Faculty of Social Sciences
Information for applicants
Post title:
Lecturers in Counselling/Counselling Psychology (x2 permanent)
(one full-time and one 0.5 fractional appointment - negotiable)
Start Date:
As soon as possible - Oct/Nov 2008
Salary:
AC2 £30,912 - £33,780 / AC3 £34,793 - £41,545
Grade:
AC2/AC3
Post
reference:
4800 and 4801
Closing date:
Thursday 7 August
2008
Interview date:
1 or 2 September
2008
Information included in this pack:
Section: 1.0
2.0
3.0
The post
1.1
Post details
1.2
Main description of the post
1.3
Person specification
1.4
Academic work in the University
Applying for the post
2.1
How to apply
2.2
Application information
University and Faculty information
3.1
The Open University
3.2
Faculty of Social Sciences
3.3
The Department of Psychology in Social Sciences
4.0
Terms and Conditions
5.0
Benefits and Facilities
-1-
Section 1.0: THE POST
Section 1.1: POST DETAILS
Post title:
Lecturer in Counselling/.Counselling Psychology (2 posts)
Reports to:
Head of Department of Psychology in Social Sciences
Unit and/or team:
Department of Psychology in Social Sciences
Salary details:
AC2 £30,912 - £33,780 / AC3 £34,793 - £41,545
Location:
Walton Hall, Milton Keynes
Working hours
and Contract
type:
2 x Permanent posts
Full-time / fractional (negotiable) we will appoint according to
the strengths of the whole field and within the above limit of two
posts.
1.1
Post details
The persons appointed will be expected to work on the production and presentation
of new counselling courses in the Department, at undergraduate level. Initially this
will be D171 Counselling (15 points), and a new second level 30 point course in
Developing theory in Counselling to construct a new Foundation Degree in
Counselling. You will also be working to support the presentation of our other
courses.
Teaching at the Open University involves working closely with colleagues in course
teams to produce and present high quality written and audio-visual materials. It not
only involves writing teaching materials (these are often co-published and on general
sale) and developing audio-visual components such as radio and television
programmes, but also reading and discussing the work of other members of the
course team and in general contributing to the collaborative enterprise. It thus
requires academics to be able to work in a team as well as to plan and undertake
independent work to deadlines. Course presentation may also involve occasionally
helping with the appointment of tutors and the management of quality assurance
projects.
Applicants are particularly welcomed with expertise and research record in personcentred, existential-phenomenological and/or cognitive-behavioural approaches.
The persons appointed will be expected to contribute to research and scholarship
that is complementary to existing research in the Department (see above).
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Section 1.2: MAIN DESCRIPTION OF THE POST
The persons appointed will be expected to contribute to the teaching, research and
academic management of the department, faculty and University in the following
ways:
Research


Contributing to research activities complementary to existing research interests.
Supervising research students.
Teaching


Contribute to the production and presentation of courses in counselling
Contribute to course teams producing, presenting (and revising) psychology
courses
Academic Management


Contribute to processes of academic management within the department, taking
responsibility for one of the management activities that are rotated on a regular
basis.
Contribute to processes of collective organization within the department, Faculty
and University.
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Section 1.3: PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications, experience, expertise and competence
Essential Characteristics (it will be essential for the successful candidate to be
able to demonstrate evidence of the following):









Higher degree in counselling, counselling psychology, clinical psychology or
psychology or equivalent
Experience of teaching counselling, preferably to psychology undergraduates
Excellent writing skills
An understanding of the issues involved in producing and delivering distance
learning materials for adult audiences at undergraduate level
Evidence of an ability to produce work to agreed deadlines
Proven track record of being able to work collaboratively with others
A commitment to equal opportunities policies and practices
A commitment to Open University values
A developing (Grade AC2) or established (Grade AC3) research profile in an
area relevant to existing interests in the department.
Desirable Characteristics (additionally, it will be desirable for the successful
candidate to be able to demonstrate evidence of the following):




Experience of working and producing distance-teaching materials
Experience of teaching at a range of levels in psychology, from
undergraduate to Masters, including qualitative and quantitative methods
Expertise in person-centred, existential-phenomenological and/or cognitivebehavioural approaches in counselling
Research track record in an area complementary to existing research in the
Department
Section 1.4: ACADEMIC WORK IN THE UNIVERSITY
Candidates may find it helpful to be reminded of the special character of academic
work in The Open University. More information can be found at:
http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/
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Section 2.0: APPLYING FOR THE POST
Section 2.1: HOW TO APPLY
Application procedure
The following guidelines are designed to help you submit a job application in line with
our requirements.
a)
Complete the full (long) version of the application form. The
form has been designed to give the information needed at this initial
stage and allows candidates to be considered in an even-handed
way. All sections of the application form should be completed,
including the relevant post reference number(s) and job title. Once
completed, you must sign and date the application form to confirm
that the information and any attachments are correct.
Please remove any information from your application/CV that might
give an indication of your race, religion, belief, or sexual orientation,
as these details are irrelevant to your application.
b)
Applications should include the following:
 a curriculum vitae that includes details of academic
qualifications, research, management and teaching experience,
grants received and publications;

a short written statement (not more than 700 words) about how
your experience and skills match the person specification.
The Appointing Committee will short-list candidates whose written
application demonstrates a good fit with the person specification,
subject to a limit on the number of candidates to be interviewed.
Since the Open University follows a formal Fair Selection
procedure, there will be no informal meetings as impressions
gained by such procedures cannot be monitored and thus cannot
be fed into the formal selection process. Competing candidates will
not be expected to meet each other formally. The decision on the
appointments rests solely with the Appointing Committee.
Your statement will form a part of the selection process.
Applicants who do not submit a statement will not be
considered for shortlisting/interview.
c)
Provide six copies of your application form and the statement
mentioned in b) above, That is, the original plus 5 photocopies.
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d)
Send the above documents to the following address, to arrive
by the closing date shown in section 2.2 below:
Lynda Preston,
Department Office Manager
Psychology Department
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
Tel: 01908 654515
Should you choose to use the University’s electronic application
form which is available on www3.open.ac.uk/employment/applying.asp,
it should be e-mailed to Socsci-Recruitment@open.ac.uk.
Shortlisted candidates who have submitted an electronic application
will be asked to post one signed hard copy of their application to the
above contact before interviews take place.
References
Three referees should be nominated, at least one of whom should be from your
current or most recent employer. Please provide full contact details in the Referee
section of the application form, stating any reservations you may have about our
approaching them.
If you are shortlisted, your references will be taken up before the interview (unless
you indicate otherwise in your application) and will be made available to the panel in
the selection process. Please note that a satisfactory employer’s reference must be
provided before a formal offer of employment can be made. It would be helpful to
warn your referees of the interview dates and the fact that, should you be
shortlisted, we will be asking them to supply us with written references before
your interview. Candidates may be disadvantaged in the selection process by
late receipt of a reference.
Internal applicants only - information about references
When completing the ‘Referees’ section of the application form, please ensure you
specify your Head of Unit as your ‘current employer’, as s/he is responsible for
providing this reference or nominating an appropriate alternative referee.
Please be advised that the employing Unit is responsible for requesting references
from your referees.
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Section 2.2: APPLICATION INFORMATION
Eligibility:
The post is open to both internal and external applicants
Closing date:
Thursday 7 August 2008.
will not be accepted.
Preapplications
enquiries:
Potential applicants who wish to discuss the post informally are
invited to contact Dr Martin LeVoi, email: m.e.levoi@open.ac.uk
Tel: 01908 653596
Shortlisting:
Shortlisting will be completed as soon as possible after the closing
date.
Interviews:
Interviews will be held at The Open University, Walton Hall on 1 or
2 September 2008.
Candidates invited for interview will be asked to bring the originals
of their highest qualifications.
Shortlisted applicants will be advised of any preparation or activity
that they will be expected to prepare prior to interview.
We try to plan interviews to be as relaxed as possible whilst
covering the questions and issues which the panel will have agreed
beforehand are appropriate to the post.
Disabled
applicants:
The Open University welcomes applications from people with
disabilities. Information about disability is requested solely in order
to make appropriate arrangements for an interview if necessary. If
you are called for interview, please discuss any adjustments you
may require to carry out the duties of the role with the interview
panel so that appropriate arrangements and any adjustments can
be made if necessary. A map and access guide for the disabled
indicating routes to buildings, lift access and reserved parking on
campus is available upon request.
Candidates will also be asked to give a short presentation to
members of the faculty on the day of the interview, based on
research and teaching in counselling. Further details of what is
required will be sent to shortlisted candidates.
The appointment process reflects the University’s and the Faculty of
Social Sciences’ commitment to Equal Opportunities and the need
to ensure these principles are reflected in all aspects of the
appointment procedure.
If you have any comments or concerns about any stage of the
recruitment process, please write to the Human Resources Adviser
(Central Academic Units), Human Resources Division, who will look
into the matter.
Prior to or at
the interview:
Recruitment
procedures:
Medical
examination:
Applications received after this date
University appointments are subject to confirmation by the
University's Medical Adviser.
A medical questionnaire is sent to all appointees. The University
reserves the right to require a staff member in certain cases to
submit to a medical examination by a registered medical practitioner
acceptable to both the University and the member of staff
concerned.
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Proof of
Eligibility to
Work in the
UK
Candidates will be required to prove their eligibility to work in the UK
by producing verifiable documents. Details of the required
documents will be sent to the successful candidate at the written
offer of employment stage. If you require a work permit this will be
applied for should your application for appointment be successful.
To find out what visas and permits you may require in order to work
in the UK please see www.ukvisas.gov.uk or telephone 0845
010 5555, the general enquiries line is open from 09.30 to 13.30,
Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays.
Retirement
Age:
The Open University operates a normal retirement age of 65 and
currently requires its academic, research and academic-related staff
to retire on the 30 September following their 65th birthday. For
this reason, we are unable to accept applications from individuals
over the age of 65.
Applications can only be accepted from people up to the age of 64
years and 6 months at the date of their application. Individuals
should note that once employed they will be required to retire on the
30 September following their 65th birthday. This is in line with the
Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.
-8-
Section 3.0: UNIVERSITY AND FACULTY INFORMATION
Section 3.1: THE OPEN UNIVERSITY
The Open University transforms lives through education. It has become by far the
largest university in the UK, now teaching well over 200,000 people every year. We
have expanded our activities throughout Europe and our highly rated teaching
materials are used by other institutions in many parts of the world. We are
consistently achieving high rankings both in research and teaching quality
assessments.
Programmes of study include BA and BSc degrees; taught and research-based
postgraduate courses leading to Masters and PhD qualifications; professional
training in the fields of management, health and social welfare, education, law,
manufacturing and computing, and family, personal and cultural education and
leisure interests.
Teaching is through the provision of specially designed, high quality, materials
encompassing traditional print texts, television, video, CD-ROM, internet and
electronic conferencing together with first class personalised tuition, learning
feedback and support.
The success of the Open University is due to our outstanding staff. There are around
13,000 staff (including 7,500 Associate Lecturers). Staff and potential staff are
treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of
gender, colour, ethnic or national origin, age, socio-economic background, disability,
religious or political beliefs, family circumstances, sexual orientation or other
irrelevant distinction.
We are also committed to the development of our staff to their full potential through
lifelong learning, offering a range of formal and informal training and development
activities to ensure that staff are able to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities
and to help meet individual and University objectives. Our objective is that all staff
undertake a minimum of 5 days’ development activity in each year.
Section 3.2: FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
The Faculty of Social Sciences is one of eight faculties and schools (the others are
Faculties of Arts; Education and Language Studies; Mathematics and Computing;
Science, Technology; Health and Social Care and the Open University Business
School). There is also an Institute of Educational Technology and a Knowledge
Media Institute).
The Faculty of Social Sciences encompasses six social sciences academic
departments - Economics, Geography, Politics and International Studies (POLIS),
Psychology, Social Policy and Sociology – and the deanery, which is the
administration area of the faculty. These departments work together and with other
faculties to produce a range of modular courses. The faculty offers undergraduate
and postgraduate distance teaching programmes and research degrees and attracts
students from a wide range of educational and social backgrounds. Full-time
research students are based on campus.
-9-
At undergraduate level OU students may compose their degree profile by choosing
courses from within and across all faculties - or they may follow a more prescribed
choice of study leading to a number of degrees (e.g. in Psychology) or
certificates/diplomas.
Faculty central academic staff consists of approximately 120 academics based at
Walton Hall in Milton Keynes who have the prime responsibility for course production,
curriculum planning and research activity (supported by administrative and
academic-related staff; research staff and support staff). A further 33 regional
academics act as Staff Tutors and are involved in the recruitment, management,
monitoring and support of associate lecturers from bases in all 13 regional centres,
as well as contributing to the course production, curriculum planning and research
effort of the faculty. Staff tutors are supported in their regional work by Faculty
Co-ordinators based in each regional centre. There is a vigorous intellectual life in
the faculty fostered by collaborative teaching and shared research interests.
Strategic Research Investment
Research is central to the mission of The Open University and in its relatively short
history it has established research excellence and international standing in a number
of fields. An important part of this mission is also that its teaching should be
informed wherever possible by the most up-to-date research.
The University aims to continue to be internationally recognised for the quality of its
research in selected areas. In the 2008 RAE the aim is to achieve the equivalent of
grade 4* or grade 3* in all submitted areas. A high priority will be to protect and
enhance existing areas of excellence.
Where a significant impact and ability to attract external funding is likely, we aim to
build large research programmes, groups and consortia that transcend department
and institutional boundaries. Further important themes are widening participation in
research endeavour and the development of inter-institutional collaborative research
programmes. A key component of the strategy has been the establishment of five
interdisciplinary Research Centres:
The Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance (CCIG)
http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/ccig/index.html
The International Centre for Comparative Criminological Research (ICCCR)
http://www.open.ac.uk/icccr/
The Centre for Research in Computing (CRC)
The Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology
(CREET) http://creet.open.ac.uk/
The Centre for Earth, Planetary, Space and Astronomical Research
(CEPSAR)
Through the encouragement and support of excellent research, the University seeks
to recruit and retain first rate staff who will contribute at the highest levels to both
research and teaching.
- 10 -
Section 3.3: The Department of Psychology in Social Sciences
Psychology teaching and research is carried out by groupings of psychologists
hosted within three faculties: the Faculty of Social Sciences; the School of Life
Sciences in the Faculty of Science; and the Centre for Childhood Development and
Learning in the Faculty of Education and Language Studies.
Psychology courses have been offered since the inception of the OU in 1972 and
remain among the most popular courses in the OU undergraduate programme. The
Psychology Group at the Open University is Europe’s largest provider of universitylevel education in Psychology, offering Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Research
Degrees and a Postgraduate Conversion Diploma. More than 10,000 students are
taking our core psychology courses, mostly in the UK, but also in the rest of Europe
and in other countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore. 500 Associate Lecturers,
who are organised by the Staff Tutors in each Region, carry out the day to day
teaching of students. In the last Subject Review, the OU Psychology provision was
rated as excellent, achieving 22 points out of the possible 24.
Open University undergraduate psychology has a reputation for innovative and high
quality courses. Our degree in psychology (BSc Psychology) comprises four 60point undergraduate courses: Exploring Psychology (DSE212), Child Development
(ED209), Cognitive Psychology (DD303) and Social Psychology: Critical
Perspectives on Self and Others (DD307); a 30-point course Biological Psychology
(SD226); and four short (15 point) courses, these being a residential school course
Exploring Psychology: Project (DXR222) and an online course Exploring Psychology:
Online Project (DZX222). Successful completion of this degree is recognised by the
British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for the graduate basis of
registration.
Psychology courses are also options within the University’s BA and BSc Open
degree and students have the option of other related awards - a BA/BSc Social
Sciences with Psychological Studies and the joint honours BA/BSc Philosophy and
Psychological Studies. In addition, The University offers a Graduate Conversion
Diploma to allow graduates (both OU and from other universities) to top up their
previous psychology studies to obtain Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the
British Psychological Society.
Postgraduate courses are also offered. Two lines are offered in the Psychology
taught Postgraduate Programme - an MSc in Psychological Research Methods that
began presentation in 1998 and is recognised by the ESRC for research student
training, and an MSc in Psychology that commenced in 1999.
There is a vigorous research degree programme involving both full- and part-time
study for the degrees of MPhil and PhD. Research degrees are awarded on the
basis of dissertations.
Details of all the courses comprising our psychology programme can be found on the
University’s Web site at http://www.open.ac.uk/programmes/psychology/
Psychology Staff in the Faculty of Social Sciences
The current academic members of the Psychology in Social Sciences Department,
with their position and current research interests, are:
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Central staff (i.e. based at Walton Hall)
Dr Nicola Brace
Senior Lecturer: Developmental and theoretical aspects
of face processing, witness identification evidence
including facial composite construction.
Dr Gemma Briggs
Lecturer: Attention, perception and dual-tasking abilities.
The role of expectations in perception.
Dr Jovan Byford
Lecturer: Relationship between social psychology and
history; Social psychological exploration of historical
issues and historical material; social remembering and
forgetting; antisemitism; cross-cultural analysis of
conspiracy theories.
Prof Rosalind Gill
Professor: Gender, media, identity, information and
communication technologies, subjectivity, discourse,
narrative, youth, sexualisation.
Dr Claire Hewson
Lecturer: Folk psychology, lay theories and beliefs,
internet research methods, e-learning.
Prof Wendy Hollway
Professor: Gender, mothering identity, the capacity to
care, qualitative psycho-social methodology.
Dr Mary Horton-Salway
Lecturer: Discursive psychology as applied to medical
discourse, illness narratives, self-help group discourse
and tutorial talk.
Dr. Darren Langdridge
Senior Lecturer: Construction of sexualities and
masculinities, phenomenological/narrative psychology
and existential-phenomenological psychotherapy.
Dr Martin LeVoi
Senior Lecturer/ Head of Psychology Department:
Mathematical models of memory, Neural networks.
Dr Gail Lewis
Reader: Psychosocial perspectives on racialised
gendered subjectivities, discourses of citizenship,
welfare and nation, psycho-dynamics of group process,
‘experience’ and embodiment as a site and source of
learning.
Dr Helen Lucey
Lecturer: Psychosocial perspectives on identity
formation, gender and social class, education, siblings.
Dr Kesi Mahendran
Lecturer: Young people and the labour market.
Unemployment, citizenship and governance. Dialogue
and self. Dialogue between practice, evidence and policy.
Prof Dorothy Miell
Professor (Dean of Social Sciences from Oct 2005)
Communication and relationships in collaborative
working, particularly in creative tasks.
Dr Johanna Motzkau
Lecturer: Discursive psychology, epistemological issues
in psychology, suggestibility, memory, childhood, sexual
abuse, child witnessing, psychology and law
(international perspectives), philosophical psychology.
- 12 -
Volker Patent
Lecturer: Innovative approaches in e-learning, emotions
and learning, support of learning, coaching and
mentoring, formative and developmental assessment,
graduate employability and skills.
Dr Graham Pike
Senior Lecturer: Face perception and forensic
psychology particularly eye-witness identification.
Dr Kathleen Robinson
Lecturer: Student perceptions of e-learning environments
particularly Computer Mediated Conferencing (CMC) as
evidenced by dialogue and behaviour in online
conferences; the implications for student motivation and
learning outcomes.
Dr. Rosalind H. Searle
Senior Lecturer: Team composition and behaviours, trust
in teams, innovation and creativity, the impact of
technology on selection.
Dr Stephanie Taylor
Senior Lecturer: Narrative-discursive constructions of
identity, including creative identities and place-related
identities.
Dr Jim Turner
Lecturer: Face perception and memory; eyewitness
identification and evidence; facial composite construction
in police settings.
Prof. Margaret Wetherell
Professor (Director of ESRC Identities Programme):
Discourse analysis and the development of theory and
method in social psychology, identity formation and
masculinity.
Academic staff at Walton Hall are supported by seven course managers and four
secretaries.
Regional Staff
There are eight psychology Staff Tutors who appoint the associate lecturers in the
Regions. Staff Tutors also work on the production and presentation of courses as
well as undertaking research:
Sandy Aitkenhead
(Manchester)
Writing as a cognitive skill; problem solving
Jane Barrett
Sue Carter (Manchester)
Relationships at work and how they affect
performance and satisfaction/happiness
Dr Troy Cooper (Cambridge)
(Psychology Programme Director) Social
psychology of illness, especially eating disorders
and addiction.
Karen Hagan (Belfast)
Autism. Construction of personal identity using
techniques such as PECs
Dr Helen Kaye
- 13 -
Dr Caroline Kelly (East Grinstead) Social identity, intergroup relations and
participation in collective action.
Dr Bianca Raabe (Birmingham)
Young people, identity and the study of
citizenship, role of counselling in the workplace
Research and scholarship
Psychology Research in the Faculty of Social Sciences
There is an active and developing research culture in psychology, and a strong
commitment to the production of innovative, high quality, socially relevant research.
Many psychology staff based in the Faculty of Social Sciences play an active role in
one of the three University Centres of research excellence:

The International Centre for Comparative Criminological Research (ICCCR)
www.open.ac.uk/icccr

Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance (CCIG)
http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/ccig/index.html

The Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET)
http://creet.open.ac.uk/
The Open University’s Psychology Unit of Assessment was awarded a 4 in the last
research assessment exercise and since then has expanded and strengthened its
research base and continues to do so. The submission to the 2008 Research
Assessment Exercise will be based around the three Research Centres listed above.
There is excellent support for research at University, Faculty and Department level.
Each member of staff receives a personal research allowance (currently £250) and is
entitled to study leave for approved purposes (2 months per annum). Further funding
for research purposes, including equipment, support staff and travel can be bid for.
Academic members of staff are permitted to undertake consultancy work, amounting
to approximately 10% of their time, whilst employed by the Open University.
Research in the Department is based around three groupings:
The Social Psychology Research Group
The Social Psychology Research Group is linked with the Centre for Citizenship,
Identities and Governance (CCIG).
The Group consists of 10 academic staff (Jovan Byford, Wendy Hollway, Mary
Horton-Salway, Darren Langdridge, Helen Lucey, Johanna Motzkau, Kesi
Mahendran, Ann Phoenix, Stephanie Taylor and Margie Wetherell), as well as a
number of research fellows and students. The group is well known for its work on two
related fronts, developing theory and method in social psychology and for its
empirical research on identity. Current and recent research projects include work on
creative identities, place and identity, national identity, citizenship, racialised
identities, masculinities, mothering and sexuality, and on young people and
consumption. At the theoretical level, we focus on the hinge between social relations
and the psychology of the individual and hence on the ‘psycho-social’. We draw on
the conceptual frameworks offered by social constructionism, discursive psychology,
- 14 -
narrative analysis, psychoanalysis and post-structuralism and are active in these
current debates in the social sciences. The group is at the forefront of innovation in
qualitative psychological research methods and has a reputation for its work in
developing discursive methods and forms of narrative analysis. Recent research
grant income includes over £700,000 of ERSC funding. Examples of recent
achievements and activities include Ann Phoenix’s period as Visiting Professor at the
Humanist University, Utrecht, her honorary doctorate from Umea University Sweden;
Margie Wetherell’s appointment as Director of the ERSC programme on Identity and
Social Action and Wendy Hollway’s highly influential book ‘Doing Qualitative
Research Differently’.
The Forensic Psychology Research Group
The FPRG was formally established in 2001, and currently consists of 4 members of
the lecturing staff, Nicky Brace, Johanna Motzkau, Graham Pike and Jim Turner. It is
linked with the International Centre for Comparative Criminological Research. The
main focus of the group is on methods of obtaining evidence from witnesses and
victims of crime; recent projects concern interviewing child witnesses, video
identification parades and facial composite construction (e.g. E-FIT images of
suspects for use in the media). The FPRG has extensive links with practitioners and
policy-makers in the UK and abroad. In particular, its members work closely with
police officers, social workers, and the government’s Home Office. The FPRG has
been successful in attracting funding and in publishing its work. Since 1996, FPRG
members have received in excess of £171K from the EPSRC (in collaboration with
the Forensic Imaging Group, University of Kent), the Home Office and the British
Psychological Society, and have over 20 publications out or in press since 2000.
Applied Psychology Research Group (APRG)
The Applied Psychology Research Group includes members of the department with
an interest in Occupational Psychology, memory, e-learning, collaboration and
creative learning. It includes members of the university’s Centre for Research in
Education and Educational Technology (CREET). Research collaboration with the
Educational Dialogue Research Unit in CREET uses the department’s considerable
experience in on-line teaching to develop research in this and related areas.
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Section 4.0: TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
This sheet provides a flavour of staff benefits and facilities. Full details will be available when
you join us.
Equal
opportunities:
The Open University aims to create the conditions whereby students and
staff are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential,
regardless of gender, colour, ethnic or national origin, age, socio-economic
background, disability, religious or political beliefs, family circumstances,
sexual orientation or other irrelevant distinction. The University has an
action plan to implement this policy.
Family friendly
policies:
Staff are entitled to 52 weeks maternity/adoption leave. Statutory
maternity/adoption pay will be paid for a maximum period of the first 39
weeks, made up to full pay for the first 18 weeks, subject to minimum
service conditions. Staff have the right to return to work at any time
within 52 weeks of the maternity leave start date, again subject to certain
conditions. Staff are entitled to a maximum of 10 days’ paid paternity
leave in connection with their wife’s/partner’s confinement in any one leave
year in addition to normal leave entitlement, again subject to certain
conditions.
Pension
schemes:
Staff have the option of contributing to a Final Salary pension scheme and
the University contributes around 14% of salary. Full details will be sent
with any offer of employment but any preliminary enquiries should be
addressed to the Pensions Section, Human Resources Division 01908
652431 or 652957.
Holidays:
The annual leave entitlement is 33 days (for academic, academic-related
and research staff) or 30 days (for full-time secretarial and clerical support
staff) in the leave year 1 October to 30 September, in addition to all banks
and other public holidays and an additional 3 days at Christmas when the
University is closed. A staff member joining during the leave year will be
entitled to leave in proportion to the period served.
Study Leave:
Permanent Central Academic staff (and those on contracts of 2 years or
more) are entitled to study leave on full salary for research or other
approved academic purposes for two months in each leave year. For
Regional Academic staff the entitlement to study leave is on full salary for
two months within each period of two years completed service.
Smoking policy:
Please note that smoking is not permitted in University buildings, bars and
catering areas. Smoking is only permitted in designated outdoor areas.
Any questions about the policy should be raised at interview.
Location:
Appointees are normally expected to live within a reasonable travelling
distance of their place of work.
Relocation
Expenses:
The University will make a grant for expenses necessarily incurred for
removals and disturbance, within certain rules and subject to a maximum
payment. Full details will be sent with any offer of employment. The
removal grant does not apply on appointments of less than two years
duration.
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Changes of
duties:
Offers of appointment to the University are subject to acceptance of the
condition that the University reserves the right to make changes to the post
holder’s duties and to require them to work in other areas of the University
and to be subject to any special conditions applying in those areas in
furtherance of the University's objectives. Further information on this point
is included in the offer of appointment to the successful candidate. For
internal appointments of staff who retain tenure this flexibility is limited
within the broad subject areas and the job role, but with the option to
modify duties within the job category and in respect of location and
academic unit.
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Section 5.0: BENEFITS AND FACILITIES
The following provides information about some staff benefits and facilities. Full details will be
available on successful appointment.
Staff
development:
We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in
and beyond your current role. This includes thorough induction into the
organisation and regular reviews of your training and development needs.
The objective is that all staff should undertake at least five days’
development activity in each year – this may include attendance at formal
courses or other learning e.g. use of self-study material. We invest
substantial time and money in our staff development provisions and we
waive fees for staff wishing to study our own courses.
Facilities:


Catering facilities at Walton Hall provide meals, snacks and drinks.
Facilities in regional centres vary.
Open University Club (offering a number of club and society events,
sports and social outlets).
Facilities
located at the
Walton Hall
campus:

Local education
facilities (posts
based at Milton
Keynes only):
Information on local schools can be obtained from the Learning and
Development Directorate, Milton Keynes Borough Council on 01908
253489 or visit their website at www.mkschools.net
Nurseries
(posts based at
Milton Keynes
only):
The Mulberry Bear Day Nursery & Pre-School is a purpose-built nursery on
the Walton Hall campus. It is an independent charity supported by The
Open University and managed by parents. OU staff applications are
given priority but there may be a waiting list in some age groups and an
early application is advised. Since the Mulberry Bear Centre is
independent of the Open University, appointees cannot be guaranteed a
place for their child. For further information, please telephone the Centre
Leader on Milton Keynes (01908) 653867, email mulberrybearenquiries@open.ac.uk or see their website at
www.mulberrybear.org.uk
There are a number of other private nurseries in the Milton Keynes area.
There is also a Borough of Milton Keynes nursery at nearby Kingston
where the University has reserved places.
Pre-school child
care subsidy
scheme:
The Open University has a means tested childcare subsidy scheme. Those
eligible are provided with a Childcare Voucher that can be used as part
payment for the care of children under 5 years of age. For further
information about the scheme contact the Human Resources Division on
01908 655050.
Childcare Vouchers: we have introduced a salary sacrifice scheme to
enable staff to take advantage of tax and NI exemption on up to £243 of
childcare vouchers per month. The scheme is managed by Busy Bees.
Further information will be provided on appointment.
For further information about the scheme and an application form please
contact the Child Care Subsidy Administrator in the Human Resources
Division.


Occupational Health Department provides professional advice to
individuals and managers on all work related health issues.
NatWest bank sub-branch.
Shop selling general provisions.
Candidates will be required to provide their eligibility to work in the U.K. by producing
verifiable documents. Details of the required documents will be sent to the successful
candidate at the written offer of employment stage.
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