Council Jobs and Careers
Armed forces support - Silver award holder
We recognise that those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives.
In order to showcase this commitment, we want to formally pledge to support the armed forces, including existing or prospective employees who are members of the community.
We are Silver Award holders for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme we welcome all recruitment applications from those who are reservists, armed forces veterans, cadet instructors and military spouse/partners.
Pension and Other Benefits
Our employees benefit from a comprehensive induction programme, as well as a supportive system of performance appraisal to identify and meet their evolving training and development needs. We have a dedicated in-house team providing a range of learning and development opportunities, tailored to business needs.
Other employee benefits include:-
- Local Government Pension Scheme membership (contributory defined benefit pension scheme)
- 26 days paid leave per year - rising to 31 days after 5 years continuous service (pro rata for part time employees)
- in-house occupational health service and employee assistance programme (confidential counselling service)
- Flexible working hours, where appropriate
- Home working (in some services)
- Cycle to Work scheme (tax free bikes for work)
- discounts and promotions from a range of retailers and service providers
Working for the Council
Pembrokeshire County Council has a clear sense of purpose, encapsulated in our vision -
'Working together to improve lives in Pembrokeshire'
Linked to all-Wales and local well-being objectives, the vision is also underpinned by three guiding principles:
- Sense of Purpose - Our purpose is to inspire and support individuals, communities and organisations to secure improvements in social, economic and environmental well-being.
- Improvement - We will aim to transform the way in which the organisation works, innovating and seeking best practice to help us deliver in more effective and efficient ways. We will aim to continue to make prudent choices, by living within our means and avoiding unnecessary processes and waste.
- Working Together - We will work together to help provide joined-up support and services for Pembrokeshire people, visitors to the county, communities and organisations. We are committed to the continued development of effective partnerships with voluntary, private and public sector bodies within and out of the county.
These principles are directly relevant to the work of our people throughout the organisation.
Applying for a Vacancy
To apply for a job opportunity with Pembrokeshire County Council, you will need to use our online application form.
This is an easy to use system that will take you through the application process step by step. Should you experience any difficulty, help is at hand. Just call us on 01437 764551 and ask for the recruitment team, or alternatively e-mail us at recruit@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Once you have submitted your application, you will automatically receive an e-mail to confirm that we have received it. We will contact you by e-mail to let you know the progress of your application. If invited for interview, we will contact you by e-mail to confirm the arrangements, and will normally aim to give at least 3 days notice.
Please note that the Council does not accept CV's.
Recruitment and Selection Policy
As a large public sector employer, Pembrokeshire County Council recognises the importance of having open, fair and ethical arrangements in place for the appointment of its employees. This document sets out the Council’s corporate policy framework for recruitment and selection activity.
- All appointments to paid employment with Pembrokeshire County Council shall be made on merit, ie the criteria for selecting persons for employment shall be their ability to fulfil the requirements of particular posts as defined by job descriptions and person specifications.
- All appointments shall be consistent with the Council’s obligations as an employer under current legislation and in particular the Equality Act.
- All appointments shall be consistent with the principles and objectives of the Council’s Equal Opportunities Statement.
- All recruitment exercises shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions and standards of the Council’s Recruitment and Selection Code of Practice, and advice given to line managers.
- The Council shall take steps to ensure that all persons authorised to participate in the recruitment and selection of people to work for the Authority are adequately and appropriately trained to fulfil their responsibilities.
- This policy, the Code of Practice and advice which supports it, will be periodically reviewed or revised to reflect changes in recruitment practice, employment legislation, the labour market and working patterns.
Equal Opportunities Statement
The aim of this statement is to ensure fair and equal treatment and opportunity for all users of the Council's services and Council employees. This includes all who live, work or visit Pembrokeshire.
Duties of the Council
1. Pembrokeshire County Council will work towards equality of opportunity for all and will devote its energies and resources to the achievement of this aim.
2. The County Council will not discriminate on grounds of age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, gender, HIV status, immigration status, marital status, social or economic status, nationality or national origins, race, religious beliefs, responsibility for dependants, sexuality, trade union membership or unrelated criminal conviction. The Council will promote equality of access and opportunity for citizens who suffer from unfair treatment on any of these grounds including those disadvantaged through multiple forms of discrimination.
3. The County Council will strive to eliminate racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination. We recognise that this requires not only a commitment to remove discrimination but also action through policies to redress the inequalities produced by past discrimination.
4. We are committed to promoting equality of access to all the services we provide. Services (and information about services) should be designed to be appropriate to the needs of all who live, work or visit Pembrokeshire.
5. The Council will act to ensure equal access to our jobs at all levels and to develop all employees to a level that is commensurate with their
responsibilities.
6. The Council values the diversity of all who live, work and visit Pembrokeshire and sees this as a positive force to build community cohesion through its commitment towards equality of opportunity.
7. The Council is committed to opposing harassment and victimisation of residents, service users and employees on the grounds stated above and will take action to counteract harassment in the community, in the provision of services and facilities and in the workplace.
Why have a statement?
1. The Council has a legal duty to provide all services and employment opportunities fairly and without discrimination. This includes the Council's specific responsibilities in education and social services.
2. This duty focuses on those areas where discrimination occurs more often specifically on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation as well as legislation about human rights, rehabilitation of offenders and equal pay.
3. The adverse effects of being excluded from opportunities by discrimination and harassment can be severe. Pembrokeshire County Council acknowledges that exclusion from opportunities not only disadvantages those who experience discrimination and harassment but also deprives our communities of the full contribution of their talents and energies.
Empowering people to contribute more fully enriches our communal life and contributes towards community cohesion.
The statement in more detail
The Council recognises that the discrimination affecting different groups in our community takes specific forms and has particular effects. We are committed to taking action to combat direct, indirect and institutional discrimination, and to afford people with a disability equality of opportunity.
1. Age
Discrimination against people because they are "old" or "young" is endemic in our society. Inaccurate assumptions based on prejudice and stereotypes are often made about the abilities and characteristics of younger and older people that adversely affect them. Too often, younger and older people are denied full involvement in decisions about their lives and are not allowed the independence and responsibility that is their right.
Exclusion from employment is experienced by many and with other factors leads disproportionately to poverty, low income and inability to enjoy the good things in life. The Council will take action to combat this discrimination and to afford equality of opportunity for all citizens, irrespective of their age.
2. Disability
As with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), to be protected from disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, an individual has to have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
Many people in our community have a disability and the needs and wants of those with different disabilities vary considerably.
The Council commits to act in accordance with the relevant legislation.
3. Gender Reassignment
The Council is opposed to discrimination against employees who are proposing to undergo, are in the process of undergoing or have undergone gender reassignment. It is equally opposed to unfair and unequal treatment of transsexual members of our communities.
4. Marriage and Civil Partnership
The Council will protect employees who are married or in a civil partnership against discrimination in accordance with the legislation
5. Pregnancy and Maternity
The Council protects employees against discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy
and maternity during the period of their pregnancy and maternity leave. It maintains polices to support women when they return to work.
6. Race
Racism is a powerful destructive force in our society. Prejudice and stereotypes about black people and people from the many different minority ethnic communities lead to both direct and indirect discrimination. This discrimination is experienced as a daily fact of life.
The Council welcomes the diverse communities and cultures in the county and surrounding region and sees them as a positive force for the good of all. We are committed to promoting understanding and co-operation between our various communities and to the combating of racial discrimination in all its forms. The Council is opposed to discrimination against all minority ethnic communities.
7. Religion or Belief
People can experience discrimination because of their religious beliefs, membership of faith groups or that they have chosen not to adhere to a religious belief or group. The Council is committed to eliminating discrimination and exclusion on the basis of religion or belief.
8. Sex
Both women and men in our communities can face disadvantage in a variety of ways. They can experience disadvantage from both direct and indirect discrimination which can prevent them from reaching their full potential.
Our staff may sometimes be disadvantaged due to their responsibility for caring which may prevent them from reaching their full potential in the workplace.
The Council is committed to promoting equal opportunities for men and women and it will take action to remove direct and indirect discrimination in the services we provide, in our employment policies and practice and in access to local democratic processes. The Council is committed to having employment policies and procedures which will protect the principle of fair and equal treatment for all employees in the workplace.
9. Sexual Orientation
The Council is committed to creating a positive working environment where lesbian, gay and bisexual employees are treated fairly.
It is also committed to eliminating hostility and fear towards these groups where they are service users of the Authority aiming to reach a position where there is acceptance of lesbians, gay men and bisexual people as equal and valued citizens.
10. Trade Union Membership and Activity
The Council respects the right of all its employees to become union members. As an employer, the Council recognises a number of trade unions and is committed to an open and constructive relationship with them. The Council is also committed to taking action that helps to ensure that all who live or work in the community can benefit from trade union membership.
11. Education
Schools have obligations under the Equality Act 2010 in respect of staff, as bodies which carry out public functions and as service providers.
Pembrokeshire County Council is the Admissions Authority for all maintained Community and Voluntary Controlled schools in Pembrokeshire. The Equality Act 2010 does not require the Admissions Authority to act in any way which is inconsistent with other legal obligations relating to schools admissions. The County Council is compliant with the guidelines contained in the School Admission Statutory Code.
12. Equality Act 2010
The Council complies with the Equality Act 2010.
Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults
Pembrokeshire County Council is committed to safeguarding the well being of children, young people and vulnerable adults in its care, within a culture that gives safeguarding the highest priority. Our employees are required to share this commitment.
To this end, employees who will work with children or vulnerable adults will be recruited in accordance with the Council's Code of Practice, and vetted to set standards. This means appropriate background checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and satisfactory references are mandatory. Applicants' suitability to work with children will be probed through checks with current and previous employers as part of the vetting process, and at interview. The Council will not employ anyone to work with children or vulnerable adults where there is any reasonable doubt about their suitability to do so.
The Council will ensure that the employee induction training process includes guidance on safeguarding and protection best practice, and that employees are carefully and regularly supervised in their work with children and vulnerable adults.
The Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy
- As an organisation using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checking service to assess applicants' suitability for positions of trust, Pembrokeshire County Council complies fully with the Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. It undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a DBS check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.
- Pembrokeshire County Council is committed to the fair treatment of its staff, potential staff and users of its services, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependents, age, physical/ mental disability or offending background.
- We have a written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, which is made available to all DBS applicants at the outset of the recruitment process.
- We actively promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential and welcome applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with criminal records. We select all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience.
- A DBS check is only requested after a thorough risk assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the position concerned. For those positions where a DBS check is required, all application forms, job adverts and recruitment briefs will contain a statement that a DBS check will be required in the event of the individual being offered the position.
- Where a DBS check is to form part of the recruitment process, we encourage all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record at an early stage in the application process. We request that this information is sent under separate, confidential cover, to a designated person within Pembrokeshire County Council, and we guarantee that this information will only be seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.
- Unless the nature of the position allows Pembrokeshire County Council to ask questions about your entire criminal record, we only ask questions about ‘unspent' convictions as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
- We ensure that all those in Pembrokeshire County Council who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. We also ensure that they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex-offenders, e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and also other relevant legislation such as the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
- 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 make every subject of a DBS check aware of the existence of the Code of Practice and make a copy available on request.
- We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a DBS check with the person seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.
The Welsh Language
In accordance with the Welsh Language Standards, applications for employment with Pembrokeshire County Council may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
The need for Welsh language skills varies across our workforce depending on the type of vacancy and the setting in which it operates, and as such will be clearly stated as being either essential, desirable, needing to be learnt when appointed to the post, or as not necessary.
Applicants have the right to use the Welsh language at interview, and in any other part of the assessment and selection process. The Authority will provide a simultaneous translation service at interview or assessment, if needed.