The following advice has been provided to assist you in completing the application form as effectively as possible.

Please consider carefully the position you are applying for before completing your application. The description of this gives details of the knowledge, experience and skills we require for the job against which your application will be assessed.

Tips for completing your 'online' application form:

• You can cut and paste from your CV or other applications
• It's a good idea to save your application frequently so your work is safe in case of technical problems and to enable you to come back and complete at a later date
• Don't use the informal English you would use in an email - use the same good quality English you would use on a paper form - concise, to the point, but with lots of evidence to show relevant skills

Personal Details

Known as: Please indicate what name you would like to be known as if this is different from your first name. We will use this name in correspondence.

Contact details: Please indicate how you would prefer us to contact you. This should be the number where you can be contacted during office hours. If you would prefer us not to contact you at work for example, please provide the number, but do not tick the box.

References: references will only be taken up when we have made an offer of employment. If you would like us to contact you again before taking up references, please circle NO. If you are unable to provide two employers references please contact the HR Department on 0845 408 6666.

Employment history: Please list your complete employment history. You should summarise where job duties are not directly relevant to the job you are applying for. Please do not refer to a separate Curriculum Vitae, but attach additional sheets if necessary.

If you have worked for an agency on a temporary basis, it is not necessary to list every individual assignment, unless particularly relevant to the job you are applying for. Otherwise, state the dates between which you worked for the agency and provide a brief list of the jobs undertaken during this time.

Salary: Your current salary/expectations will be compared to the salary offered. If you are currently earning more than the salary advertised but are willing to negotiate, please state your salary expectations.

Educational, technical and professional qualifications: This should include school or college examinations, technical qualifications and membership of professional bodies. It is not necessary to state dates. You may be asked to provide proof of qualifications and, if appropriate, we may seek verification of these from professional bodies.

Personal development: Please include any training courses you may have attended which are relevant to the job you have applied for. Voluntary work or responsibilities you hold outside work may also be useful in demonstrating your suitability for the job, for example your organisational skills.

Skills and experience: You should provide examples which demonstrate how you meet the criteria of the position for which you are applying. Please do not fill this section with extracts from your CV.

Please also state why you are interested in the job. Is it for a promotion or is it a good employment or career move? Will it broaden or give you greater experience?

Criminal records check: We use the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure service to assess applicants' suitability for positions of trust. We comply fully with the CRB Code of Practice and treat all applicants without discrimination on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.

A disclosure will only be requested after a thorough risk assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the position concerned. 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. Where a disclosure forms part of the recruitment process, we will request that applicants invited for interview provide details of their criminal record at an early stage in the application process.

We will only ask about out "unspent" convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, unless the nature of the position allows the Group to ask about an applicants' entire criminal record. This will apply particularly to positions within our sheltered housing schemes.

Any offer of employment will be conditional until a full Disclosure Report has been received. Depending on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence(s), a decision may be made to withdraw a conditional offer of employment. However, a final decision will only be made after discussions with the applicant.

Driving licence: If a driving licence or ability to travel is essential for the job you have applied for, this will be stated in the person specification.

Data Protection Act: This section explains how we will use the information you have provided on the application form. You are requested to read this carefully and give your consent.

Declaration: You are required to confirm that the information given in the application form is accurate and true. If you provide misleading or false information, you will not be appointed, or if already appointed, may be dismissed.

You must ensure that the completed application form arrives before the closing date, otherwise it will not be considered.

If you are applying for a position within one of our sheltered housing schemes you must always declare any conviction whether or not it is spent. It does not matter what type of sentence you received or how long ago the conviction took place, you must declare the conviction.

Equal opportunities monitoring: This section of the application form will not be used for selection purposes. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity to all applicants and employees regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. By carrying out equal opportunities monitoring of our recruitment processes, we can ensure we are doing so.

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked if there is any assistance you require to attend an interview.