Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are looking for a diverse group of highly talented and motivated graduates to join our Graduate Development Programme. You would be working for two high performing London councils operating in an innovative shared staffing arrangement known as the SSA. This gives you a great opportunity to understand how two different councils work.

Our programme is innovative and bespoke, tailored to meet both the needs of the organisation and you as an individual. This will be a great opportunity to work across the SSA’s key work streams.

Eligibility:

We welcome graduates from all backgrounds and areas of study but you must have (or expect to achieve) a minimum of 2:2 undergraduate degree by July 2023. You also need to -

• have the right to work in the UK (we are unable to apply for visa’s).
• be within 2 years of graduating from your first degree.
• a minimum of 5 GCSE’s grades A-C including Maths and English (or equivalent)we will need to see certificates.
• have been resident in the UK for the last three years (to meet funding requirements for training that you will undertake).

About you:

You will be innovative, adaptable, enthusiastic and able to demonstrate a strong commitment to working In Richmond and Wandsworth. You will quickly take on responsibility for projects that will make a real contribution towards the impact and efficiency of local public services including contributing to our work supporting local communities, organisations and businesses.

The successful applicants will have the opportunity to work across both Councils, which have different political outlooks and priorities. You may be working in Wandsworth and Twickenham on high profile projects such as Climate Change, Cost of Living programmes, co-ordinating developmental work on our organisational values and behaviours and projects in adults and children’s social care. You may be working on policy, events, communications or you may be researching and engaging with the local community.

Throughout the programme you will have a placement manager and a supervisor as well as your colleagues to support your development. There will also be opportunities to shadow Directors and senior managers, to attend meetings with local Councillors to understand the political context of your work and to participate in London-wide and national events.

You will also undertake an externally accredited qualification which will enhance your career prospects by developing your planning, communication, organisation and management skills.

The starting salary is £28,093 per annum and you will also receive 32 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to progress to a higher salary grade in their second year (subject to meeting requirements).

If you are unable to view the video included on this advert, please use the following link to view further information on the Graduate Development Programme via Graduate Development Programme - YouTube

At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know.

Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work!

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 40 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops, cycle to work scheme and other establishments.

Information Sessions:

If you would like to find out more about our graduate programme, please follow the link to reserve a place on one of our Information Sessions on the dates below, you will then receive a confirmation email and a Teams invite. https://forms.office.com/e/absDyJ773V Any issues please contact [email protected]

• Wednesday 12th April at 2.00pm - 3.00pm
• Tuesday 25th April at 11.00am - 12pm noon
• Tuesday 2nd May at 11.00am - 12pm noon

Indicative Recruitment Timeline (subject to change):

Closing Date: 11:59pm on Monday 8th May 2023

Please note if you are successful in being shortlisted and through to the final stages you will be notified during the week beginning 19th June 2023.

Online Assessments: week beginning 19th June 2023

Assessment Days: 11th and 12th July 2023 at Wandsworth Town Hall, SW18 2PU (you will be invited to select your date preference)

You may be re-called for a second interview which would take place in the week commencing 17th July and conducted on Teams.

Start Date: Monday 25th September 2023

Useful Information:

We strongly advise you to take time to complete your application fully before submitting it to us. We will not begin the shortlisting process until w/c 8th May 2023.

Any applications which are not fully completed will automatically be rejected.

All shortlisting is undertaken anonymously i.e. your personal details are removed from the application process.

We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently under-represented within our teams, including black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We welcome you to apply for this role if you have a disability, we are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. You may be required to undertake a DBS check as part of the recruitment process.