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Application Form Guidance Notes

Thank you for your interest in University College Birmingham (UCB). These guidance notes have been written to ensure that you are able to complete the application form successfully and to make you aware of some important points relating to our recruitment and selection process.

The Application Form

The application form is a standard form to be completed by all applicants for jobs at UCB. It is the first stage of the recruitment and selection process and will be used to assess the suitability of candidates against the Person Specification and decide whether to shortlist for the interview stage. The application form is the only basis for considering your initial suitability for the job. It is therefore important that you complete the form as fully as possible including all the necessary Equality and Diversity monitoring pages. Please do not send in a CV as a substitute for any part of the form. You should complete the form in black ink or typescript as all applications are photocopied and other colours may not copy well.

Remember

  • To complete all parts of the application form. If a particular section does not apply to you, please write N/A in the space provided.
  • To ensure that the information you provide is clear, precise, easily understood and appropriate to the job you are applying for.
  • If you do not include information which could be relevant to your application we cannot make assumptions about you.
  • To check with your referees that they are happy to support your application before you submit the form.
  • To return your application by the published closing date. Applications received after the closing date will not normally be considered.

Personal Details

Please provide full contact information so that we are able to contact you.

CRB Check

This is not intended to be a comprehensive guide and should be read in conjunction with the guidance issued by the CRB. Our statement of practice can be viewed on the UCB website. If an employee has any questions about the interpretation of UCB's statements or the use of Disclosure information they should contact the Personnel Unit who will be able to advise them.

In order to directly use the Disclosure service, UCB has become a registered body. This allows us to nominate Countersignatories and a Lead Countersignatory to authorise Disclosure applications. UCB Countersignatories are drawn from the Personnel Unit.

As part of UCB's registered body status, we are committed to abiding by the CRB Code of Practice, produced to assist bodies dealing with Disclosures. The requirements of the Code include that a body should have written statements on the recruitment of ex-offenders and on the correct handling and safekeeping of Disclosure information. It is also a requirement of the CRB Code of Practice that all registered bodies must treat applicants who have a criminal record fairly and do not discriminate because of a conviction or other information revealed. The CRB's Code of Practice can be found on their website:  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Startinganewjob/DG_195813

 

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

The protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults is a matter of great concern to UCB in both its capacity as an employer and a provider of high quality, safe services. The best way to guard against harm to children, young people and vulnerable adults is by careful selection and vetting procedures for staff. Part of the selection process will be to check for past criminal records so that we are aware of any criminal history and associated risk. The application form encourages applicants to provide details of their criminal record at an early stage.

At interview, or in a separate discussion, we ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matter that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment. We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a Disclosure with the person seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.

We make every subject of a CRB Disclosure aware of the existence of the CRB Code of Practice and make a copy available on request. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working at UCB. This will depend on the nature of the position applied for and the circumstances and background of the offence.

Please note if you have been convicted of a criminal offence at any time, this offence may now be ‘spent’ and treated as if it never occurred. However, in the case of higher and further education institutions, these must still be declared regardless of how much time has elapsed since the conviction. These will appear in a CRB check and you should therefore declare them in advance. Failure to do so may jeopardise your continued employment.

Disabled Applicants

UCB is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are treated fairly and well, are supported at work and enabled to carry out their role effectively.

You are encouraged to identify any particular arrangements we can make to assist you at interview on the application form. This information is requested in accordance with S.60(6) of the Equality Act 2010. For further information please contact the Personnel Unit (by telephone) on 0121 604 1000 ext. 2236/2328/2350.

Employment History

Starting with the most recent employer, list all the employers you have worked for previously including the job title and the period you worked for them. The reason for leaving must also be included.

Education

Please complete this section as fully as possible, giving details of qualifications obtained with dates of award.

Please note that if you are offered employment you will be asked to provide any relevant examination certificates.

Professional Bodies

Please provide full details including membership type and registration number for professional body membership.

Person Specification

This is your opportunity to demonstrate your suitability for the post. Remember that the panel will be using the information in your application to decide on the shortlist for interview. You should use the sections headed Experience, Skills and Abilities, Education and Qualifications, Training and Continuous Professional Development and Other Attributes to fully explain how you meet the criteria outlined in the Person Specification.

References

Your nominated referees must be able to provide sufficient information to assist the panel in confirming your suitability for the post. Both of your referees should be your current or most recent employer(s). Where this is not possible, you may list someone else who is qualified to comment on your performance at work or in full-time education (in the case of recent graduates) or from a voluntary/community organisation with which you were involved. Referees should not be friends or family. 

Please note that referees will not be contacted without your permission or prior to a verbal offer of employment being made.

Declaration

You need to sign and date your form. If completing the form online you will be asked to sign on offer of appointment.

Equality and Diversity

UCB strives to actively celebrate diversity and promote equality of opportunity for all who learn and work here; to create a culture where inclusion, equality and diversity are embraced, where employment and educational opportunities are open to all and where everyone involved with UCB is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

Our commitment to equality and diversity is written into all Job Descriptions and all members of staff are expected to support this commitment on a day-to-day basis.

We serve a diverse community and seek to develop a workforce that is representative of the community. No applicant will be treated less favourably than others on the grounds of age, gender, disability, family or marital/civil partnership status, race, nationality, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religious or other beliefs, or for any reason which cannot be shown to be justified.

We appoint on the basis of the best candidate for the job. Our policy is to ensure that the recruitment and selection process is as fair and objective as possible. Applications are considered purely on the basis of merit. All candidates are assessed against the same criteria and asked the same set of questions when interviewed. You will not be asked questions about your domestic or personal circumstances which have no relevance to your ability to carry out the job. The back page of the application form, which holds equality and diversity monitoring information, will be removed by the Personnel Unit prior to the start of the selection process.

Deadlines

Completed application forms must be submitted by midday on the published closing date, unless stated otherwise. Applications received after this time will not normally be accepted.

You can submit your application online via the website or send a hardcopy to:

Address

Personnel Unit
University College Birmingham
Summer Row
Birmingham
B3 1JB

We are unable to acknowledge receipt of completed application forms other than those received electronically. If you would like receipt of your application confirmed, please include a stamped self-addressed postcard, quoting the reference number of the post for which you are applying, which we will return to you.

Our Shortlisting System

Your application form will be considered by a shortlisting panel who will review it against the Person Specification for the job. This is an important document and you should ensure that you address the requirements of it within your application form. In particular you should address the following:

  • Experience
  • Skills and Abilities
  • Education and Qualifications
  • Training and Continuous Professional Development
  • Other Attributes

The panel will be looking for evidence that you meet the requirements of the Person Specification. Where possible, use examples to demonstrate how you meet each criteria. If you do not have any directly-related work experience, you may consider relevant voluntary or community work. Remember, if you do not demonstrate to the panel that you meet the Person Specification criteria, you will not be shortlisted.

If you wish to apply for more than one job, you need to complete separate application forms for each specific job to make sure that each application addresses and reflects the Person Specification for the job. You are able to do this conveniently online by clicking the Edit Your Application link from the left hand menu.

The shortlisting panel will assess your application in line with each area of the Person Specification following the structure detailed here:

Score Score Description
0 Criteria not met
1 Criteria mentioned but not clearly demonstrated
2 Criteria met
3 Criteria very well demonstrated

For example, if the criterion was experience of working in a customer service environment , the panel would score as follows:

Score Your Response
0 No experience or not mentioned at all
1 Experience is implied but not explicitly stated
2 Experience stated and supported by evidence
3 Experience stated and supported by evidence and further supported by specific examples and relevant skills gained as a result

Selection and Interview

The interview process will be conducted over two stages and the dates of interview will be stated on the vacancy advert. It is not normally possible to rearrange interview dates as all interviews involve a selection panel, who will have been made aware of the dates in advance.

In most cases, if you have not been contacted within one week of the first interview stage, please assume that your application has not been successful. Feedback to those applicants who are unsuccessful at the shortlisting stage will be given, if requested.

If you are successful in being selected for interview we will contact you either by telephone, letter or email to give you an outline of what will be involved in the interview process. For some posts, particularly those of a specialist nature or where there are a large number of applications, you may be asked to undertake an appropriate assessment as part of the interview process. If this is the case, you will be informed in writing.

Selection for the post will be made by a panel of at least two people or, more usually, three, all of whom have been trained in recruitment and selection. The selection decision will be based on assessment against the Person Specification criteria. Panel members will take notes during the interview. You will be given the opportunity to ask questions about the job and the conditions of service. The interview will be scored using the same system described for the shortlisting stage.

If you are unsuccessful you will be notified either in writing or by telephone. All candidates who come for an interview but are unsuccessful will also be offered some constructive feedback. This will be given by a member of the interview panel. Interview feedback will not normally be given in writing.

If you are offered a post, the offer will be conditional upon two references satisfactory to UCB, a satisfactory medical report (taking into consideration UCB's Equal Opportunities policy and duties under the Equality Act 2010), a Criminal Records Bureau enhanced disclosure and confirmation of your entitlement to work in the UK.

For information on any matter not covered in these guidance notes, please contact the Personnel Unit (by telephone) on 0121 604 1000 ext. 2236/2328/2350.