Register with us now
So you've seen a job advert that sounds ideal for you... Before you start preparing what you're going to say about your skills and experience, you'll need to sign up to use our recruitment system. Why not get a step ahead, and register now, so you'll be ready to hit the ground running with your application? Just set up a job alert, to register your details on our system.
To create your account, you'll need decide on a username and provide an email address. Unfortunately, our system has no username recovery facility, so make sure you choose something memorable, and make a note of it elsewhere, as you'll need it to set up job alerts, or make any future applications.
As soon as you sign up, you'll get a welcome email message with further instructions and a link to choose a password and complete the sign-up process. Passwords must contain at least one capital letter and one number, with a minimum of eight digits in all. Please choose something memorable and note it down before you sign up.
Getting in touch
You might notice your confirmation email comes from our partner council, North Somerset: hrscenquiries@n-somerset.gov.uk, but don't let that put you off. We share the same recruitment software system, but our council job sites are completely separate. This means you'll need to register separately with each, if you want to search or apply for vacancies in both organisations. Any information you send us remains confidential to Bath & North East Somerset Council, and each council holds its data separately.
If you need to get in touch, don't hesitate to email us at Recruitment@bathnes.gov.uk, or telephone 01225 396409 (out of hours answerphone). Alternatively, you can send us a message via our Contact us page.
How to apply
All vacancies close at midnight on the date in the advert. Therefore our online application facility won't be available after midnight on the closing date. To save yourself stress, don't leave your application until the last minute.
Apply online
Once you have logged in to our system using your username and password, you can complete the application form one section at a time – expand each section by clicking the blue headings. We know our application form is pretty long and complex. Many of the sections are there because, as a local authority, we employ many posts where you'll be working with vulnerable people or sensitive information. Safeguarding our residents, via rigorous checks on potential staff working in these areas, is a top priority for us. We're working on creating a simpler form for posts which don't involve this type of work, but please bear with us meanwhile.
You can save your application at any point and return to it later, as long as the closing date for the job hasn't passed. We recommend that for longer sections such as personal statements, you prepare what you want to say separately, and then paste it into the form when you're ready to complete your application. Once you've started the process, you'll receive an automatic email reminding you to complete your application form before the closing date.
Before submitting your form, check the Application Review button. This will show you how your submission will look. Take some time to check the information you have provided for errors. You can then go back to the form and amend where necessary. When you are happy with your B&NES application form you can select Submit. Completed forms will go directly to our Recruitment Team and you'll get an acknowledgement email from hrscenquiries@n-somerset.gov.uk. Please be rest assured that North Somerset Council won't have access to your submitted form.
Application support
If you'd like further guidance on using our site and completing your application form, please download our comprehensive application guide or have a look at the step-by-step notes below.
Detailed guidance on completing your application form
The application form plays a key part in the decision whether or not to invite you for interview, so it is important that you complete it as fully and as accurately as you can. This may mean that you need to go through old papers, write a personal statement or contact people to ask them to be referees. We recommend that you gather together all of the information you need before you start completing the form.
The application pack
All job adverts will come with a combined Job Description and Person Specification document, which follows the same format for all of our vacancies. To give you an idea, have a look at these documents for a Road Safety Technical Officer and Business Support Apprentice roles.
The Job Description will give a detailed breakdown of the role, including typical daily tasks and responsibilities. It should detail information such as the hours and working pattern, who you will report to, and if you will be responsible for managing other staff or budgets. We have a panel which approves all of our Job Descriptions and agrees the appropriate pay grade for jobs, so you can rely on this being a highly accurate and well researched document which will give you a clear idea of what the job will involve.
The Person Specification for any post you apply for will include the qualifications, personal, professional and technical competencies (or skills) which are necessary for the role. The shortlisting panel will decide who to interview on the basis of the information you provide on your application form, measured against these competencies.
This is your opportunity to tell us about yourself, including your experience, skills and knowledge and how you meet the competencies required for the post. You should refer to the Job Description and Person Specification as you work through each requirement, providing examples of real-life situations that demonstrate your ability to carry out the tasks described. You can also include non-work related examples, provided they are relevant to the job.
Personal and contact details
Please complete all details in this section. If you have changed your name, for whatever reason, please provide any previous names. We will not share this information with anyone outside the recruitment process.
Equal opportunities
The information you provide on this form is treated in the strictest confidence and will not be used for shortlisting purposes. We will keep the details you supply separately from the information on the rest of the application form. If you come to work with us, this information will be held on your personnel record.
Entitlement to work in the UK
Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, we have to check your eligibility to work in the UK before you start employment. We ask all candidates to bring proof of their right to work to interview. However, this does not form part of the decision making process. All documents must be originals, and we cannot accept photocopies. If you are successful, we will keep a copy of the documentation you provide on your confidential personnel file. If you need more information on your right to work in the UK, please visit the UK Visas and Immigration Website.
References
If we shortlist you for a job, we will contact your referees before your interview, as this is an important part of safer recruitment. When providing names and details of referees, please ensure that at least one of them is a present or most recent employer. If you are not currently in employment and/or your last employer cannot give you a reference because the organisation no longer exists, you should attempt to get a reference from a professional person. If you have just left school/college/university, the reference should be from a Headteacher, Head of Year or Head of Faculty. References from relatives, partners or close friends are not acceptable.
If you are applying for a post which involves working with children or other vulnerable groups, it will be necessary to obtain references relevant to this area of work. This means we may contact previous employers not quoted as referees.
Attaching a CV
You are required to attach your CV. Please note, we only accept the following types of attachment: .pdf , .doc or .docx.
Your CV must contain full employment and education history including reasons for leaving each role and reasons for any gaps in employment. For full details on what to include in your CV, see our CV Guidance Document.
Membership of professional associations
You may find the post you are applying for requires you to be a member of a particular organisation. If this is the case, please complete this section. Note: certain roles, such as Social Worker posts, require you to provide your registration number and date.
Your reasons for applying for the job
This is your opportunity to tell us about yourself, including your experience, skills and knowledge and how you meet the competencies required for the post. Work through each requirement, providing examples of real life situations that demonstrate your ability to carry out the tasks described. You should also include non-work related examples, provided they are relevant to the job.
Convictions/disqualifications
Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position, and the circumstances and background of any offences. We deal with criminal records information in accordance with Criminal Records Bureau Code of Practice. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a conviction will become 'spent' after a set period of time (called the 'rehabilitation period'), and you will no longer need to declare it. Please see the table below shows the relevant rehabilitation periods.
Important: If you have any 'unspent' convictions (including driving offences), cautions, bind overs or disqualifications, you must declare these. You should provide these on a separate sheet. The information will not be available to the interview panel before the shortlisting process, but if you come for interview, they will receive this information, and may ask you about it. Any disclosure will remain strictly confidential to the recruitment process. If you are working with vulnerable adults, children or young people,the post is exempt under the Act, and you are required to give details of all convictions or cautions including spent convictions.
| Type of Conviction | Rehabilitation Period |
|---|---|
| Absolute discharge | 6 months |
| Conditional discharge | 1 year |
| Fines, compensation, probation, community service, combination action plan, drug treatment and testing and reparation orders | 5 years |
| Prison sentences of under 6 months | 7 years |
| Prison sentences of 6 months to 2 ½ years | 10 years |
Safeguarding Declaration
If you are applying for any post where you will be working with vulnerable groups, you will need to complete this.
General Declaration
All applicants must sign and date the application form, to say that you declare that the information you have given is true and accurate, and that you have not omitted any facts which may have a bearing on your application. If we discover that you have given false information, we may withdraw an offer of employment, or you may lose your job, if employment has already started.
Before you submit your application
We recommend that you make the following checks:
- Make sure you have completed all parts of the application form. If you think some parts do not apply, write N/A (not applicable) in the spaces provided.
- Check that the information you provide is clear, precise and easily understood, and appropriate to the job you are applying for.
- Tell us about your abilities and how these relate to the role. Include any relevant information on skills, knowledge or experience - for example, voluntary work or unpaid work.
- Check with your referees that they are happy to support your application before you submit the form. Make sure you give full contact details for referees and that they are the appropriate person (not work colleagues or friends).
- Save a copy of your completed form, if possible, as we will ask you about details on the form if we invite you for interview.
- Submit your application by the due date. We will not normally consider applications which arrive with us after the closing date.
Data protection
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the Council will only use the information given on this application form to determine your suitability for this job, and to monitor equal opportunities. Your details will go into our recruitment database and your application, minus the equal opportunity information, will then be passed to the recruiting line manager, who will create the shortlist. Successful candidates’ details will then go into your personnel record.
We will keep application forms of unsuccessful candidates for 12 months. However, as the Council has a duty to protect public funds, we may use the information you have provided on this form to prevent and detect fraud, especially in relation to benefits, Council Tax, Business Rates, housing/rents, salaries, employment, pensions and Councillors’ Allowances.
Struggling with your online application?
The Employment and Skills Pod is a free service available to all residents of Bath and North East Somerset who wish to:
- get back to work
- change careers
- up-skill in their current jobs
They can offer help with all aspects of your online application, including:
- top tips for employment history and supporting statements
- do's and don'ts for interviews (including Zoom interviews)
Call 01225 395010 Monday to Friday, or email employmentskills_pod@bathnes.gov.uk.