We are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all candidates. Here’s how you can apply to join Family Action.
Research & understand our values
Before you apply to Family Action, take some time to understand our core values. These values are central to everything we do, and we look for candidates who share them:
• Being people focused – We prioritise the needs and well-being of the people we work with.
• Reflecting a ‘Can Do’ approach – We approach challenges with positivity and determination.
• Striving for excellence – We aim for the highest standards in all our work.
• Having mutual respect – We respect everyone we work with, work for, and support through our services.
Our process
To ensure everyone gets a fair chance, we ask all applicants to complete an application form. This means we can review all applications based on the same criteria aligned with the job description and person specification. It helps us reduce bias and allows for a fair scoring process. We cannot accept a CV instead of a completed application form because we follow a safer recruitment policy and require additional information from applicants.
Our application form consists of several sections. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you complete each part:
1. Personal Details: Provide your basic information, such as your name, contact details, and address.
2. Qualifications: List your educational background and any relevant qualifications.
3. Training: Detail any training courses or certifications you have completed.
4. Employment History: Outline your previous jobs, including job titles, responsibilities, and dates of employment.
5. Personal Statement: This is your chance to shine!
Here’s how to effectively complete your personal statement:
• Refer to the Job Description and Person Specification: Make sure to address each requirement with reference to your relevant skills and experience.
• Provide Specific Examples: Give concrete examples of how you have demonstrated the skills and qualities needed for the role. Think about situations where you have successfully used these skills in the past.
• Highlight Key Achievements: Focus on your most significant accomplishments and how they are relevant to the position you are applying for.
• Be Clear and Concise: Write clearly and stick to the point, ensuring your statement is easy to read and understand.
6. Declarations: Complete any required declarations honestly and accurately.
By following these instructions, you will be able to create a strong and effective application that highlights why you are a great fit for Family Action. We look forward to learning more about you and potentially welcoming you to our team!
If you are shortlisted for an interview, we will contact you by email to arrange an interview time. Please check your inbox on a regular basis and remember to check your junk folder too – all information will be provided in the interview invite.
• Carefully review the Job Description and Person Specification and your application; consider how your experience and skills relate to the role.
• You may be asked a combination of situational or behavioural questions – we want to learn more about you and our hiring managers only want the best from you.
• You may want to consider looking at the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to help prepare for the interview, to ensure your answers are focused and concise.
• You may be required to complete a skills-based test as part of the interview, which will be used to assess relevant skills – this might include tasks such as preparing a presentation or completing a task relevant to the role.
Your interview will be conducted by a panel, which will usually include the line manager for the role. At the start of the interview, you will be introduced to everyone. The interview panel will ask a series of set questions relating to the criteria in the person specification, where you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your skills and experience and show how your personal values align with the values of Family Action.
Please remember that the interview is also your opportunity to ask any questions about the role or Family Action – it is a two-way conversation and we welcome your questions during the interview.
Offers of appointment are generally made verbally by the hiring manager (usually via a phone call) following the interview.
All job offers with Family Action are conditional and subject to completing all pre-employment checks. Family Action’s Safer Recruitment Policy requires the following pre-employment checks for ALL new starters before starting a role:
• References covering the last 36 months and all employment within that time with a minimum of 2 references including your current or most recent employer, plus character references to cover any employment gaps.
• A health check by an independent occupational health provider to ensure any reasonable adjustments are put into place to support you with any disabilities, physical or mental health conditions and ensure you are not substantially disadvantaged at work.
• Evidence of right to work in the UK.
Depending on the requirements of your Family Action role, you may be required to provide the following during your pre-employment checks:
• A DBS check
• Evidence of required qualifications and professional body registration.
During the pre-employment checks, you will be supported by a dedicated member of the Recruitment team and if you have any difficulty providing any documentation, we will endeavour to support you as best as we can.
There are sensitive pathways for providing information for pre-employment checks, including the DBS sensitive applications route which offers a confidential checking process for transgender applicants who do not wish to reveal details of their previous identity.
Pre-employment checks take on average 4-6 weeks to complete and vary from person to person, and a conditional offer may be withdrawn where any of these pre-employment checks cannot be completed. When all pre-employment checks have been completed, your line manager will reach out to you to agree your start date.
For any recruitment related questions, please contact our recruitment team via [email protected]
For any role specific questions, please email the hiring manager’s email address provided on the job advert or email our recruitment team.
If at any stage of the application process or during the recruitment process with us, you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or long-term health conditions, please contact our recruitment team via [email protected]. We are committed to providing the support you need.
Frequently asked questions
At this moment in time, we’re not able to accept CVs or speculative applications.
We cannot accept a CV instead of a completed application form because we follow a safer recruitment policy and require additional information from applicants.
We are committed to considering all applicants and if you’ve taken time away from work for caregiving, illness, education, transition, or other personal reasons, we encourage you to apply. Please take a look at our Safer Recruitment and Inclusion Statement.
If you declare a disability on your application and you meet the essential criteria for a role, you will be guaranteed an interview, as we are committed to the government Disability Confident scheme. We aim to make our recruitment process as accessible and inclusive as possible.
If you need reasonable adjustments to the interview or assessment process, please let us know so we can make arrangements. We also offer support in the workplace for employees with a disability. Read more about working with us.
If you are offered a job at Family Action, there are sensitive pathways for providing information during your pre-employment checks, including the DBS sensitive applications route. If you have any difficulty providing any documentation, we will endeavour to support you as best as we can to take up the role – we will offer a confidential call before starting the pre-employment checks, and during the checks, you will be supported by a dedicated member of the Recruitment team.
We also have a Trans, Intersex and Non-Binary Inclusion Policy which has provision for 4 half days paid leave per annum to attend any medical appointments relating to transition.
Unfortunately, HMRC still requires notification of an employee’s legal sex, with only two binary options; Female or Male. Therefore, if you are offered a role with us, this information will be taken from your identity document and requested in our new starter form (which acts as your P46) and stored confidentially in our HR & Payroll system to meet this requirement.
Please be assured that this is used for administration purposes only, and you can record and are always free to express your gender, pronouns, and name in our workplace.
Yes, many of our roles are advertised with part-time or flexible working patterns due to the nature of the work that we deliver. All roles with Family Action are open to flexible working requests from Day 1 of employment, so if you are interested in a role but not sure if you can commit to the hours or pattern advertised, please reach out to us to discuss.
Unfortunately, we work to a tight schedule and due to service demands, we are unable to accept applications past the closing date.
However, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to consider a late application – please contact our recruitment team to ask via [email protected].
After the closing date, all applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager and the shortlisting panel. For some roles, applications may be reviewed as they come in. So please don’t wait until the closing date to submit your application, if you are able to do so earlier.
You will receive a notification via email if you are unsuccessful at the application stage. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide detailed feedback at this stage, due to the volume of applications that we receive.
If you are invited to interview, you will receive an email with all the details. Please keep an eye on your inbox or your junk folder for an email from Family Action.
If you have not received an update on your application within 6 weeks, please reach out to the recruitment team via [email protected].
Unfortunately, we do not offer relocation expenses or visa sponsorship at this time.
Ordinarily Family Action appoints new starters at the starting point of the salary range (with subsequent annual pay progression), unless you have experience that would justify appointment further up the salary range or there are any other exceptional reasons.
If you are successful, please discuss your salary expectations with the hiring manager.
We have a Candidate Privacy Policy which details how your personal data will be processed if you apply for a role with us.
