Rochford District Council

The District

Contained within 168.35 sq km (65 square miles), Rochford District covers an area that is predominantly rural in character, with miles of unspoilt coastline and attractive countryside. The main urban centres are the historic towns of Rochford and Rayleigh, well served with shops and amenities.

The outlying towns and villages offer semi-rural and rural living, combined with easy access to the main centres, and within comfortable reach of the mainline railway and bus services. Journey time to London by train is less than an hour. Included in the District are the historic Hockley Woods (the remains of a royal forest), the island of Foulness, internationally famous as a haven for wildlife, and the Roach Valley Conservation Zone.

Recreation needs are fully catered for with 3 golf courses in the District, and sports centres in Hawkwell and Great Wakering.. Miles of open countryside, footpaths, sea wall and woodlands offer a great range of recreation activities. Sailing enthusiasts can find much scope on the Roach and Crouch rivers, and there is a marina at Wallasea Island.

Rochford is a district with a proud past and a bright future. It boasts a large number of listed buildings, including Rochford Hall, one time home of the Boleyn family and The Old House in South Street, Rochford. Rayleigh contains the site of a Norman castle, and Rayleigh Windmill, built in 1798.

The District offers a wide choice of places to live, with a variety of housing to buy and rent. There are many contrasting styles of property of all ages to be found, ranging from historic listed buildings in conservation areas, to sympathetically designed new schemes.

Working for Rochford District Council

Working Hours

The standard working week for full-time staff is 37 hours. However the hours of work applicable to individual posts will be set out in the contract of employment which will also state whether the post is eligible to participate in the Council’s extended working hours scheme.

Staff Benefits

A range of benefits are available to staff including:

• Child care voucher scheme.
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Gardens at our Rochford Offices.
• Generous holiday entitlement.
• Free eye tests for VDU users.
• Staff reward schemes for attendance and long service (not applicable to the Leadership Team.
• Welfare support including counselling and occupational health services.

The Council has been awarded with Investor in People Gold accreditation.

Flexible Working

The Council is keen to ensure that staff have a balance to their home and work life and therefore the following provisions are available:

• Maternity/Adoption Leave/Shared Parental Leave
• Paternity Leave
• Maternity Support Leave
• Extended Working Hours Scheme (enabling 2 days flexi time to be taken per month)
• Parental Leave/Special Leave Provisions
• Part-time Working
• Job Sharing (please state on your application if you wish to job share)