Electoral Services Office / tel
web / Brent Civic Centre
Engineers Way
Wembley
HA9 0FJ
020 8937 1372
www.brent.gov.uk
Dear Sir / Madam, August 2016
Part-time Canvassers for the 2016 Register of Electors
Thank you for expressing an interest in helping us with our annual voter registration canvass.
Please read carefully the information below before completing the Application Form and Canvasser’s Assessment Form. Attached you will find the following:
· Information Sheet
· Job Description
· Background Notes
· Application Form *
· Canvasser’s Assessment *
* to be completed if you wish to apply to work as a Canvasser, and returned as soon as possible.
The closing date for applications is Monday 5th September and canvassing work will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.
Upon receipt of your application and a satisfactory reference we will contact you to confirm whether you have been successful. Unfortunately, we are unable to reply individually to all the applications that we receive. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date we will have placed you on a reserve list.
If you are appointed, full written instructions will be provided and you will be required to attend one training session at Brent Civic Centre (lasting approx. 1½ hours) prior to starting the work. A canvasser manual and other relevant information will be provided before you start canvassing.
You will be employed by Brent Council and report to a canvass Supervisor. All Council employees and external applicants can apply provided they are eligible to work in the UK. Please note that the Council’s terms of recruitment, selection and employment do not apply to this job.
Brent Council has to comply with recent legislation to prevent the employment of illegal workers. If you are not currently employed by the Council, you will be asked to bring original documents which confirm you are entitled to work in the UK (passport, National Insurance number and other relevant documentation).
Work will commence during the first week of October and must be completed by 18th November 2016.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Yours sincerely,
Kim Adefope
Kim Adefope
Electoral Services
Information Sheet for Part-time Canvassers
Background
The Electoral Register is a list compiled by the Council of persons eligible to vote in elections within the Borough. The canvass takes place every year and the Electoral Registration Officer has a statutory duty to publish a revised Register each year.
Two types of form are being sent. The first, the Household Enquiry Form (HEF) is delivered to every household in the Borough and asks for information about the occupants at each property. The second form, an Individual Registration Form (ITR), is sent to people whose names have been added on the returned HEF. This form must be completed before the person can be added to the Register. We anticipate that around 50% of households will complete and return their form. This is where you take over. Your job is to visit the non-responding addresses in your area.
The updated Register of Electors must be published by 1st December 2016 and will be in force until 30th November the following year. The Register is also updated each month with a Notice of Alteration being published on the first working day of each month between January and September. The updated version takes account of people moving into and out of the Borough.
Canvassing work
The canvassing work is to be carried out during a 7 week period. You must be able to start in early October and it will last until the last week of November. A 1½ hour training session will be held during the last few weeks of September (date to be advised). Canvassers work in their own time and the work could be combined with an existing full or part-time job. However, canvassers will be expected to devote sufficient time and effort to ensure that targets and deadlines are met. Typically, canvassers do this work during daytime, evenings and weekends.
For the first time this year, in selected areas, we will be using iPads to canvass. You will be told if your area is one that will be allocated an iPad.
Payment -
Household Enquiry Forms
Less than 60% return 20p per form
60 – 70% return 75p per returned form plus £1.00 for each form given
70 – 80% return 85p per returned form plus £1.00 for each form given
80 – 85% return £1 per returned form plus £1.00 for each form given
85% + return £1.20 per returned form plus £1.00 for each for given
The percentage is based on the number of HEF’s given (likely to be between 300 and 400). The pay structure reflects the need for Canvassers not to ‘drop out’ at an early stage and rewards Canvassers who complete a high percentage of their forms.
£0.50 will be paid for forms in the pack that are returned in the post by householders. These forms will be used to calculate the percentage return.
A bonus of £60.00 will be paid if at least 50% of the workload is completed and returned to the Council within the first three weeks of the canvass period. Other bonuses may be available, i.e. for the overall percentage of forms completed and this is currently under review.
Individual Registration Form
£1.00 to deliver the form to the addressee and encourage that person to register to vote. An additional £1.50 per form will be paid if the form is fully completed at the time of the visit.
Payment will be made through the council’s payroll system directly into your bank or building society account on 15th December. All pay will be liable to income tax, which, if payable, will be deducted at the appropriate rate. Please note that we do not pay travelling expenses.
Please note that payment will not be made until all materials provided (unanswered Visit forms, files, fluorescent jacket, ID badge etc.) are returned to your Supervisor at the end of your employment.
We reserve the right to withhold payment if work submitted is unsatisfactory and the submission of fraudulently completed forms may result in prosecution.
How to apply
If you wish to be considered for the post of part-time Canvasser please complete and return:
· the Application Form
· the Canvasser’s Assessment
Please complete all sections of the Application and Assessment Form and return before the closing date of 5th September but please note that canvassing work will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.
Electoral Services Offices in London Boroughs have agreed to exchange information about canvassers. If you do apply to be a canvasser in Brent, we will pass on your name and postcode to our colleagues in other London Electoral Services offices, to ensure high standards of work can be maintained across London.
Please note the following important information:
· The council’s terms of recruitment, selection and employment do not apply to this job
· Successful applicants will be sent an offer of appointment and details of the training dates
· If you are registered as unemployed you are strongly advised to consult your Jobcentre Plus Office before applying to check if this job affects your entitlement to benefits
· We are unable to write to all applicants. If you do not hear from us your name will be placed on the reserve list
Part-time Canvassers Job Description
Duties and Responsibilities
· to attend a training session lasting 1½ hours (date to be advised)
· to visit each address in order to encourage and assist the resident in completing their Registration Form. Visits should be made, where possible, at different times of the day, and on different days, to increase the chance of finding someone at home
· to plan your workload and organise your time to ensure that all addresses are visited.
· to adhere to the timetable and return completed Registration Forms once a week to your Supervisor, at a mutually agreeable time and place
· to re-visit any properties where forms have been incorrectly completed, as identified by your Supervisor or the Electoral Registration Office.
· to wear a photo ID badge at all times whilst canvassing. You will also be issued with a fluorescent yellow jacket bearing the words ‘BRENT ELECTORAL REGISTER’. This must be worn at all times. (If you choose to work with a friend/partner, they must also have proper identification, available on request, but you will remain the person responsible for the quality of the work)
· to visit the Civic Centre to collect forms and other materials, submit work completed and to return all materials at the end of the project
Qualities and Skills Required
· you must be honest and trustworthy
· good communication skills, persistence and a tactful manner
· awareness of handling and storing personal data
· awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural diversity
· ability to follow detailed instructions and complete paperwork accurately
· ability to plan your workload to meet deadlines and targets
· polite, conscientious and with a politically neutral manner
· an understanding of the eligibility criteria for inclusion on the Register of Electors (a training manual will be provided)
· ability to write clearly and legibly
Specific requirements
· over 18 years of age
· available by telephone (preferably landline and mobile)
· available daytime, evenings or weekends for the period from the beginning of October to the last week of November
· a good local knowledge of the Borough of Brent would be useful as would experience of similar work e.g. other interviewing work or involvement in the census
· ability to cope with the physical demands of the job. There are many properties to visit so you should be reasonably fit and healthy
Background Notes for Part-time Canvassers
Introduction
The purpose of the Canvasser’s job is to help make sure that everyone who has a right to vote is able to do so. This is a very important task and although you do not need to be an expert, you will need to understand more about how the electoral registration system works than the average person. Some electors unfortunately are not interested in voting and may feel it is pointless to complete a registration form. However, anyone who is eligible does have a legal obligation to register but can choose whether or not they wish to vote.
You will need to be able to follow instructions, be organised in planning your workload, and be energetic, conscientious and observant. You will need to be patient, polite and professional when dealing with householders on their doorstep.
These notes give you a summary of some of the main rules and procedures. They are NOT comprehensive - full detailed instructions will be given at training and are contained in the Canvassers’ Manual, which will be issued upon successful appointment as a canvasser.
Register of Electors
The electoral register lists the name and address of everyone who has registered to vote and must be published by 1 December each year. There are TWO versions of the register: the full register and the open register.
The Full Register includes the names and addresses of everyone registered to vote and is updated every month. Anyone can look at it, but copies can only be supplied for certain purposes, such as elections and law enforcement. Credit reference agencies are also allowed to use the full register, but only to check the name and address of anyone applying for credit. Anyone who has a copy of the register will be committing a criminal offence if they unlawfully pass on information from it.
The Open Register will be available for general sale and can be used for any purpose. It will be kept separate from the full electoral register and updated every month. The open register can be bought by any person, company or organisation and could be used for different purposes such as checking a person’s identity and commercial activities such as direct mailing. Electors can choose to have their names omitted from the open register.
The Law
A canvasser is authorised by the Electoral Registration Officer to obtain the relevant information required from the resident.
Under Regulation 76 of the Representation of the People Regulations 1983, as amended, anyone failing to provide this information, or giving false information, is likely to be committing an offence and liable to a fine.
Who can go on the Register?
The following must be included: -
· All British, Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland and other European Union citizens (see attached blue Nationality List of qualifying countries)
The following persons are required to complete a different form issued by the Electoral Services Office: -
· Members of HM Forces and their wives or husbands who have made a current service declaration.
· Crown Servants employed outside the United Kingdom.
· Long-stay voluntary patients in psychiatric hospitals.
· People who live abroad permanently but who can still vote in UK elections.
The following persons cannot be registered: -
· Foreign Nationals - except for British Commonwealth and European Union citizens (see Nationality List of EU member countries).
If a foreign national marries a British citizen he/she DOES NOT automatically acquire British citizenship but remains a foreign national until he/she has applied to the Home Office and been granted registration as a British citizen. A foreign national who has been granted permanent residence in the UK but is NOT a British citizen is not eligible to vote in UK elections.
· Persons under 16.
· People who use business premises unless they live on the premises.
· People who are serving a term of imprisonment. Prisoners held on remand CAN register because they have not yet been sentenced.
IMPORTANT
Persons who are not on the register cannot vote at elections.
Even if a person is registered for Council Tax purposes, they still cannot vote if they are not on the register of electors.
Anyone not on the register may have difficulty in getting credit, student grants and opening a bank account.