Our Ref: JK/KB

Our Ref: JK/KB

Forth Valley Advocacy

Our Ref: SAW

Date as Postmarked

Dear Enquirer

REF: SAW

POST: Senior Advocacy Worker

Thank you for enquiring about a vacancy in Forth Valley Advocacy (FVA).

With this letter you will find a job description and application form. Please complete and return the application before the closing date given in the advertisement. Please let us know if you require the application form in large print or in an alternative format.

Please send your completed application to our office address, at:

Forth Valley Advocacy

1 The Bungalows

LARBERTFK5 4SZ

Email:

FVA is committed to encouraging Equality and Diversity throughout our organisation and welcomes applications from people with a disability and/or people from an ethnic minority; we also consider this position open to job-sharing. Forth Valley Advocacy is a MINDFUL EMPLOYER® and has signed the Charter for Employers who are positive about mental health.

Shortlisting for advertised posts is generally done during the week following the closing date. In order to keep administrative costs as low as possible, individual applications are not acknowledged. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not made the shortlist.

Closing date for completed applications is 16 August 2014 with interviews planned for week commencing 22 August 2014.

Ideally, we hope the successful person will be able to spend time shadowing the outgoing post holderwho will retire on 31 October 2014.

Please note, this post requires the successful candidate to be a member of the PVG Scheme.

If you wish to discuss this role in confidence please phone the Manager on 01324 557070.

Many thanks for your interest in a post with FVA.

Yours sincerely

Wendy Sharp

MANAGER

Registered charity number SC034510

INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme

This post requires the successful candidate to be a member of the PVG Scheme. We will have the necessary forms available for you to complete on the day and attach examples of the two forms so you can look up any relevant information in advance. One form is for those joining the Scheme, the other for existing members. You will be asked tocompleteParts B and Cof the relevant form.

Please bring with youthreeforms of identification. You should bring your passport, your driving licence and utility bill (not mobile phone). One must have a photograph and one must have your current address. If you require a visa to work in this country, you should also bring any visa documentation showing your eligibility to work. If you do not have a current passport, please provide your birth certificate plus your National Insurance (NI) card or an official government letter quoting your NI number.

Benefits

Staff are entitled to 28 days annual leave (pro rata for part time posts) and 8 days public holidays.

FVA offer an excellent contributory pension scheme which is available to all staff of 6% gross salary. In addition, all staff benefit from additional life cover.

Forth Valley Advocacy also operates a Group Income Protection Scheme for eligible employees that will pay 50% of your salary for up to two years if you become unwell and are unable to work – terms and conditions apply.

Any travel or expenses incurred in carrying out duties are reimbursed at agreed rates.

How to complete the application form

Please remember that you need to let us know what skills and experiences you can bring to this post therefore spend time on the section that is your statement in support of your application. Look at the required Essential Skills and base your response on this and give examples of when and how you meet these.

When completing this form electronically, to select a ‘Yes/‘No/Unsure’ answer please double click on the relevant box and change the default value to “checked”

Short listing

Short listing for the post will take place soon after the closing date. Forth Valley Advocacy appreciates the time it takes applicants to complete application forms but is not normally able to send a response to all applicants. Therefore, if you have not been contacted within four weeks of the closing date, then you should assume that, on this occasion, your application has not been successful.


Vacancy –Senior Advocacy Worker
Closing Date: 16 September 2014 / Interview Date:Week commencing 22 September 2014

PERSONAL DETAILS

Title: / Forename: / Surname:
Address:
Postcode:
/
National Insurance Number:
/
Home Phone Number:
E-mail Address / Tel No (Mobile) / Tel No (Work) / May we contact you at work?
Yes No
If applicable, do you have a UK work permit Yes No Unsure
Do you have a full, clean valid driving license Yes No
Are you a PVG Scheme Member Yes No
If Yes what is your Membership Number?
If appointed, when could you take up post?

EDUCATION TRAINING (secondary school onwards – please continue on a separate sheet if required and tick here )

Qualification and Grade / Date achieved / F/time, P/Time or Distance Learning?

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES

Name of Professional Body / Date of M’ship / Status of M’ship / Level of M’ship / M’ship No.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY (Begin with most recent and use a separate sheet if necessary and tick here )

Employer’s Name
and Address / Job Title and Brief Details of Responsibilities / Dates employed from - to / Salary on Leaving / Reason for Leaving
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Voluntary and Community
Work Interests: / Please provide details and dates of any voluntary and/or community work you have been involved in.
Other Employment: / Please provide details of any other employment which you have and intend to continue if appointed.

Please use a separate A4 sheet as required marked clearly with the section heading

Cont’d

STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF APPLICATION(Please provide specific information in support of your application and detail your experience, skills, training and personal qualities both inside and outside work, explain how you can satisfy every aspect of Section 11 of the Job Description. Provide evidence of any competencies that you can relate to the post and detail the contribution you would make to FVA if appointed. (Continue on a separate sheet – tick here if you have done so - if necessary and ensure that any separate sheets your are enclosing contain your surname and initials)

Reasonable adjustments
Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments due to a disability or health condition to enable you to attend an interview or which you wish us to take into account when considering your application.
Referees / References will not be accepted in support of your application from any person who is either a friend or relative.
  1. An offer of employment is conditional on the receipt of two satisfactory references.
  2. Please give details of two referees, one of whom must be your current/ most recent employer.
  3. If you have worked with either children or vulnerable adults previously and this is not your current employment one referee must be your most recent employer where you have worked with either children or vulnerable adults.
  4. If you have not been in paid employment the referee should be the head of an educational or training establishment or a Manager of a voluntary organisation to whom you are known.

Name:
Occupation:
Address:
Postcode:
Tel:
E-mail:
In what capacity are you known to this person?
Please tick the box if you have any objection to this referee being contacted prior to interview. / Name:
Occupation:
Address:
Postcode:
Tel:
E-mail:
In what capacity are you known to this person?
Please tick the box if you have any objection to this referee being contacted prior to interview.
Other Interests
If appointed, have you any business or financial interests which may conflict with the duties of either this post or any other areas of FVA’s business Yes No
(If Yes, please provide details.)
Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 (POCSA)
Due to the nature of the work and the services we provide, it is an offence for FVA to knowingly employ a person to work with children if that person is disqualified from working with children. The fact that someone is disqualified from working with children will be released as part of a Disclosure for a childcare position available from Disclosure Scotland.
FVA is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and therefore stringent recruitment processes are in place within the organisation.
An individual working for FVA in a child support position will be referred for inclusion on the Disqualified from Working with Children List where they have harmed a child, or put a child at risk of harm and have been dismissed or moved away from contact with children as a consequence.
Declaration please read carefully
I certify that all information contained in this form is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that if it is subsequently discovered that any statement is false or misleading, or that I have withheld relevant information, this could lead to the withdrawal of any offer of employment or could result in dismissal without notice or disciplinary action if employment has commenced and in certain circumstances could result in FVA taking legal or criminal action against me

Data Protection Act 1998

I consent to Forth Valley Advocacy and others on its behalf retaining and processing either manually or electronically any information, which I have provided to them for the purposes of recruitment and employment with FVA, and in the exercise of FVA’s legitimate interests. I understand that this information may be held electronically and/or manually and may be shared with other departments within the organisation.
Please sign below using only your initials and surname.
Signature: ...... Date:

Where did you see this post advertised?

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Due to the nature of the work and the services we provide, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2003 (as amended), applies to all posts unless otherwise stated in the job description.
You are accordingly required to complete the enclosed Self Declaration Form.

PLEASE SEND YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION TO:

Wendy Sharp

Manager

Forth Valley Advocacy

1 The Bungalows

LARBERT

FK5 4SZ

Tel: 01324 557070

Fax: 01324 574316

Email:

FORTH VALLEY ADVOCACY

RECRUITMENT OF EX-OFFENDERS

Forth Valley Advocacy complies fully with the Code of Practice, issued by the Scottish Ministers in connection with the use of information provided to registered persons and other recipients of information by Disclosure Scotland under part V of the Police Act 1997, for the purposes of assessing applicants’ suitability for positions of trust. FVA undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly and not to discriminate unfairly against the subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information revealed.

FVA has a written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, which is available upon request to all Disclosure applicants at the outset of the recruitment process.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with FVA; this will depend on the nature of the position together with the circumstances and background of any particular offences.

REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT 1974

The provisions relating to the non-disclosure of criminal convictions do not apply to certain occupations. The position for which you are applying may be included in the excepted type of employment under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) 1974 order 1975. A routine Enhanced Disclosure will be requested through “Disclosure Scotland” for all posts. Please complete the appropriate, enclosed, Self-Declaration Form

In the event of employment any failure to disclose convictions could result in dismissal or disciplinary action by FVA. Any information given will be completely confidential and will be considered only in relation to an application for positions where such an exception is appropriate.

FORTH VALLEY ADVOCACY

Self-Declaration Form for an Adults at Risk Position requiring an Enhanced Disclosure

Private & Confidential

The post that you have applied for is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 by the Exclusions and Exceptions Scotland Order 2003 and Section 10 of the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Scotland) Regs 2006. You are therefore required to disclose all convictions (spent and unspent), cautions, and any relevant non-conviction information.

Please give details regarding any convictions and cautions under the heading in Section 1.

Please give details of any relevant non-conviction information in Section 2.

If you have no convictions, cautions, or relevant non-conviction information please go to

Section 3 and sign the declaration form.

Should you be appointed for the position applied for you will also be required to provide an Enhanced Disclosure under the terms of the Police Act 1997 (Part v).

Section 1

a) Please give the date and details of the conviction(s) that you were charged with, the sentence that you received and the court where your conviction(s) was heard.

b) Please give details of the reasons and circumstances that lead to your offence(s)

c) Please give details of how you completed the sentence imposed, (for example did you pay your fine as required, what conditions were attached to your probation/community service/supervised attendance order, did you comply with the requirements of your order/custodial sentence.

d) Has any other organisation(s) supported you to work through any of the above issues?

e) What have you learned from the experience?

Section 2

Non-conviction relevant information:

Section 3

Declaration (I certify that all information contained in this form is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and realise that false information or omissions may lead to dismissal).

Signature: Date:

NOTE: The information given in this form will be treated in the strictest confidence. Please seal this form in the addressed envelope provided and return prior to your interview.

1

FVA –App v.14/08/14