the selection criteria.
Thank you again for your interest in working for YMCA North London and I look forward to receiving your details.
Yours sincerely
Katie Gudushauri
HR Manager
For and on behalf of YMCA North London
Applicants Pack Page 2 of 16 April 2017 V 2
A WELCOME TO APPLICANTS
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for the interest you have shown in this role at YMCA North London by downloading this recruitment pack. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit more about the organisation.
We currently operate mostly in the borough of Haringey and aspire to work in the North London boroughs of Barnet and Enfield.
YMCA North London
YMCA North London is an autonomous charitable organisation affiliated to YMCA England along with 113 other YMCAs. Collectively our work is focused on young people and communities in 5 areas:
· Health and Wellbeing
· Training and Education
· Family work
· Accommodation
· Support & Advice
You can find out more about YMCA activities and values on our own website and those of YMCA umbrella bodies (e.g. England, Europe, World Alliance)
YMCA North London is the trading name of two legal entities. All of the activities for which this post is responsible are managed within one of them, Hornsey (North London) YMCA Housing Society Limited, Homes and Communities Agency No. HO/995 and Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies No. 14948.
The post is accountable to the CEO and the Board of Trustees of YMCA North London across the whole YMCA North London organisation.
YMCA North London provides services to men and women and to people of all faiths and none. There is no requirement for the post holder to be a Christian but they should be comfortable working within our values.
Further details about all our activities can be found on our website. If you have queries about the recruitment process please contact our HR consultants HR Initiatives Limited.
Yours sincerely,
Reginald Parkinson
CEO
Guidance Notes
for completing an application for employment with YMCA North London
INTRODUCTION
The application process is in 2 parts in order to serve 2 separate purposes:
a) The main Job Application Form asks for detailed information about you and your work history. The purpose of the form is to make sure that, as far as possible, applicants who might be at risk to children or young people are not considered for appointment. The detail that is asked for complies with national guidance on safe recruitment procedures for appointments.
b) The Person Specification Form is the key document that is used for short listing and selection.
It is separated into 2 parts to avoid unlawful or unfair discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, religion, disability, age and sexuality, but also discrimination for reasons that are not related to the ability to do the job.
You must complete all parts of the application form. Curriculum Vitaes (CV) are not acceptable; neither is an application form that simply refers to an enclosed CV.
The post for which you are applying will bring you into direct contact with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults. During our recruitment procedure we take steps to assess an applicant’s suitability for such a position of trust. It is important that you understand the nature of the checks that we will make and when we will make them.
HOW TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM
If the Post Applied for is not completed, please complete it yourself.
1. PERSONAL DETAILS
The information given here will be used to contact you and to identify you accurately when contacting referees. The information will not be used in the selection process.
YMCA North London does not discriminate on grounds of age. Dates of birth and employment/education dates are requested in line with the Safeguarding Children – Safer Recruitment and Selection in Education Settings Guidelines.
YMCA North London ask for information on any disability you may have to enable us to consider any adjustments that we can make, either to the recruitment process itself, or in employment, in order to assist you.
2. CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
Please give us the details of your current employer and post or your college or university if you are a student. Complete this section also if you are employed in a voluntary capacity. If you are currently not in employment, then say so here. Please be as accurate as possible in the from and to dates, and provide us with a reason for leaving.
3. PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
It is very important that you list your previous employment in chronological order. All employment, including self-employment, consultancy, part-time and temporary jobs and unpaid employment, must be included.
4. PERIODS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR IN PREVIOUS SECTIONS SINCE AGE 18
Your application needs to give a complete picture of your working career, including periods when you were not in employment. In this section, you need to explain any gaps, such as raising a family or extended travel.
5. EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
There are 4 sub-sections here. Make sure that you give all of the information needed, including qualifications and training that, whilst not essential, are useful and relevant to the job.
6. VOLUNTARY WORK
This section is for you to tell us about any voluntary work you do. If you have gained any skills, knowledge or experience that is relevant to this post, please tell us about it in this section.
7. REFERENCES
YMCA North London request that references be taken up at short listing stage and before interview, so you need to be sure that your referees are willing and able to provide a reference. If you would prefer us not to contact your current employer until a conditional job offer has been made to you, please state this on the form. Any job offer will be made conditional until this reference has been received. One referee must be your current employer.
The ‘Status’ of each referee would be, for example, ‘current employer’ or ‘university tutor’. Each referee must be able to comment on your professional abilities.
Note that references from friends or relatives are not acceptable.
We may approach previous employers who have not been identified by you as a referee and may seek further information from referees who have supplied a reference. Previous employers will be asked whether there are any concerns about your suitability to work with children or young people.
8. LEISURE INTERESTS
This is your opportunity to describe any interests or experiences that could be relevant to the post for which you are applying.
9. GENERAL INFORMATION
From which source did you learn of this vacancy?
Your answer to this will help us to identify how best to target applicants for similar posts in the future.
Are you a relative or partner of any employee of Trustee of YMCA North London?
We need to know this in order to ensure a fair selection process. If you are related to anyone at YMCA North London, then we will avoid asking your relative or partner to be part of the selection process.
Has someone completed this form on your behalf?
Please let us know whether you have completed this form yourself or someone else has completed this form. Note that your certification that the information is correct will be valid whether or not the form has been completed by you.
Have you had any previous contact, or do you have any current contact, with YMCA North London?
Again, we need to know this in order to ensure a fair selection process. If you have worked at YMCA North London, then we will avoid asking anyone you previously worked with you to be part of the selection process.
I certify that the information given is correct to the best of my knowledge
Your application will not be considered unless you sign this paragraph.
NOTES ON COMPLETING THE PERSON SPECIFICATION FORM
You are requested to complete this form (using supplementary sheets if there is insufficient space for your entries). It is essential that you complete and return this form with your application. This form is your chance to show us how well you can do this job.
In the Knowledge/Education/ Qualifications section, please provide us with details of your knowledge, education and qualifications basing your responses on the details provided in the Job Description
In the Experience section, please provide examples of when you have demonstrated the essential and desirable attributes detailed in the Job Description enclosed with this pack.
In the Skills and Abilities section, please give examples of when you have demonstrated the skills and abilities required of the role you are applying for:
NOTES ON THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY - MONITORING FORM
YMCA North London is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To help us monitor our policy, we would be grateful if you would complete the details on this monitoring form.
Completion of this form will help us fulfil our general duty under the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to promote equality of opportunity and promote good relations between people of different racial groups, and our specific duty under the Act to monitor, by reference to racial group, applicants for employment and staff in post.
The information you give on this form does not form part of the selection procedure. The form is separated from the application form and is only used to help us monitor effectively. It will be kept on a computer file.
DECLARATION OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 sets out to help people who have been convicted of a criminal offence and have not been convicted again in a specified period. This period is known as a rehabilitation period. Once a rehabilitation period has expired and no further offending has taken place, a conviction is considered to be ‘spent’. Once a conviction is spent, the convicted person does not have to reveal it or admit its existence in most circumstances.
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 [Exceptions Order] gives some exemptions from the Act, whereby details of ‘spent’ convictions have to be declared. One of these exemptions is working with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults. When recruiting people to work in such positions of trust an employer is entitled to ask for details of all convictions, spent and ‘unspent’.
DATA PROTECTION AGREEMENT
Personal data obtained from applicants during recruitment process will be held securely by YMCA North London. Information provided will be used solely for the purposes of selection for the post advertised, unless express permission for additional use is sought from the applicant [e.g. if the applicants might be considered for other vacancies]. Other than for the successful applicant, no personal data provided in the course of the application other than that stored and processed as part of the YMCA North London’s monitoring of equal opportunities will be retained beyond four months from the date from which applicants are informed of the outcome of their application. Please sign this form to agree to us processing the data you provide to us in the manner outlined above.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR APPLICATION
1. Before signing your application form, please ensure that every section has been completed.
2. Return the form as instructed in the covering letter of this pack, by the closing date shown in the advertisement and the covering letter of this pack.
3. Applicants will only be acknowledged if a stamped self-addressed envelope is enclosed.
4. Following short listing, you will be notified of the outcome of your application.
Applicants Pack Page 2 of 16 April 2017 V 2
SHORT LISTING
Short listing will take place once the closing date for applications has passed.
SELECTION
In accordance with the Asylum, Nationality and Immigration Act 2006, we are required to verify that potential employees have the right to work in the UK. As an employer, we will be committing a criminal offence under the Act if we employ a person who is not entitled to work in the UK.
If you are an UK/EU citizen, or you are from outside the UK/EU but have been granted indefinite leave to remain within the UK, before an offer of employment can be made you will need to submit any ONE of the following documents or TWO documents if asked for in combination, to confirm your immigration status as having the right to work in the UK: