What we offer

The council are committed to ensuring services are delivered in the most efficient and customer-focused way, whilst providing opportunities for employees to work more flexibly.

We recognise that flexible working offers real benefits in support of our workforce and in the delivery of effective, efficient and value for money services.

Flexible working options provide the opportunity for flexibility in relation to the time during which employees are required to work their contractual hours, and number of hours they work, subject to the requirements of the individuals jobs and services.

Flexi-time allows employees a degree of choice about when they work their contracted hours. As long as they agree this with their manager in advance, they can vary their start and finish times within a set time of 7.30am to 6.00pm.

Please note: Flexi-time arrangements are made in line with the requirements of the service and may not be appropriate for all service areas.

Job sharing is a contractual arrangement, with a working pattern where two or more people share the responsibilities and benefits of one full-time position.

Please note: Not all jobs will be suitable for job sharing. Job share arrangements are made in line with the requirements of the service and may not be appropriate for all service areas. They may also be dependent on the council being able to fill the remaining hours of the post.

Compressed working hours give employees on full-time contracts the opportunity to work their contracted hours over a shorter number of days than the standard working week. The policy allows for a ‘9-day fortnight’.

Please note: Compressed working arrangements are made in line with the requirements of the service and may not be appropriate for all service areas. Compressed working can not be used in conjunction with flexi-time.

Part-time work is when an employee works fewer hours per week than a standard full-time contract.

Please note: Not all posts will be suitable for part-time working and all requests will be considered carefully by the manager in line with the needs of the service.

A variation in hours gives employees the opportunity to request an increase or decrease to the total number of hours they work on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Please note: Not all posts will be suitable to allow for a variation in hours, and all requests will be considered carefully by the manager in line with the needs of the service. Hours can not be increased to more than full time hours and any decrease may be subject to the council being able to fill the remaining hours of the post.

As well as flexible working arrangements to improve your day to day work life balance, the council has special leave options available in the event of short notice and emergency situations.

Please note: Special leave is not an entitlement and any agreement will have regard to all circumstances of the request.

The council is eager to support extended breaks from work in the interest of retaining the valuable skills and knowledge of its staff in the longer term.

Please note: Any career break will be without pay and for an agreed period of time up to one year.

The council offers a generous entitlement for maternity, paternity and adoption leave which is greater than the statutory minimum subject to eligibility.

Eligible employees may also be entitled to shared parental leave subject to eligibility.

Employees are able to take up to three days' paid leave in a 12-month period to attend assessment and training prior to being approved as a foster carer.

Up to one further paid day will be provided to attend a fostering panel. This will be pro-rata for part-time employees.

Eligible employees responsible for the upbringing of a child are entitled to take up to 18 weeks unpaid leave for the purpose of caring for the child subject to qualifying service.

Leave is to be taken in one-week blocks unless the child is disabled when individual days can be taken.

Eligible employees who are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and age 55 years or over, are eligible to request to take flexible retirement and access their pension, by reducing their hours or taking a lower pay grade.

All employees are entitled to special leave, irrespective of length of service, up to one working week (pro-rata) with pay and up to three days (pro-rata) without pay, in a 12 month period.

This is to deal with personal issues at short notice or emergency situations where requests for time off couldn't have been planned in advance.

Term-time working is when an employee works during school term times and does not work during school holidays. The employee receives a pro-rata salary, but this is paid all year round in equal installments.

Please note: Not all posts will be suitable for term-time only working and all requests will be considered carefully by the manager in line with the needs of the service.

You can apply to have time off work to undertake certain public duties, some of which will be on a paid basis, others unpaid. Example of public duties include jury service, election work and retained fire fighters.

Reasonable time off is allowed to attend appointments such as doctors, hospital and dentists.

The council offers a generous annual leave entitlement that varies dependent upon your pay grade and length of service.

Annual leave at the council is calculated in hours which allows for more flexibility for employees when they take leave.

Our learning and development programmes are designed to enable employees and managers to easily access a range of resources.

You can apply for a training loan which allows you to undertake vocational training courses, which although not immediately essential or related to your present job could be demonstrated as adding future value to the provision of council’s services.

You can apply for time off for study and exams to improve your job performance.

The cycle to work scheme allows you to obtain a new bike through ‘salary sacrifice’; a monthly deduction from your salary. You can save at least 32% on the cost of a new bike by using this scheme.

Virtually any of the main makes/models of bike from our partnered bike retailer can be accessed under the scheme up to a value of £1000.

Find out more at the cycle2work website.

Please note: savings are made by reducing your tax and national insurance contributions which may affect your pension. Advice will be given at the time of applying.

This allows you to access a brand new, fully insured and maintained car, with no deposit.

Instead, a fixed amount comes out of your salary each month.

Please note: savings are made by reducing your tax and national insurance contributions which may affect your pension. Advice will be given at the time of applying.

Find out more on the CPC website.

Eligible employees who undertake a minimum of 5000 paid business miles each year can apply for a lease car.

If you’re aged over 18 years and live or work in a rural area you could be eligible to apply for a scooter, moped or e-bike for up to a year to help you get to work.

Find out more about kickstart.