Our Recruitment Process

• We officially launched in April 2023 following Local Government Reogranisation that saw 4 county and district councils wrapped into one.
• The areas we serve are - Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland.
• We have 46 councillors and our Council Leader is Mark Fryer with our Chief Executive being Andrew Seekings.
• As a council, we are a unitary authority and we have responsibility for social care provision - unlike many other regional councils.
• Our vision is to take a fresh approach to the delivery of inclusive services that are shaped by our residents and communities.
• Our aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents. It is at the heart of everything that we do.
• You can find a copy of our council plan on our website.

We operate based on 5 value that underpin everything we aim to do:

• Be compassionate
• Be innovative
• Be empowering
• Be ambitious
• Be collaborative

As a unitary authority, we operate a range of public services for residents and businesses of Cumberland. These include:

• Adult Social Care and Housing provision
• Communications and Policy
• Human Resources, Commissioning and Procurement, Digital and ICT services, and Programme Management
• Children and Family Wellbeing services
• Buildings, Vehicles and Facilities Management
• Transport, Street Cleaning and Recreational Maintenance
• Leisure and Cultural Development
• Public Health and Community Wellbeing
• Legal, Finance, Health and Safety, Revenue and Benefits, Democractic and Electoral services.

You can search for a job with Cumberland Council via the job search function of our website.

Alternatively, you may find some of our jobs posted on job sites such as Indeed or LinkedIn.

For all of our jobs, you can apply via our website by clicking through from the specific job page of the job you're interested in.

For some jobs, you may be able to apply by giving us just a few personal details and attaching your CV. Some of our jobs also allow you to apply like this through Indeed or LinkedIn. On Indeed, you'll know if you see the 'easily apply' badge; and on LinkedIn it's called 'easy apply'.

For other roles, we may need you to fill in a longer application form. This is usually because laws and regulations related to the type of job you're applying for require us to collect more information about you. For these roles, you'll need to apply via our website.

Here are some helpful things to consider before you apply:

• Take note of the closing date and apply before it
• Schedule time to work on and submit your application
• Review the job advert and job description before tailoring your CV or filling in our application form
• Tailor your CV or application form answers to the specific requirements of the job
• Answer every question on our application. Don't leave any blanks.

If your application is successful, you'll normally be shortlisted to be interviewed. Your interview may be conducted in person at one of our buildings or online using software such as Microsoft Teams.

For some roles, you may be asked to deliver a presentation as part of your interview.

This is the most important stage of our recruitment process as you've made the shortlist and it offers you your chance to meet our hiring panel, find out more about the job and offers you the opportunity to sell yourself and show us that you're the best candidate for the job.

Preparing for your presentation

• Take note of your presentation question and make sure you understand the task. If you're unsure, reach out to your hiring manager for clarification.
• Do your research to inform what you'll present. Look up the topic and the council and try to relate your answers to our needs.
• Prepare a short set of presentation slides that answers the question. Try to make them look good and well put together with a logical order.
• Practice delivering your presentation in advance so you can fine tune anything you need to and can check how long it takes to deliver.
• If your interview is online - test your presentation software before your interview and make sure you know how to share your screen.
• If your interview is in-person - send a copy of your presentation to your hiring manager before you attend. It's also worth bringing a printout or two along with you on the day.

Preparing for an in-person interview

• Take note of the date and time of the interview and put it in your calendar
• Look up your interview venue online and plan your journey. Take note of where your interview is being held, how to get there and how long it might take.
• If possible, try and do a trial journey to your interview location before the day.
• Research the council before you attend. Look at our website, our council plan and our social media profiles. If you can, try to speak to anyone you know who works with us too.
• Take some time to read up on the job description and your application again and prepare some answers to questions you think you could be asked. Try to base your answers on your skills and knowledge and use them to showcase your capability to do the job. If you can, practice your questions aloud before the day as well.
• Plan to wear an outfit that's appropriate for the role and that you feel confident in
• Lay out your attire the night before so its one less thing to worry about
• Plan to leave early on the day of your interview so you've got plenty of time to get there
• When you arrive, don't come in too early. Wait until its around 10-15 minutes before your scheduled interview time before you come in.
• During your interview, be sure to take every opportunity to demonstrate the research you've done and show us your understanding of the council.
• When asked whether you've got any questions at the end, it's always best to ask us something about the job, the team or the council itself.

Preparing for an online interview

• Take note of the date and time of the interview and put it in your calendar
• Take note of the software your interview is to be held over too. Download it to your computer, make sure you have a user account (if necessary) and test that it works.
• Research the council before you attend. Look at our website, our council plan and our social media profiles. If you can, try to speak to anyone you know who works with us too.
• Take some time to read up on the job description and your application again and prepare some answers to questions you think you could be asked. Try to base your answers on your skills and knowledge and use them to showcase your capability to do the job. If you can, practice your questions aloud before the day as well.
• Plan to wear an outfit that's appropriate for the role and that you feel confident in
• Lay out your attire the night before so its one less thing to worry about
• Plan to have your interview in a private, quiet space that's free from distractions and has plenty of light. Make sure you've also got a reliable wifi or mobile data connection too.
• Don't join your interview link too early. Wait until it's around 5 minutes before your scheduled interview time before you join.
• During your interview, be sure to take every opportunity to demonstrate the research you've done and show us your understanding of the council.
• When asked whether you've got any questions at the end, it's always best to ask us something about the job, the team or the council itself.

If you're deemed the appointable candidate at your interview, usually your hiring manager will give you a call to verbally offer you the job.

If you accept the job verbally, our recruitment team will email you a conditional offer letter and new starter pack giving you more information about the offer.

Conditional Offer & New Starter Pack

Your offer email will contain more details of the job offer including the job title, hours, location and starting salary. It will also detail what you need to do as part of your new starter journey and for your offer to become unconditional.

Your offer of employment will usually be conditional on:

• You formally accepting the job offer
• You providing your personal information to be processed as a new starter
• You providing at least 2 references covering the past 3 years
• You providing evidence of your qualifications and certificates (as required by the role)
• You completing our medical assessment
• A satisfactory criminal record and/or DBS check (as required by the role)
• Your right to work in the UK

We recommend you read the details and make a decision on whether to accept the job as quickly as possible. You should also aim to reply to us with the information we need as soon as you can. This will help us process your appointment. It's also worth contacting your referees to let them know we'll be in touch in the coming weeks as this typically makes the reference process quicker and smoother.

To work for Cumberland Council, you must have the right to work in the UK.

This means you must give the right documents showing you can work in the UK which will be checked when you have an assessment or interview (if your assessment/interview is conducted in person). If your assessment/interview is conducted online and you're the successful candidate, your hiring manager will invite you to one of our buildings to go through your right to work checks.

If the right documents aren’t provided you won't be eligible to be appointed to your position or work for the council.

For more information on what documents you can bring to show you’ve the right to work, go to the Check if a document allows someone to work in the UK of the gov.uk website.

Check what you need to show

You automatically have the right to work in the UK if:

• you’re a British or Irish citizen
• you have pre-settled or settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme – or you’ve applied and you’re waiting for a decision
• you have a family permit from the EU Settlement Scheme
• you have indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK
• you have right of abode in the UK

You might have a right to work in the UK if you’ve got a visa with a time limit. This is called having ‘limited leave to enter or remain’. If your leave has ended, you don’t have the right to work in the UK.

Check if you’re a British citizen

You should check if you’re a British citizen if you’re not sure – for example, you might be a British citizen if you:

• have a British parent
• were born in the UK or a British overseas territory
• were born in a British colony before 1983

To check go to the Check if you’re a British citizen on the gov.uk website.

If you’ve got limited leave to enter or remain 

You’ll have limited leave to enter or remain if you’ve got a visa with a time limit. 

You’ll usually have a document which says if you’ve got the right to work – for example, a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). 

You might have restrictions on the type of job or work you can do, or the number of hours you can work.

For more information on what documents you can bring to show you have the right to work, go to the Check if a document allows someone to work in the UK of the gov.uk website.

If you’ve got a student visa

You’re only allowed to work a certain number of hours. If you’re not sure how many hours you can work, you should check your immigration documents or talk to your education provider. 

More information on the rules about working with a student visa can be found on the Student work page of the UKCISA website.

We'll let you know once all of your pre-employment checks have been completed.

At this point, your hiring manager should contact you to formally agree your start date. This should be in the near future and after the end of any notice period you may have if you're employed elsewhere.

Once you agree your start date, you should resign from your current post with your current employer and look forward to joining Cumberland Council.

If you need disability support when submitting an application, Cumberland Council will always support in making reasonable adjustments for candidates where required.

You ask for reasonable adjustments by contacting your hiring manager or our resourcing team.

You can contact our resourcing team by email:

Email: resourcing@cumberland.gov.uk

If you are looking to apply for a job at Cumberland Council, you will need to be 16 years old or ‘minimum school leaving age’. If you are aged between 16 and 18, there are restrictions on what hours we can offer you and for certain roles. Please read the vacancy information carefully to ensure there is no age restriction stated.

Due to current regulations called the Working Time Directive and Local Education Authority rules we are unable to accept applications from candidates who have not reached the minimum school leaving age. This is due to the restrictions on what duties you are allowed to perform and the level of supervision required at all times.

This is defined as: You must have left school and have reached the age of 16 by the start of the new school year.

For more details please go to https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

Yes. You can apply for more than one job.

It is Cumberland Council's policy though to make sure we observe the upper limit of the 48-hour work week as set out in the Working Time Directive. We do not actively encourage staff to opt out of the Working Time Directive or work beyond 48 hours - even where a staff member has more than one job with us.

That means there are currently no vacancies near your location.

Many of our jobs offer flexible working and can be done mostly from home. You should check the particular details of this on any job adverts for jobs that are of interest to you.

Alternatively, you can register for email alerts and we'll send you a weekly job vacancies newsletter. You can register for alerts here.

If your application has been successful and you are being progressed to the next stage, we will confirm this by email. 

We recommend that you keep an eye on your emails after the closing date of the job you've applied for. You should also check your junk mail.

If you would like feedback on your unsuccessful application, please contact our resourcing team.

You can contact our resourcing team by email:

Email: resourcing@cumberland.gov.uk

If you are having trouble accessing our application form, please contact our resourcing team.

You can contact our resourcing team by email:

Email: resourcing@cumberland.gov.uk

Right to Work documents are required from all candidates to provide evidence of their entitlement to work in the UK when they attend an assessment or interview. These documents will be checked and authorised by your hiring manager conducting the assessment/interview. Failure to provide satisfactory evidence of your right to work in the UK will prevent your application progressing.

It is our legal obligation to ensure that anyone we are looking to employ is legally entitled to work in the UK before their employment begins.

For more information on what documents you can bring to show you have the right to work, and more details, please follow this link to the Government Website:

https://www.gov.uk/legal-right-work-uk

If you cannot attend your interview, you can reschedule by contacting your hiring manager or our resourcing team.

You can contact our resourcing team by email:

Email: resourcing@cumberland.gov.uk

Please ensure you let us know at least 48 hours in advance of your interview.

Please let us know whether you require reasonable adjustments by contacting your hiring manager or our resourcing team.

You can contact our resourcing team by email:

Email: resourcing@cumberland.gov.uk

Please ensure you let us know at least 48 hours in advance of your interview.

Cumberland Council offers a guaranteed interview scheme to the following applicants:

• Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
• Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
• Armed forces veterans whose last long term substantive employer was the armed forces

If you meet one or more of the criteria above, and wish to be considered for this scheme, a guaranteed interview will be offered so long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role. 

Please select 'yes' to the appropriate question during your application.

Yes. To ask for feedback as a result of an unsuccessful interview, please contact your hiring manager.