Council/Govt Jobs for US Peep?

This is actually related to a post from JennyDee on Council websites.  I have noticed a great deal of nice jobs on the Devon City Council webiste...thing is...I know that in the US some jobs have citizenship requirements for public sector positions.  Does anyone know about those requirements in the UK?

Thanks!

Oh! I do! I do!
If you have a letter from the Home Office stating that you are allowed to live and work here, you can work for the Council - they absolutely love diversity - and Americans!

Oh don't tell me that!

Really?  Honestly?

I have a background, well Masters in Public Admin.....

and I understand they also have great benefits.

Oh my...

In my time I have worked for both the Civil Service and Local Government, and in both there were plenty of Americans and other nationalities, and it made work a delight!

      mmmmmmm and maybe thats why these days if your english you come bottom of the pile for jobs housing etc etc etc,

There are some rules about citizenship when you get up into the higher levels of government.  Say for example, Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and other central govt. offices, but it seems that at local level, they're not too bothered!

I know this is a bit late, but I have worked in the Public Sector for two and a half years here and on the whole it has been quite good The benefits of it are:
1. Excellent pay, especially when you get up to higher positions--much better than the voluntary sector
2. Great benefits--loads of A/L and TOIL (I get a total of 37 days/ year plus time off for studying my masters) Also, they offer relocation packages (not bril, but helpful if you want to move) Loans for buying cars, bikes, season tickets, etc
3.  They really value Americans.  I think this is for many reasons--we tend to be better trained with more "practical" experience than our UK counterparts and also they are all trying to work more efficiently.  Americans (on the whole) see through the bureaucracy a bit better and can be very helpful in reform
4. there is a major staff shortage, especially in upper management, so the chances of getting a job are high

There are some definate negatives:
1. Community development here is working with voluntary groups and it is generally very poor.  Everyone gives lip service to working with communities, but don't generally do a very good job.  
2. Local government officers can be very difficult to change (not all, but a lot).  They see themselves as the experts and no one else better challenge that (I work to develop interagency partnerships and it is a struggle to get people to change).
3.  The bureaucracy is unbelievable and worshiped like a god.

On the whole, it is good and there are loads of resources to get jobs in  the public sector (Guardian on a Wednesday www.jobsgopublic.co.uk  --both advertise jobs across the country)

I currently have a joint appointment with the NHS and the Local Authority and I know that both orgs have MAJOR problems finding qualified people--which is the same throughout the country.

Hope that is helpful!!
Kat

Oh I am getting happier and happier by the minute.  So if my plans to get the  PhD flop I can always find a job in government.  I read that you can even take up to 5 years as a sabbatical to persue education!  Dang.  

Oh I feel fuzzy and warm..

might I ask you another question Kat?  What background do you think they are looking for?  I have an MPA but have actually never worked for the public sector.  I was hired out of the Masters to work in the private Euducation sector so have management experience.

I want to get back to what I studied.

Thoughts?

I have found them to be very flexible with backgrounds, as on the whole they value varied experience.  I have a degree in Human Development and Social Relations and have worked in regeneration and public health here, where in the states, my degree would have meant nothing. I would think that working in private education would been seen as on the whole beneficial (of course there will be a few old farts who think you have to come up through the ranks of public teaching etc).  I don't know if I can stress enough how hard up they are for Qualified canidates.  Especially in new and developing fields--commssioning of services is a huge one for both health and local government that I would imagine your skills would lend itself to.  (Joint commissioning, if you don't know, is the way the public sector employs other service providers to deliver health/social care services that it is required by law to have for its citizens.)  Other roles could be partnership working, modernisation, or strategy.  they tend to have people working throughout government departments on those issues and if you worked in private education, I think that would be seen as valuable, as services here are under more and more pressure to be more efficient.   Posts sit empty for years in management--especially in fields that an MPA would lend itself to-- the more wholistic management of services.  On the whole I have found management here to be very poor and a good manager can go a long way.  Also, I have to say that it would be most senior officials wet dream to hire someone with experience in the private sector!

As you mention a PhD, I also would say that the prospects for training are amazing.  In my previous authority (city of Gloucester) we got paid for time off plus our fees paid for.  In my new authority, I get 1-2 days/week paid for to do my masters.  In the NHS, you also get your travel costs reimbursed and study days. You have to check around because not all local authorities are the same, but it is invaluable.

I also want to add that with the positives come negatives.  I find that things can be very slow and difficult and the mindset with some officers is appaling!!!  However, as quality of life goes, working for local government is second to none!

Let me know how it goes.  You may also want to look at the Unison website as that is the union for local gov't employees.

Good luck!!
kat