You may have already applied for one of our children’s social work roles here at NCT – if so, that’s great news. If your application has been successful and you’ve been invited in for an interview, you might now start wondering what to expect and what you’ll need to prepare. Well, we’ve got you covered!
In this blog, we’ll aim to offer some useful advice about our interview process at NCT and will highlight ways that you can successfully showcase your competence, skillset, and confidence.
What will the interview include?
At NCT, we have a single-stage interview process. This will include a written assessment, that will be provided to you on the day.
To prepare, you may want to think about the STAR interview method – this means, when thinking about your answers to our questions, try to mention a specific situation, task, action, and result, and relate them back to a time within your own practice where you had to navigate a similar situation.
The people interviewing you will want to know many things about you, one of which being is you can successfully manage your time effectively. This is the perfect opportunity for you to showcase not only your organisation and prioritisation skills, but also your ability to complete admin tasks such as paperwork in a timely manner.
If you would like to find out more about interviewing with us, please reach out to Harry Smy, who’s leading on the recruitment process for our children’s social work roles: h.smy@sanctuarypersonnel.com
Who will be on the interviewing panel?
Our interviews are usually led by the Team Manager or Service Manager of the team you’re looking to join, plus a few other members of staff - most likely from HR and the wider trust. Don’t be afraid to ask what they enjoy most about working for NCT. You can also enquire about our local area if you’re unfamiliar with it or are even considering relocating here.
How you can impress our interview panel
Along with the usual interview preparation, which will include reading the job description, researching us as a trust, and even practicing your answers with family and friends, you can also find out as much as possible about the Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) and the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), which support your professional development. You should also demonstrate the following skills:
•Adaptability in challenging situations
•Empathy and compassion
•Emotional resilience
•Leadership experience
We know that interviews can be a nerve-wracking time, where we’re often pushed out of our comfort zone. But here at NCT, you will be interviewed by a panel of passionate, warm, and friendly people who just want to make sure that you’re the right person for the job – to come and make a positive impact on the lives of the children we support. If you have any further questions about what interviewing with us at NCT is like, please get in touch with Harry Smy.