The information on this page explains how to apply for a job at Leeds City Council and tells you about our recruitment policies and procedures. 

Completing your application

General guidance

Please read these guidance notes carefully to help you complete your application. We will use the information you provide in your application to decide whether to shortlist you for interview or other selection process.

You must provide accurate information and provide all details requested. Giving false information or omitting relevant facts will disqualify you from the application process or any job offer.

We will treat all information you provide as confidential. For queries or help with the application process contact either:

• the recruiting manager named in the job advertisement, or 
• our recruitment team by phone on 0113 378 5165 or email jobs@leeds.gov.uk  

Applicants with disabilities

Leeds City Council is a Disability Confident Leader. We encourage applicants with disabilities or health conditions to apply for roles with us and we will make reasonable adjustments for applicants during the recruitment process and once you are an employee.

Our online application process includes a question asking whether you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident scheme. We guarantee an interview to any applicant who declares a disability and meets the essential criteria outlined in the job description.

If you need any information on this website in an alternative format, please email your request to webmaster@leeds.gov.uk. Visit our accessibility page for further information.

Before you apply

We recommend that you create an account on our job site before you start your online application. This will allow you to save your application at any time and return to it later. 

Please read the job description carefully so that you can tailor your application to the role. We will match your skills and experience to the criteria in the person specification to decide whether to shortlist you for interview. 

How to apply

Apply online via the 'Apply now' button in the job advertisement. Depending on the role you will either: 

• complete an online application form, or 
• upload a CV and, for some roles, a supporting statement 

Please take care to follow the on-screen instructions at each step of the online process.

Contact details

Please provide your current email address and phone number so that we can contact you with the outcome of your application and invite you to interview or a skills assessment, as applicable. 

Knowledge, experience and skills 

We will ask you to explain how your experience, knowledge and skills equip you for the role so that we can decide whether to shortlist you for an interview or further selection process.

To give yourself the best chance of being shortlisted we advise you to:

• describe how you meet all the essential requirements in the person specification 
• where applicable, address any desirable requirements in the person specification
• include examples to demonstrate your skills and experience 
• think about relevant transferable skills from volunteering, training or other activities outside the workplace too

If you are applying with a CV, you must explain how you meet the person specification in your CV or a supporting statement (500 words maximum). You will be prompted to upload your CV and any supporting statement during the application process.

If you are completing an application form, please follow the online instructions. We will ask you to provide one or more of the following:

• a supporting statement that shows how you meet the essential requirements in the person specification
• additional information covering any desirable requirements or other information in support of your application
• your responses to questions specific to the requirements of the role you are applying for

Employment experience, qualifications and training

If you are applying by submitting a CV, you must include your full employment history and all relevant qualifications and training in your CV. 

If you are completing an application form, you can choose whether to upload your CV or manually enter details of your employment history and qualifications. Uploading your CV is not an alternative to completing the application form; it will prepopulate the fields for employment experience, qualifications and training. You must review the information entered to ensure it is complete, accurate and in the correct format. 

For either application method, you should:

• list your employment history in chronological order with the most recent first 
• outline your duties in each position and reason for leaving 
• include paid employment, work placements and voluntary work
• enter exact start and end dates for each position where possible 
• explain the reason for any periods not in employment, training or education since leaving secondary school 
• refer to the job description for details of specific qualifications required
• provide details of relevant qualifications and training courses in your application

Read the safeguarding section on this page to find out why we ask for full details of your work history. 

We will require certificates or other documentary evidence of relevant qualifications and training later in the process.

Declaration of previous convictions

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 requires candidates for employment to give details of any unspent convictions. You must also disclose any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings that the act defines as not protected. 

You must supply this information by completing a criminal record declaration if we invite you to the next stage of the selection process, such as an interview or skills assessment.

Disclosure does not prevent you applying for a job with us, depending on the role and the circumstances of your offence. However if you fail to disclose applicable information we will withdraw our job offer or dismiss you without notice.

Relatives of members or officers

You must disclose in your application any family relationship or other close association that you have with a member or senior officer of the council. You will be disqualified from appointment if you fail to declare any relationship, however remote.

We require members and senior officers involved in selection panels to disclose any relationship they know of with a candidate who is applying for a role with the council.

Compliance questions for equality monitoring

We ask applicants a series of equality monitoring questions, which do not affect your application or the outcome. We encourage you to complete all the questions or select ‘I prefer not to say’. The recruiting manager will not see this equality information as we remove it prior to shortlisting.

We use the information you supply only for monitoring and reporting, to help us ensure that our employment practices are fair and free from unlawful discrimination. We will treat your information in strict confidence and you will not be identified in any data we publish.

Recruitment process and pre-employment

Interviews and assessments

We will shortlist applications after the closing date and contact you with the outcome of your application. 

If we shortlist you we will email to invite you to an interview or other selection process. The interview may be in person or online. Our invitation email will include:

• interview arrangements – date, time and place, or joining instructions if online
• details of any assessment exercise to test your core competencies for the role 
• required documentation confirming your identity and right to work in the UK
• required certificates or other documentary evidence of qualifications and training

We cannot reimburse candidates’ expenses for attending an interview.

Safeguarding

Leeds City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share our commitment and we reflect this in the way we recruit new staff.

We require your full employment record since leaving school, college or university, including voluntary work and gaps in your work history. You must provide explanations for any periods not in employment, training or education since leaving secondary school.

We follow a robust safer recruitment process for staff who will have contact with children and vulnerable adults or will have access to information about them. We will:

• require a candidate to provide at least 2 references
• check all gaps in employment history
• obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, where applicable
• verify all essential qualifications
• conduct any other checks applicable to the job

Visit the Disclosure and Barring Service for more information.

Canvassing

You must not canvass members of the council in relation to your application. This means you must not seek the support of Elected Members or ask them to influence the outcome of your application. Any attempt to canvass will disqualify you as a candidate for employment.

References

If you are successful at interview we will ask you to provide names and contact details for your referees. We normally require at least 2 satisfactory references before we can confirm a job offer, including one from your current or most recent employer. This requirement may vary according to the specific role.

Pre-employment health declaration

After issuing a job offer, we ask prospective employees to complete a health declaration before starting work with us. This information supports our commitment to the health and safety of all our colleagues and customers.

The questions in the health declaration are designed to be non-intrusive and proportionate to your role. The information you supply helps us to:

• identify any potential health, safety or wellbeing issues for employees or customers
• put in place any reasonable adjustments to support you in your role throughout your time working with us
• comply with the Equality Act 2010 and support you with Access to Work funding
• monitor and mitigate any work-related risks to employees’ health 
• comply with health and safety legislation

We treat all information supplied in the health declaration with the strictest confidence.

Equality and diversity

We believe that our council should fully reflect the diverse city it serves, with an inclusive workforce that represents everyone in Leeds. 

The Equality Act 2010 sets out the duty for public sector organisations to consider how their actions affect people who are protected under the act. We take our responsibility seriously and follow all reasonable steps to ensure that we do not unlawfully discriminate. 

Core to our values is our commitment to treat people fairly, respect all and root out inequality and discrimination. We value difference and encourage everyone to be their true self at work.

We participate in national benchmarking schemes that promote good employment practice. We are:

• validated as a Disability Confident Leader
• a Stonewall Top 100 Employer 2023 and LGBTQ+ Gold Award holder
• signed up to the Mindful Employer Charter
• signed up to the Age-friendly Employer Pledge

We have 7 staff networks representing a broad range of equality protected characteristics. These groups provide support networks for colleagues and promote awareness across our organisation.

Employment information

Flexible and hybrid working

We offer a wide range of voluntary flexible working options to help colleagues sustain a healthy work-life balance. Hours and working patterns must be agreed with managers to ensure the needs of the service are met.

We support hybrid working where appropriate to the role. Subject to service requirements, colleagues can work from a choice of Leeds City Council locations, including the site designated for their service, or from home.

Leeds City Council operates from multiple sites in the city centre and in communities.

Probationary policy

All new Leeds City Council appointments are subject to satisfactory completion of a 6-month probationary period once in post.

Data protection

We will process personal information collected during the application process in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Read our external job applicants privacy notice to find out more about how we use your data.