We want to be sure that every member of staff feels valued for their individual contribution and believe we’ve got everything you’d expect from a large organisation.
Health and wellbeing
Wellbeing is defined as feeling good and functioning well physically, mentally, and socially. We all experience a sense of wellbeing differently and as an employer, we want to support every member of staff to feel and function at their best.
Our package of initiatives and opportunities includes:
• Wellbeing Portal with information, advice and support on a wide range of health topics
• Eye tests for VDU users
• Occupational Health Services
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
Flexible working
As a family friendly employer, we can see how flexible working helps our staff with their work- life balance.
Many of our roles offer flexible working between the hours of 7.30am and 7pm. This flexibility can give more freedom to arrange your working day to best meet our customers’ needs, it also enables you to accrue up to 13 days flexi leave per year.
All our full-time vacancies are open to job share unless stated, we also offer a range of part time and other flexible working options including:
• Home working
• Job sharing
• Part time working
• Flexible retirement
Smarter/hybrid working
We want to enable our staff to carry out their role in the smartest and most efficient way possible. Smarter working includes working in different places where the work requires or using new equipment or ICT to enable you to do your job more efficiently.
As a Council we have many different workstyles and opportunities to work smarter whilst ensuring we are:
• Meeting the needs of our residents
• Meeting the needs of the organisation
• Providing work life balance to our employees
Durham County Council currently operates a hybrid working policy where a model of 2 days in the workplace and 3 days at home/remote will apply. This model is pro-rated for part time roles and arrangements are at managers discretion, alternatively you can work all of your contracted hours within the workplace if you prefer.
We also have plans for modernisation of our offices and workplaces, promoting more use of technology to ensure we are working in the most efficient way possible as well as considering new and moderner ways of delivering services
We recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance and as an employer we are firmly committed to ensuring all our employees are able to balance work and life commitments.
Learning and development
An excellent and broad range of learning and development opportunities are available to all staff to ensure your personal and professional development is supported.
You can expect:
• Comprehensive induction
• Access to e-learning
• An annual performance appraisal
• Access to professional qualifications
• Coaching and mentoring
.
Inclusion and diversity
We have established several groups to enable our employees and their allies to meet, share ideas and raise awareness. These include:
• Disability and allies’ staff network
• LGBT+ and allies’ staff network
• Working carers peer support group
• Black and minority ethnic workers staff network
Salaries
Our salaries are competitive and based upon the nature and level of the role you undertake. Our pay scales are incremental so you can expect to receive an annual increase until you reach the top of your pay scale.
Holiday
We have a generous annual leave entitlement starting at 26 days per year, this increases to 31 days per year after 5 years continuous government service, this is in addition to bank holidays.
There is also the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave per year through our salary sacrifice scheme
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Staff are entitled to join the LGPS, further information can be found on the Thinking of Joining page on the LGPS website.
Additional benefits
• Travel loan scheme
• Car salary sacrifice scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted gym membership
• Retail discounts