COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM AND NEXT STEPS

Your application form will play a key part in deciding whether you will be short listed for interview for the post you apply for. It is important that you take the time to complete it as fully and as accurately as possible.

Please read the guidance notes in the candidate information pack for the job carefully before you start. You should also read the Job Description and Person Specification for the post you are applying for as that will help you make sure your application is relevant to the post.

We accept applications online through the NHS Scotland job site www.jobs.scot.nhs.uk    

Before you submit your applications please check that all parts of the NHS Scotland Application form i.e. Parts A, B, C and D have been fully completed before submitting it to us. 

APPLICATION FORM - PART A AND B PERSONAL DETAILS AND CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS DECLARATION

This section provides our Recruitment team with contact details and confirms your eligibility to work in the UK and where applicable requires the declaration of any criminal convictions exempt for posts exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

In order to avoid any possibility of bias or prejudice, the information you provide in Part A and B of the application form is for the use of our  Recruitment team only during the initial stages of the recruitment process  and will not be passed to  any NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff involved in the selection process until the interview  stage.

DATA PROTECTION

Any data about you will be held in completely secure conditions, with access restricted to those only involved in recruiting to the  post you have applied for.

Part D of your application is used only for Equalities Opportunities Monitoring and will not be accessible to anyone involved in the recruitment process during any of our recruitment stages.

It will be understood that by submitting the application form  you are giving your consent to the processing of your data in the ways described above.

ELIGIBILITY TO WORK IN THE UK

It is a criminal offence for any employer to hire a new employee whose immigration status prevents him or her from legally working in the UK in the post they have applied for. This applies also to all types of NHS employment, including part-time, temporary or bank posts. All applicants regardless of nationality will be asked to produce evidence of eligibility to work in the UK as part of the application process and  if they are selected for interview a list of  acceptable documents will be asked to be provided at interview and pre employment checks.

Disclosure of Criminal Convictions 

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2013

The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland Act ) 2007 The  1997 Police Act

Criminal Convictions - Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

NHS Scotland is exempt from the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exclusions & Exceptions) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2015.  This means that unless stated in the job description, person specification or application pack, you must tell us about any previous unspent convictions along with only those spent convictions that relate to Disclosure Scotland’s  ‘Offences which must always be disclosed’ list. If you are offered employment, any failure to disclose such convictions could result in withdrawal of the offer of employment dismissal or disciplinary action.  Any information you give will be considered only in relation to the post for which the  application you submit refers to.

Information will be verified by Disclosure Scotland for relevant posts.

Please note,  you are NOT REQUIRED to tell us about any previous spent convictions that relate to Disclosure Scotland’s  ‘Offences which are disclosed subject to the rules’ list.

Please refer to Disclosure Scotland’s website  www.disclosurescotland.co.uk for further guidance and details on the two lists relating to spent convictions. 

APPLICATION FORM – PART C EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

You must give us details of your current or most recent employer.

Please also provide details of all previous employment including part-time, temporary or voluntary work.

QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING DETAILS

Please provide details of all relevant education, qualifications and training courses and where applicable professional registrations .

STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF YOUR APPLICATION

Applicants who can demonstrate in their application that they possess the knowledge, skills, experience and abilities required for the job give themselves the best opportunity of being shortlisted and selected for interview.

Make sure you review the job description person specification for the post you are applying for as that will detail amongst other things the skills, abilities and experience we are looking for in relation to the post.

It is important to provide evidence that you can meet each of the requirements in the person specification, by giving specific examples of what you have done and how you believe you meet each requirement. Remember the person reviewing your application form won’t be able to second guess your skills and experience unless you outline it.

A good tip is to use the selection criteria in Person Specification as headings in the order they have been listed, to make sure that you address them especially the ones under Essential Criteria.

Remember to explain how your experience, skills and knowledge meet the requirements in the person specification and the duties and responsibilities in the job description.

Unless you provide evidence that you possess all the requirements, supported by relevant examples, you may not be included in the shortlist. Only those candidates who demonstrate an acceptable performance level on each requirement of the person specification will considered for shortlisting.

The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde shortlisting panel, which includes as a minimum two members of staff [one of which is always the hiring /line manager for the post] will decide who to select for interview on the basis of the Person Specification.  This document lists those qualities e.g. skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications etc, which are ‘essential’ i.e. which you must have to do the job, and those which are ‘desirable’ i.e. which will help somebody to perform the complete range of tasks in the job more readily.  It is important, therefore, that you work on your application to ensure it reflects the person specification, the job description and the recruitment advertisement.

Remember to be accurate and honest when you complete your application as the information you provide will be verified at various stages of our recruitment and selection  process .

REFEREES

If you are appointed to the post you have applied for, our Recruitment Team will contact your referees. Satisfactory references must be received  to an acceptable standard before any new NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde employee can start work for us. If you are in employment, or have been in employment, please make sure that at least one of the referees you nominate includes your present or most recent employer and should be your line manager /supervisor. We do not accept references from family members or friends .

Please ensure you provide accurate contact details including an e-mail address for your referees and, most importantly, don’t forget to get their permission to be contacted by us.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

We do not contact applicants who are unsuccessful in being shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within 6 weeks of the closing date then you should assume that you are not successful in being selected for interview .

However if you require confirmation that we have received your application or would like to request information at any stage of the recruitment process then you may contact our Recruitment Service. Please remember to have to hand details of the job you are applying for including the job reference number, which you will find in the advert for  the post or any correspondence you receive from us.

SHORTLISTING STAGE

Only those candidates who reach an acceptable level on the requirements of the person specification will be considered for shortlisting.  When the shortlist has been agreed, invitations for interview are sent to the selected candidates by our Recruitment Team.  We contact candidates via email and letter and where there is a short turnaround time for interview then we will contact you by text.

INTERVIEW STAGE

If you are selected for interview the interview format will depend on the post being recruited to and the evidence the interview panel want to collect about applicants during the interview to help them decide who to appoint to the post . In addition to a set of interview questions candidates may be asked to deliver a presentation, sit a technical/skills test or provide a response to a work based scenario. Candidates will be advised in advance of the interview what they will be expected to do on the day and so will have time to prepare. 

You will also be requested to bring to the interview the originals of any relevant qualifications/certificates and awards that you hold and documents to verify your identification.

PRE EMPLOYMENT CHECKS

Where applicable  to the post successful applicants will be subject to Disclosure Scotland's PVG Scheme membership /Standard Disclosure checks  to checks criminal convictions   history and they are not included on Barred Lists which prohibits them from  working  with vulnerable adults and children.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND EQUALITY MONITORING

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde participates in 2 schemes aimed at supporting the employment and career development of disabled people :

Job Interview Guarantee (JIG) scheme means that if a candidate declares a disability , and meet the minimum/essential  criteria outlined within the Person Specification for the post then they  will be guaranteed an interview. 

Job Centre Plus Two Ticks symbol: the two ticks scheme is a recognition given to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde by Jobcentre Plus because we have agreed to take action to meet five commitments regarding the employment, retention, training and career development of disabled employees. It is represented by the two ticks disability symbol (displayed right) that participating organisations in the UK  are authorised to display. As a symbol user, an interview is guaranteed to any candidate with a disability whose application meets all of the minimum/essential criteria for the post.

NHSGGC is committed to applying and promoting best employment equality practice in it efforts to eliminate discrimination and create working environments where all our staff, patients, relatives, visitors and carers are treated fairly and with respect.

We endeavour to ensure we do not discriminate during any stage of the recruitment process and in particular comply with the Equality Act 2010 which makes it illegal to discriminate against protected characteristics i.e.  age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation. 

We are required to gather data for both applicants and employees to ensure that our policy on Equality and Diversity is effective and meets statutory requirements.  All applicants are therefore required to provide the information requested in Part D of the Application Form Equal Opportunities Monitoring.  Our Recruitment team will separate this part of your form from your application prior to shortlisting so that this information is by us to monitor our progress on equality.    All recruitment documentation for unsuccessful applicants are confidentially destroyed after 12 months.

Finally we hope you find the guidance we have provided useful and we wish you good luck if you decide to apply for a post at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.