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INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

1. Equal Opportunities

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and treatment and to preventing any unfair discrimination in its employment practices. It will seek to ensure that all job applicants and employees are treated fairly and with respect. The Commission’s policy is to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of gender, marital or family status, religious belief/political opinion, disability, age (subject to the operation of a retirement policy), race, nationality or sexual orientation.

All applications for employment will be considered on the basis of merit.

2. Eligibility

Before forwarding a completed application form to the Northern Ireland Assembly Recruitment Office, candidates should satisfy themselves that they are eligible to apply. Candidates may be allowed to proceed conditionally with their applications while their eligibility is being confirmed. Invitation to attend a test or interview should not therefore be taken to imply that they are eligible under the terms of the advertisement. In such circumstances, candidates will normally be advised that their application is proceeding conditionally.

3. Application Forms

Application forms received at the Recruitment Office after the closing date will not be accepted. The onus for ensuring an application is received in the Recruitment Office by the closing date rests with the candidate. Application forms delivered by hand will be accepted up to 12 noon on the closing date. The Recruitment Office will normally acknowledge receipt of application forms.

Please also note:-
  1. It is important that when returning application forms by mail, that the applicant applies sufficient postage to ensure the forms reach the stipulated destination. Recruitment Office, or those working on our behalf, will not accept an application where we are asked to pay any shortfall in postage by the Post Office.
  2. Once the date for receipt of application forms has passed, Recruitment Office will not at any stage of the assessment process, accept any additional information in support of an application.

4. Test/Interview Arrangements

Candidates will be asked if they require any reasonable adjustments, due to disability, to enable them to attend an aptitude test or interview. Any adjustments to assist disabled candidates will be arranged by Recruitment Office staff.

5. Travelling Expenses for Attendance at Interviews and Medical Examinations

There are arrangements for refund, subject to certain limits, of expenses within Northern Ireland in connection with attendance for interviews and medical examinations. For candidates who are normally resident elsewhere in the United Kingdom, expenses incurred in travelling to Northern Ireland may in some instances be refunded subject to certain limits. Expenses incurred outside the United Kingdom may be payable in certain circumstances. Full details of expenses which may be claimed will be supplied with your invitation to attend interview or medical. There is no fee charged for attending a medical.

6. Selection

The Interview Panel will assess all applicants based on performance at interview and award each with a unique score. All applicants will be listed in order of merit with the highest scoring applicant ranked first. The Recruitment Office will fill vacancies in the order listed.

7. Pre-appointment Enquiries

Character

Before appointment, candidates must also satisfy the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission as to their character. This will involve completion of a Disclosure Certificate Application Form for a basic criminal records check. For this check you will be required to provide evidence of identity. Details will be provided with the invite to interview.

You should not avoid applying for a post because you have a conviction, and any criminal record information will be treated as confidential.

Criminal Record information is subject to the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (NI) Order 1978.

Health

Candidates must also satisfy the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission as to their health, which will involve the completion of a Health Declaration Form. For some candidates there may be an a need for a medical assessment to be carried out by the Occupational Health Service. This is to determine fitness for work and in some cases, whether any adjustments to the workplace are required, and candidates will be notified accordingly.

8. Canvassing

Any attempt on the part of candidates to enlist support during the recruitment process, could result in their disqualification.

9. Appointments

Placements within the Assembly will be determined mainly by the business requirements of the Assembly Commission and appointees may be required to serve in any or all of the Directorates of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

10. Immigration Control

Entry to the United Kingdom is controlled under the Immigration Act 1971. Everyone who does not have the right of abode is subject to immigration control. You should check whether there are any restrictions on your stay or your freedom to take or change employment before you apply for a post. If you are successful at interview we will ask you to provide documentation confirming that you are entitled to work in the UK, under the terms of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.

11. Completion of Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission monitors applications for employment in terms of Community Background, Sex, Disability, Race and Age. Candidates should note that this information is regarded as part of the application and failure to fully complete and return this part of the application will result in disqualification. The use and confidentiality of Community Background information is protected by the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. It will be used only for monitoring, investigations or proceedings under the requirements of the 1998 Order.

Guidance notes for completing the Disability section of your Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

(Please ensure you read this section carefully before completing this section of your monitoring form)

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended) defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

A long term effect of impairment is one which has lasted, or can reasonably be expected to last at least 12 months. Where an impairment stops having a substantial adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, it will be treated as continuing to have that effect if it is likely to recur.

Apart from the use of spectacles or contact lenses to correct sight, the effect of treatment or correction on an impairment should be ignored. For example, in the case of someone with diabetes, whether or not the effect is substantial will depend on what the condition would be if he or she was not taking medication.

Anyone who was registered as a disabled person under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act (Northern Ireland) 1945 both on 12 January 1995 and 2 December 1996 will be treated as being disabled under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 for three years from the latter date.

The guidance which follows contains examples of conditions which might give rise to particular categories of disability. You may feel that the suggested category is inappropriate in your case. For example, you may have a condition which is shown here as being likely to give rise to physical co-ordination difficulties, whereas in your opinion the resultant disability is more appropriately described under reduced physical capacity. In such cases you should choose the category which seems most suitable to you.

Hearing impairment: For example, being deaf or hard of hearing. If you wear a hearing aid which brings your level on a par with the average you are still considered to have a disability.

Visual impairment: For example, being registered blind or partially sighted. If your sight is corrected by the use of spectacles or contact lenses this is not considered a disability.

Speech impairment: For example, being unable to speak, or having difficulty in speaking.

Mobility impairment: For example, being able to walk only limited distances; having difficulty walking other than slowly or with unsteady or jerky movements; having difficulty sitting, standing, bending or reaching; having difficulty climbing stairs, or using a normal means of transport; needing to use a walking stick, crutches or wheelchair.

Physical co-ordination difficulties: This relates to balanced and effective interaction of body movement, including hand and eye co-ordination, and might include, for example, problems of manual dexterity and of muscular control, e.g. incontinence, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease.

Reduced physical capacity: This includes debilitating pain and lack of strength, breath, energy or stamina, such as might arise, for example, from cardiovascular conditions, asthma, diabetes. It may also result from progressive conditions, e.g. muscular dystrophy, cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS. (The DDA provides for people with these progressive conditions to be regarded as having a disability from the point of diagnosis.)

Severe disfigurement: Examples of disfigurements include scars, birthmarks, limb or postural deformation or diseases of the skin. A tattoo is not considered as a severe disfigurement.

Learning difficulties: For example, reading or writing with difficulty. Includes the mental inability to perceive physical danger.

Mental illness: For example, having schizophrenia, clinical depression, severe phobias. (There is no longer a requirement that a mental health condition is ‘clinically well recognised’ before it can count as a impairment under disability discrimination law.)

12. Age

Appointments to the Northern Ireland Assembly may be made up to the compulsory retirement age of 65. Staff may, however, subject to normal efficiency and attendance requirements, elect to retire at any age between 60 and 65.

13. Pension

New entrants who join the Northern Ireland Assembly are eligible to join the Northern IreIand Civil Service pension scheme, the (PCSPS (NI)] –NUVOS arrangement. Pension is an important part of the reward package for employees of the Assembly and on average, employers pay more than 18% of pay towards pension costs. As well as providing you with an easy and secure way to help you provide for your retirement, the PCSPS (NI) also provides dependants and ill health benefits.

We offer all new employees the choice of either:

If you previously worked for an employer covered by the PCSPS (NI) arrangements, different conditions may apply. If you already have a PCSPS (NI) pension in payment, you should be aware that the pension scheme rules prevent members from receiving more by way of pay and pension combined on re-employment than they were earning as salary before they retired. This is called "abatement". If you want to know more about how this may affect you, please contact Civil Service Pensions at:

Waterside House,
75 Duke Street,
Londonderry,
BT47 6FP;
Tel: 028 7131 9000;
Email: cspensions.cpg@dfpni.gov.uk

If you left the NICS with an early retirement, severance or redundancy package then your existing benefits may be affected if you accept this post. If your service was enhanced (increased) when you left then you will not be able to build up benefits in the defined benefit scheme during the period that is covered by the enhancement included in your existing benefits. If you opt to join the Partnership arrangement, employer contributions will not be payable for this enhancement period but you will be able to contribute if you wish. If you are receiving a pension or annual compensation payment then this may be reduced during your re-employment. If you received a top-up payment under the early severance temporary arrangements then your pay may be reduced during your re-employment. If you want to know more about this, please contact Civil Service Pensions.

You may be able to transfer a pension with your current or a previous employer into the PCSPS (NI). Information on Transfers In can be found in the New Entrant Pack which you should receive on taking up employment.