Working for the Council

Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

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Working for the Council

Working at the Council

This page gives you some background information on the Council and the local area.

The area

Only 60 miles from London, lying between the Ridgeway and the River Thames, White Horse Country stretches from the edge of Oxford to the threshold of the Cotswolds. The rich farmlands have an unspoilt rural charm that complements the three historic bustling market towns of Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage.

With good access links to London, the Midlands and the Southwest via the M4, A34 and M40, the Vale of the White Horse is a natural choice for leading edge businesses. The Vale has a thriving economy with a highly skilled workforce and offers an attractive living and working environment. For more details see our pages on the Economy of the Vale.

More information about living in Oxfordshire can be found on the following websites:

Information about finding housing in the area can be found on these websites:

The Council

With our administrative headquarters in Abingdon, the Vale is one of five District Councils within Oxfordshire.

There are 51 elected members of the Council, which is Liberal Democrat controlled.

Our employees

The Council has around 330 employees (full and part-time) headed by a Chief Executive and two Directors.

The Council has had Investors in People Status since 1998 and we take seriously our responsibility to equip staff with the skills needed to do their role. We are committed to ensuring that all employees and prospective employees are treated equally, fairly and with dignity and respect. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community and guarantee an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the Essential criteria for the post under the terms of the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

More information about the Council's Equality in Employment Policy can be found by viewing or downloading the summary of the policy from the right of the page.

For many employees there is the need to balance their home and work lives. We operate a 36½-hour week with the majority of employees covered by a flexi time scheme. Applications for job share or reduced working hours are available to all employees regardless of personal circumstances.

For more information on aspects of working for the Council please click on the link below:

Working hours
Annual leave
Pension
Relocation
Car loan scheme
Payment of professional fees
Facilities
External services

If you have any questions or queries regarding working or moving to the Vale of White Horse District Council please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Human Resources team on 01235 520202.

Working hours

The Council has a 36½-hour working week for most staff. A flexitime scheme is in operation for which the current "core" times for the majority of employees are 10am to 12noon and 2.30pm to 3.30pm. Up to one flexi-day per month may be taken.

At Abbey House, the office opening hours are 8.45am to 5.15pm Monday and 8.45 am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday.

The Council is committed to helping its employees balance their work and personal lives and therefore applications to job share or work reduced hours will be considered by managers.

Annual leave

All staff receive a minimum of 20 days annual leave (pro rata for part timers). In addition there are four extra statutory and local days, one of which is taken on a pre-determined day over the Christmas period and the others are currently added to the annual leave entitlement.

Annual leave increases with grade and with length of service (an additional five days after five years-completed service - an employee who started part way through the fifth year will have pro rata'd allowance for that year.

Pension

All new employees are entitled to join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Contributions are six per cent of pensionable pay. You have the right to opt out of the Local Government Pension Scheme and make your own arrangements for a Personal Pension Plan through a bank or insurance company.

The contribution rates will change as from April 2008

Relocation

The Council has a generous relocation package available for certain posts, to candidates moving from a distance. The scheme includes allowances for accommodation, disturbance, excess travel, removal and legal fees, separation allowance and weekend travelling expenses. A copy of the policy and its terms and conditions may be requested from the Human Resources department. Qualifying conditions will apply in each case.

Car loan scheme

The Council operates an assisted purchase scheme for motor vehicles, which is available to all staff. A full copy of the rules of the scheme may be obtained from the Payroll Office. Officers who decide to use their own bicycle for local, official business will be entitled to claim a cycle allowance.

Payment of professional fees

Any member of staff who as a requirement of their post is required to have a professional qualification or membership can have 50 per cent of their membership fee re-imbursed by the Council.

Facilities

The main offices are located in a modern building with plenty of kitchen areas and a staff room. Additionally, employees at Abbey House can enjoy car-parking facilities for which there is presently no charge.

The Council provides a smoke-free working environment and was the first organisation to win the national Health at Work Award (Level 2) for its initiatives on employee health. It also has the Investors in People Award.

All staff are able to use the Council run leisure facilities at a discounted rate. Further details are available from Human Resources.

External services

From time to time the Vale is asked to make employees aware of services of offers that are available commercially. Such services do not form part of your terms and conditions and can therefore be withdrawn without notice. The Council is not in a position to endorse or recommend these services or offers but wishes you to be aware of them.