We’ve so much to offer:

• Your chance to make a positive contribution to the Swindon community and our customers
• Opportunities to work with all kinds of people
• Interesting and varied work
• A diverse range of careers
• Occupational final salary pension scheme
• Competitive salary
• Flexible working
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Regular appraisals and one-to-one sessions
• Employee discounts with a SwindonCard

Please note that the benefits listed below relate to General Vacancies at the council only and are not applicable to School Support and Teaching Vacancies.

Flexible Working Hours

Working Life is a bit more flexible!

In line with our commitment to being a forward-thinking council that offers all staff a modern, innovative working environment, Human Resources have introduced a range of Flexible Working initiatives.  

What is Flexible Working and why are we introducing it?

Research has shown that working long hours reduces labour productivity, lowers the quality of work, increases sick absence, labour turnover and constrains the recruitment pool. Not only will our new Flexible Working Policy help to make working here more flexible and therefore more productive, it also:

• supports our values and aims in being a positive and forward looking council
• supports our commitment (outlined in 50 Promises 2010) to “attract and retain high quality staff and being a leading employer with a modern and flexible workforce”
• supports the Council’s accommodation review and green travel
• supports staffing requirements for our 24/7 Contact Centre and First Stop Shop
• increases the diversity of our workforce by removing potential barriers for some existing and potential employees

Is the Flexible Working Policy open to all staff?

The Council has exceeded legal requirements by agreeing to consider requests for new flexible working arrangements for all employees. In practice, the key points to remember are that:

• fair and equal consideration will be given to all requests
• Managers will have the right to reject an application when the desired working pattern cannot be accommodated within the needs of the business

What do we mean by ‘Flexible Working initiatives’?

There are a number of ways we can all ‘work flexibly’. The Flexible Working Policy gives guidelines on a number of approaches including:

• Right to request flexible working - guidance on the process, roles and responsibilities for requesting flexible working.  
• Flexitime - Flexitime provides a framework for employees to work a flexible pattern of hours. However, there is no automatic right to any pattern of work and any arrangement must be agreed by the line manager who will make a decision on the basis of equity and fairness, the needs of the team and the individual and in the best interest of service delivery.

Working Hours

• A standard full-time week for flexi-time is 37 hours and a standard day is 7 hours 24 minutes.  
• The daily bandwidth time is from 07:00 to 20:00
• A 4 week period is used to calculate actual hours worked. Employees can accrue up to 14.5 hours in credit or 10 hours in debit during this 4 week period.

Flexi-Leave

• Employees can take their accrued credit of hours in the form of Flexi-leave.
• Although normally taken in whole or half-days, part days can also be taken.
• Job-Share - All Council vacancies are deemed suitable for job share unless otherwise stated.
• Career Break Scheme - where an extended period of unpaid leave is granted to an employee, whilst maintaining their contract of employment and with the guarantee that at the end of the period, the employee will be able to return to work for Swindon Borough Council.
• Compressed Hours - where employees are allowed to work their contracted hours over a shorter period e.g. a nine day fortnight
• Annualised Hours - where the peaks and troughs of service delivery do not require employees to work rigid contracted hours e.g. education
• Part Time Workers - giving part-time workers the right to receive the same access to benefits and entitlements as full-time workers.

If you are interested in working flexibly please discuss this at interview stage.

The Children’s Nursery

Based close to the Civic Campus in Euclid Street, Swindon, the nursery provides day care for children aged three months to five years. Priority is given to Swindon Borough Council employees but other people are welcome to apply. The aim of the nursery is to provide a warm, friendly, caring atmosphere designed to promote happy, confident fulfilled children with the knowledge that they will receive a sound and relevant base for their education.

For more information please see: The Children's Nursery.

Car Loan Scheme

A car loan scheme is available for posts designated as essential or casual car users. For more details of the scheme please telephone Jobs@Swindon on 01793 464439.

Relocation Scheme

Financial assistance may be available, subject to certain criteria, for new employees who currently live more than 20 miles from Swindon and are required to move closer to Swindon as a result of their appointment with the Council.

Pension Scheme

You will have the opportunity to join the Local Government Pension Scheme if you are appointed on a permanent contract or a fixed term contract which is over three months. The pension scheme is an occupational final salary scheme, which provides, on retirement, a pension of 1/60th of your final pay for each year of membership. Your contribution rate will be between 5.5% and 7.5% of your pensionable pay, depending how much you are paid. The Council also pays a contribution.

Your pension contributions will attract tax relief at the time they are deducted from your pay and your national insurance contribution will also be slightly reduced. Further details of the Local Government Pension Scheme will be sent to you once you commence your employment with the Council.

Annual Leave

You will be entitled to 24 days annual leave in a full leave year, rising to 28 days after five years' local government service and 30 days after ten years' service. If you work part time your leave is calculated on a pro rata basis depending on the amount of hours worked.

Learning and Development

The Council is committed to training and developing our staff to ensure we provide the best service possible to all our customers. To support this we have our own fully-equipped training centre where much of our corporate training and development takes place. Professional and role-specific training and development is also a priority for the Council and available in all directorates.

Free SwindonCard

SwindonCard is your gateway to discounted leisure facilities and Council services. As an employee you will be entitled to a free SwindonCard and Concession 1 discounts.

For more information please see: SwindonCard.

Other Benefits

Swindon Borough Council offers a range of family-friendly policies including:

• A generous maternity leave scheme
• Adoption leave and pay scheme
• Parental leave
• Paternity leave
• Special leave for bereavement and urgent domestic circumstances
• An in-house occupational health service and staff support services
• Employee canteens: at various sites throughout the Council
• Employee Internet café: based on the Civic Campus for use during employees’ free time