How to apply

St Albans District Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

All successful applicants for our posts are subject to a check of unspent criminal convictions (called a Basic Disclosure) once a conditional offer has been made. 

If the job you are applying for involves substantial access to vulnerable people, or personal confidential information about them, for these roles, you must agree to complete a Standard/Enhanced Disclosure check and all convictions whether spent or not must be included on the disclosure certificate. 

This check would be made if you have been successful for a role, but before a formal offer of employment is made.

Check what information you need to give:

https://www.gov.uk/tell-employer-or-college-about-criminal-record/what-information-you-need-to-give

More information is available on the Government website about the Disclosure and Barring Service and guidance on which convictions must be declared when applying for jobs.

We positively welcome applications from people with disabilities and appreciate that they can face additional challenges to gaining employment.

Under the Equality Act 2010 a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to-day activities. As part of our responsibilities under the Act we provide the following support.

Guaranteed interview scheme

As part of our ‘Disability Confident’ employer status, if you have declared a disability on the application form we can guarantee you the next stage in the selection process (usually an interview) if you meet the essential criteria for the job.

Support and assistance

We also aim to ensure that our recruitment process is flexible and supportive to meet individual needs. If you need any assistance in completing the application form or if you need information in an alternative format, please ask our Human Resources team on 01727 819251 or recruitment@stalbans.gov.uk

Reasonable adjustments

If you are invited for interview, you should let the recruiting manager know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments. Wherever possible we will make the necessary arrangements. Examples could include:

• Providing a car parking space for you while you attend the interview
• Ensuring the interview is held in an accessible room or building
• Arranging for help with communication in the interview
• Allowing a carer, assistant or other person to accompany you

Before any interview we will let you know:

• The location, date and time of the selection process
• The way we will conduct the selection process e.g. use of tests

This will give you a chance to contact us to discuss any adjustments or assistance.

Under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 we must check all potential employees before they start work to ensure only those able to work legally in the UK are offered employment.

If you’re successful we will ask you to provide original documents (not copies) with you so that we can complete these checks. We will tell you which documents we need at the time. Visit the Government website for more information on the right to work in the UK. 

To serve the public it is vital that those working in public-facing roles can communicate in English, or in Wales, English or Welsh, fluently; be it with patients in hospitals, with students in schools, or with members of the public receiving local authority services. 

Therefore we expect all our staff to have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.

Complete an online application form through the current vacancies site.

You will receive a confirmation email to let you know we have received your application.

Your application will be assessed against the criteria in the job description and person specification. Read it carefully and make sure you meet 100% of the essential criteria and evidence where you meet the desirable criteria. Use specific examples to fully explain when, where and what was involved.

Please note, the Council reserves the right to reject applicants at the shortlisting stage, where the application form has not been completed correctly. 

If you’re successful at this stage, we will invite you to the selection stage. 

We use a variety of selection methods depending on the role we’re recruiting for. 

The recruitment team will always let you know what to expect.

We’ll let you know when you can expect to hear from us at the end of the interview or assessment day.

If you receive and accept a verbal offer you will then receive confirmation details of the offer by email with a conditional contract.

All job offers, are subject to the following pre-employment check outcomes being viewed as satisfactory by the Council, including:

• right to work checks
• basic medical check
• written references
• a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check
• Confirmation of qualifications

It’s important that you don’t resign from your current job until these checks are complete.

Once all your clearance checks have been successfully completed your start date will be confirmed in writing by email.