Associate Programme

If you cannot submit the initial application using the online form for accessibility reasons, we are happy for you to submit it in an alternative format. Please email or call 020 3740 1233 to discuss your requirements.

We ask that you provide both your current salary (annual gross, full-time equivalent) and the minimum salary (annual gross, full-time equivalent) you will be willing to consider from your placement, as we appreciate these figures may differ. This information helps us to understand your situation better and assists with shortlisting.

All candidates must attend an Assessment Day. If you cannot make the date you are offered, we will try to accommodate you at another. Assessment Days are the best way for Public Practice to gain a clear understanding of your experience and personal qualities. During the Assessment Day, you will undertake a series of assessments, which will be carried out online via Zoom.

The Assessment Day is conducted online via Zoom. Once your application is shortlisted, you will have the opportunity to inform us of any additional requirements you have to attend an online event.

The online applications are assessed by the Public Practice marking team, which includes trained public sector markers and in-house staff. At Assessment Days, officers from host Authorities will participate as Assessors.

If you are successful at the Assessment Day, you will be invited to the next stage, the matching stage. Public Practice will consider your skills, experience and preferences when matching to placements. During the matching stage, if we have a role that is suitable for you, we will send you a Placement pack outlining the role and ask for a statement of interest, which we will use to introduce you to the Authority. You will then meet with the Authority directly.

Candidates have the opportunity to decline matches that they do not feel are suitable. Where matches are declined, Public Practice will endeavour to rematch Applicants with an alternative placement. However, this is the exception, not the norm.

Selected candidates must inform their current employers in time to serve their notice period before the start of the programme. Host Authorities will be informed of your notice period when a match is made. Once a formal job offer is made, the host Authorities will generally seek to collect a reference from your current employer before offering an employment contract.

No, Associates do not pay a fee to participate in the programme. Your host Authority will pay you a salary of between £30,000–£55,000 on your placement. Public Practice and your host Authority cover the cost of your training on the L&D Course. The three in-person days are in different locations across England. This means a few days of the year may be some distance from your home. We will confirm these locations in advance so you can make travel arrangements. You will be required to pay for your transport to and from the three in-person days.

We offer roles that go beyond standard job descriptions. They might range from developing a design code for a garden town to starting up a housebuilding programme to trialling co-design with tenants; from reshaping the strategy for a town centre to rethinking an Authority’s approach to small sites.

Public Practice recruits Associates to work in public organisations: local or city government, combined authorities, development corporations, publicly-led delivery vehicles, or groups of more than one Authority sharing a role.

Currently, Public Practice places Associates across all regions of England. Commute times are considered when matching Associates to placements, and Public Practice endeavours to offer Associates placements within reasonable commutes from their homes.

Associates are employed directly by their host Authority on either fixed-term contracts or permanent contracts.

Associates typically leave their current jobs to become Public Practice Associates, but you could also negotiate a secondment with your current employer if they offer it.

All Associates are expected to start their job placements at either the beginning of April or October, depending on which recruitment round they applied for. For those candidates who have long notice periods, some placements may start a little later than others in their cohort, but this is the exception, not the norm.

Yes, a number of our Associates teach, run their own companies or pursue other projects or courses alongside becoming a Public Practice Associate. However, any part-time placements do require a minimum placement commitment of 4 days per week. Applicants will have the opportunity to state their preference for part-time or full-time working arrangements as part of our recruitment process. This preference will inform matching to placements.

Whether an Associate is able to work on a compressed hours contract or have flexible working arrangements is wholly up to the public organisation they are matched with. Once a match has been made, flexible working arrangements should be discussed directly with the Authority. Hybrid (online and in-office) working has become more common at many Authorities, and generally, there is an expectation that Associates go into the office at least once a week.

Applicants can state whether they are willing to relocate to take up a placement during the application process. Willingness to relocate will increase your probability of being matched.

Throughout the programme, you will be directly employed by your host Authority. You will be entitled to all statutory rights afforded to employees. If your personal circumstances change, such as becoming ill or having a child, you will be entitled to all benefits set out by your statutory rights as an employee, for example, sick leave or maternity/paternity pay.

By becoming a Public Practice Associate you will benefit from participating in a Learning and Development Course and our wider officer Community. Up to 16 days within your placement are designated for attending the course and our optional Field Trips.

We ask for Associates to attend all 10 course days, take part in developing and delivering a Talk event series and submit feedback reports and learning reflections during the 12-month programme.

You do not need to take annual leave to attend a course day as it counts as a regular working day. We endeavour to limit the amount of an Associate's own time spent on the programme, however, you may have to prepare before a session or for the Talks series.

Yes, all Associates are expected to attend 80% of the L&D days as a minimum. Minimum L&D attendance rates are proportionate to the number of days you are working with your Authority. Failure to meet the minimum attendance rate may result in the termination of your position as an Associate.

The decision to employ Associates beyond the duration of the programme is made by the host Authority alone and is subject to their own internal HR policies. Public Practice offers employment support to all Associates towards the end of the programme but cannot guarantee that all Associates will be offered employment with their host Authorities beyond the placement.

Many host Authorities and Associates extend their employment contract beyond the initial placement period. This is something that is negotiated directly between the Authority and the Associate.

You will join our Alum network at the end of the 12-month programme. We encourage Alum to remain active in our online communities and by attending our advocacy opportunities.