APPOINTMENT OF
VERGER
APPLICATION PACK FOR
CANDIDATES
APRIL 2013
1
Appointment of Verger
CONTENTS
Advert
Page 3
Purpose
Page 4
Job Description & Person Spec
Page 5
Selected Organisation Charts
Page 10
Summary Terms and Conditions
Page 11
How to Apply
Page 13
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Appointment of Verger
ADVERT
is seeking to appoint a
VERGER
You will join a small team delivering services and events in the Cathedral on a
shift basis in order to provide a high quality service to clergy, hirers and other
users. You will support the clergy in Cathedral ceremonial during services.
We are looking for someone who has commitment and enthusiasm, is not
afraid of hard work, but who has good attention to detail.
Salary £20,869 + benefits.
Application closing date: 9th May 2013
Download the application pack from www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk
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Appointment of Verger
PURPOSE
Gloucester Cathedral has been a place of pilgrimage and praise for over 900
years. Today it provides a home for many other things too: concerts,
meetings, award ceremonies, tourists, films and art exhibitions. Its future is
important to its visitors, its congregations, the City of Gloucester, the County
and to the nation. There are 350,000 users pa, and the Cathedral’s income is
c.£2.3m pa.
The Cathedral is setting out to deliver a new Vision and Strategy. The
priorities we have set ourselves are:
1. To grow this community in number and deepen it in Christian
discipleship.
2. To strengthen our role in the life of the people of this City, County and
Diocese, by widening our reach and impact.
3. To develop our physical and operational infrastructure to help shape
visitors into pilgrims.
4. To broaden our spiritual and financial resources through effective
programmes of stewardship, sustainability and resourcing.
Following a recent reorganisation to align ourselves better with these
priorities we are now establishing a larger Verger team so that we can
respond better to the needs of users. The team will be led by a Facilities
Manager, responsible for operations and maintenance. Working for the
Facilities Manager will be a Facilities Officer (assistant), a Dean’s Verger, a
Canons’ Verger, two Vergers, two Assistant Vergers, a Maintenance Foreman
and maintenance team.
We are looking for someone who has commitment and enthusiasm, is not
afraid of hard work, but who has good attention to detail. The successful
candidate must be physically fit.
You will be interested in being a long term and vital part of the Cathedral
community. You will be rewarded with involvement in a vibrant community,
working with wonderful committed people and in a beautiful environment.
Gloucester Cathedral
April 2013
4
Appointment of Verger
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION
Job Title
Salary Band
Section/Team
Reporting to
Reporting to job holder
Verger
£20K
Facilities
Facilities Manager
None (but with some shift
supervision)
Date of issue
Proposed from 1st April 2013
Overall Purpose of Post
To deliver services and events in the Cathedral on a shift basis in order to
provide a high quality service to clergy, hirers and other users.
To support the clergy in Cathedral ceremonial during services.
Health and Safety
It is a general duty of all Cathedral staff to ensure they are familiar with
the Health and Safety Policy and to adhere to it at all times.
1
Responsibilities and
Accountabilities
Nature and Scope of Role
To act on a shift basis as Duty
Officer of the Cathedral.
This includes:
 locking and unlocking the building
 operating the Cathedral technical
systems
 being the nominated person
responsible for the safety and
security of the building and users
(including reporting of accidents
and other incidents,
administration of first-aid and
calling in medical assistance if
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Appointment of Verger






2
To prepare the cathedral for acts
of worship and carry out liturgical
and ceremonial duties during
services.
3
To supervise other rostered staff
when required.
4
To act in support of the Duty
Officer when rostered.
necessary)
act as First Responder under the
Cathedral’s Emergency Plan
ensure that events and activities
during the shift are delivered as
per the Cathedral diary in a
professional way
to undertake and supervise
preparation for future events as
instructed by the Facilities
Manager
to supervise Cathedral Cleaning
maintaining the Duty Officer’s log
of out of course events during the
shift
to carry the Duty Officer radio
and emergency telephone (which
must be on and charged at all
times)
This includes:
 laying out
 verging the clergy, dignitaries and
choir
 undertaking sacristy duties
 ensuring the service is undertaken
with the appropriate dignity
befitting divine office.
When Duty Officer. This includes:
 giving clear instructions for the
tasks to be done (eg furniture
moving)
 safety briefing for the task in
hand
 supervision of the activity
This includes following instructions
for the activities required during the
shift, which may include:
 preparation for services
 activities during services
 furniture moving
 Cathedral cleaning
 litter picking
 patrol of the car park
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Appointment of Verger
5
To act as On Call Officer out of
hours in accordance with the
published rota.
6
To carry out the operation of all
technical systems in the cathedral.
This includes:
 responding to emergencies in the
Cathedral, grounds or Cathedral
properties
 taking and dealing with
emergency calls from tenants
 to carry the Duty Officer radio
and emergency telephone (which
must be on and charged at all
times)
Including heating, lighting, sound
reinforcement, intruder and fire
detection, CCTV, staff radio, pager
and wheelchair lifts. Replacement of
all light-bulbs when required.
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Appointment of Verger
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Attributes
General
Qualifications
and Training
Experience
Knowledge,
skills and
abilities
Personal
Qualities
Essential
Desirable
Knowledge of the Church of
England’s teachings, traditions
and practices.
Good general education.
Literate and numerate.
Current first aid certificate
(training will be given).
Passed out as competent to be a
Duty Officer and On Call Officer
(training will be given,
certification will be renewed
annually)
Health and safety training
Experience as a verger in a
Cathedral or major church.
Communicant member of
the Church of England
CEGV qualification.
Previous experience as a
verger or sacristan.
Extensive and detailed
knowledge of Anglican liturgy
and practice.
Excellent communications skills,
sometimes in challenging
environments.
Able to act with dignity when on
ceremonial duty.
Highly meticulous in all aspects
of working practice.
Aptitude for dealing with all
technical systems in the
Cathedral.
Sensitive to the needs of the
Cathedral as a place of worship
and a visitor attraction.
Friendly and approachable.
Physically fit.
Desire to contribute to the life
and worship of the cathedral.
The post involves unsociable hours (evening shift working, weekends and
occasion night duties), and being on-call out of hours on a rostered basis
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Appointment of Verger
(meaning that the post holder must be able to reach the Cathedral within 10
minutes out of hours).
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Appointment of Verger
ORGANISATION CHART 1
All Departments
THE CHAPTER
Diocesan Dir
of Ministry
Rector of
City Centre
Archdeacon
of Gloucester
The Dean
Lay
Members X3
Precentor
Canon
Pastor
Volunteers
Chapter
Steward
Facilities
Manager
Office
Manager
See
Chart 2
Receptionist
Master
Mason
Developmt
Manager
x2
Senior
Stonemason
x2
Events
Officer
Accounts
Manager
Visits
Officer
Improver
Mason
Marketing
Officer
Accounts
Assistant
Shop
Manager
Coffee
Shop
Manager
Director
of
Music
See
Chart
3
See
Chart
3
See
Chart
4
Education
Officers
x2
Archivist
Cashier
Apprentices
x2
ORGANISATION CHART 2
Facilities Management Team
Facilities
Manager
Facilities
Officer
Mntnce
Foreman
Mntnce
Team (x2)
Vergers x 4
Assistant
Vergers x2
Contract
Staff
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Appointment of Verger
SUMMARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Employment
The Vergers are full-time salaried posts.
Salary
The salary will be £20,869, and will be reviewed by the Chapter annually on
1st April.
Hours of Work
The hours of work are those necessary to fulfil the requirements of the needs
of the Cathedral’s users and specifications. The post will involve evening and
weekend working, and overtime. The normal hours of work will be 40 per
week.
The Vergers’ overtime arrangements are currently under review. The current
position is that Verger basic salary is lower than shown above, but overtime is
paid for most work after 6.00pm at a rate of between £19 and £20 per hour.
On Call
The successful candidate will be expected to participate in the out of hours
On Call system (shared with 3 others), for which an allowance of £5 per day
on call is paid.
Holidays
The holiday entitlement is 30 days pa. In addition, there are the normal 8
bank holiday days (or days in lieu if worked).
Probationary Period
In accordance with the Cathedral’s standard practice, the post is subject to a
3 month probationary period.
Sickness Pay and Conditions
There is a contractual sickness scheme which, on completion of 6 months’
service, provides payment, inclusive of SSP, during periods of certified
sickness/injury for 3 months at full pay and 3 months at half pay in any 12
month period.
Pension
The Chapter operates a Group Personal Pension scheme with Scottish Life.
The employee contributes a minimum of 3%, and the Cathedral a minimum of
4.5%. The employee can contribute up to an additional 3%, which the
Cathedral will match, and can make further contributions unmatched.
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Appointment of Verger
Accommodation and Parking
The Cathedral will require the successful candidate to live within a five
minute travelling distance of the Cathedral. The Cathedral will encourage the
post holder to rent one of its properties in the Cathedral Close.
The Cathedral currently provides free parking in the Cathedral Close for
employees who travel to work by car.
Child Protection
The successful candidate will be required to undertake a self-disclosure.
Notice Period
The notice period, after completion of the Probationary Period, is 2 months.
Other Terms and Conditions
This is only a summary of the Terms and Conditions offered, and is not
intended to replace the wording in the Statement of Main Terms and
Employee Handbook which will form the contract between the successful
candidate and the Cathedral.
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Appointment of Verger
HOW TO APPLY
If you have any queries or wish to discuss the role please call Mark
Beckett, Chapter Steward, on 07799 864971.
Applications should be made by email to Mark Beckett, the Chapter Steward,
at mbeckett@gloucestercathedral.org.uk
By 17.00 on Friday 9th 2013.
Applications should take the form of:
-
a supporting letter of no more than 2 pages setting out why you are
applying for the job and how your skills and experiences make you a
suitable candidate
-
a CV of no more than 3 pages (please ensure that your CV includes your
full contact details including email and mobile phone number, and
includes the names, addresses and phone numbers of two referees).
Process Following Application
All applications will be acknowledged by email after 9th May.
We will invite a shortlisted of candidates for interview. The selection event
will consist of formal and informal interviews, and along with a tour of the
Cathedral and the opportunity to meet potential future colleagues.
Gloucester Cathedral
April 2013
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