ANNEX B 

KEY WORKER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be able to participate in the  Key Worker Living programme all applicants must be employed in a qualifying post as listed below and must:

• be unable to buy/ rent a home suitable for their household needs within a reasonable travel to work area of their employment.
• be permanent employees or be temporary employees where all the following conditions are met at the time of application:

i. at least 6 months must be remaining on the contract;
ii. the contract must have been issued at the outset for at least 12 months;
iii. at least 3 months of the contract have already elapsed;
iv. for HomeBuy the RSL is satisfied having regard to the applicant's skills, employment record and intentions that there is a reasonable prospect of continuing employment as a qualifying key worker sufficient to sustain home ownership in the longer term.  

• have a household income that does not exceed £60K (except for applicants who applied for LCT prior to 1 April 2006 whose household income must not exceed £80K)
• be first time buyers or existing home owners who need to move home to meet their household needs.
• sell their existing property if they own one.
  

In addition to eligibility rules outlined above, there are further variations for intermediate rent schemes only as follows:

• There must be at least 6 months remaining on the key worker’s work permit.
• Key workers who have temporary contracts with at least 6 months remaining at the commencement of the tenancy are eligible and do not need to meet the further requirements above in relation to the terms of their temporary contract.   Those on permanent contracts are also eligible for the intermediate rent scheme..  
• Where key workers who have employment contracts but are still training they are not eligible for HomeBuy but they can have access to intermediate rent until they complete their training. 
  

Size of properties

The HomeBuy Agent / RSL must determine the current needs of the applicant's household, taking into account the number of people in the household, their age and gender and other family circumstances e.g. where the applicant has divorced or separated and children visit on a regular basis, there may be a need for an additional bedroom.

As a guide, 1 bedroom more than required based on current household composition.

Homes with more than 4 bedrooms may be purchased only in exceptional circumstances.

Location

Properties must be purchased within reasonable travelling distance of the workplace.  The HomeBuy Agent/RSL will determine what this is for the areas they cover and will consider each case individually.

SECTOR SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

This section contains details of the specific eligibility and needs criteria for each key worker sector. Posts qualify as eligible employment under the scheme as set out below within London, South East or East regions (using Government Office boundaries). Any exceptions are indicated. 

EDUCATION

London Challenge Teacher Open Market HomeBuy assistance up to £100k

1. All applicants must:
-  be qualified teachers in a school in the Greater London area;
employed in  maintained nursery (early years) primary or secondary schools including:

• City Technology Colleges;
• City Academies;
• Schools for children with special needs;
• Pupil referral units; or,

- be hospital-based teachers or peripatetic teachers employed by a Local Education Authority or qualified teachers employed in the Ethnic Minority Advisory Service, Inclusion Support Services or similar services by a Local Education Authority, or be qualified teachers in a non–maintained school for children with special needs where the pupils are LEA funded (within the Greater London area).

2. Applicants must score a minimum of 7 points to qualify for the London Challenge Teacher scheme:

General points –

Advanced Skills Teacher – 5pts
ASTs are excellent classroom teachers who wish to remain in the classroom and share their excellent skills with other teachers

Teach First Graduates (From 05/06) - 5 pts
Those with Qualifying Teacher Status and committed to continue teaching beyond their contracted 2 years.

Commissioner’s Teacher  – 2pts
These are Advanced Skills Teachers working in challenging schools.

Fast Track - 5pts
The Fast Track Teaching Programme is for new entrants and existing teachers with high leadership potential. It focuses on rapid development of professional excellence and school leadership, and provides additional support and training

Threshold - 3pts
Teachers are normally paid on the Main Pay Scale that runs form M1(lowest) -M6 (highest).  Teachers can be at any point on the Scale depending on experience and qualifications.  Teachers who have reached M6 can apply to cross the Threshold to the Upper Pay Scale and have to demonstrate excellence in their work.

Shortage subject - 2pts
English (including drama), Maths, Modern Languages, Science, Design &
Technology and ICT.

Head Teachers (From 05/06 - 3 pts

Deputy/Assistant Head - 3pts
Management/leadership points –
First two management allowances – 1pt*
Next two management allowances – 2pts*
Top management allowance - 3pts*

*Note: Post 1st January 2006 only applicable for those teachers who are subject to transitional arrangements and whose schools have opted to phase in the change over to TLRs

Teaching and Learning Responsibility points - From 1st January 2006
1. Bottom Band/TLR2  2 points
2. Top Band/TLR1 3 points

Working in schools with high levels of Free School Meals
11-20%           - 1pt
21-30%           - 2pts
31-40%           - 3pts
41-50%           - 4pts
51%+              - 5pts

Other teachers - assistance up to £50K

1 All applicants must:
-  be qualified teachers employed in maintained nursery (early years) primary or secondary schools including:

• City Technology Colleges;
• City Academies;
• Schools for children with special needs;
• Pupil referral units; or,

-  be hospital-based teachers or peripatetic teachers employed by a Local  Education Authority or qualified teachers employed in the Ethnic Minority  Advisory Service, Inclusion Support Services or similar services by a Local  Education Authority, or be qualified teachers in a non–maintained school for  children with special needs where the pupils are LEA funded.

2.  All school teachers employed in the Greater London area must complete the     teacher annex with the points criteria although reaching a minimum score of 4  points to qualify for Open Market Homebuy will only be implemented on the  instructions of the DCLG.  The same points apply as for London Challenge  Teachers (see above). 

Further Education Colleges

1  All applicants must: 
- be a teacher
- be employed in an FE sector institution (general FE college; sixth form college; art, drama & performing arts college; agriculture and horticulture college; tertiary college) or a non-FE sector independent specialist college providing further education for persons with learning difficulties and/or disabilities; or employed in an FE teaching post in a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in England; and receiving funding from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC);
- qualified in line with, or at the time of application are attending, a course leading to an FE teaching qualification, as defined by the Further Education Teachers’ Qualifications (England) Regulations 2001 – including Schools-based Qualified Teacher Status.

Notes

Teachers employed by private employment agencies and/or on a contract for service are not eligible.

Examples of institutions which do not fall within the scope of the programme are; adult and community learning providers; external institutions, non FE college prison education providers; dance and drama schools; work-based learning providers and Ufi hubs.
If an applicant is uncertain whether their teaching qualification meets the requirements of the Regulations advice should be sought from the Further Education National Training Organisation (FENTO). Contact details are www.fento.org.uk

Nursery Nurses

All applicants must:
- hold the Diploma in Nursery Nursing or an alternative level 3 qualification appropriate for the care or development of children.  A full list of suitable level 3 qualifications is available on the Department for Education and Skills Children's Workforce: Qualifications website.
- be employed in a maintained early years school or nursery.

HEALTH (NHS Bodies)

Basic criteria to be met by all applicants

1 All applicants must be employees of :

• Health Protection Agency
• NHS Primary Care Trusts;
• NHS Trusts;
• NHS Ambulance Trusts
• NHS Mental Healthcare and Social care Trusts;
• The National Blood Transfusion Service;
• NHS Direct;
• NHS Professionals Special Health Authorities;
• NHS GP surgeries;
• NHS Dental practices that have been awarded NHS Body status. Where dental practices provide NHS services via a contract the NHS will provide a letter confirming their status as an NHS Body. 
   

- Priority groups for assistance

2. Within these employer organisations eligible key workers will include:

- All clinical staff employed by the NHS except doctors and dentists.  The following are examples of included clinical roles (this is not an exhaustive list): 

• Nursing staff in general;
• Cancer services staff;
• Diagnostic support staff including diagnostic radiographers,   microbiologists, rehabilitation engineers, phlebotomists and bio-medical scientists;
• Health Care Assistants;
• Mental health professionals e.g. mental health nurses and graduate workers in primary care;
• Midwives;
• Social workers;
• Occupational therapists;
• Nursery nurses (qualified to level 3);
• Chiropodists;
• Physiotherapists;
• Clinical staff working within the Orthoptics field;
• Clinical staff working within the Dietetics field;
• Clinical staff working within the Prosthetics field;
• Speech Therapists;
• Arts Therapists;
• Paramedics;
• Ambulance staff with clinical skills including technicians;
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists;
• Physiologists;
• Radiographers;
• Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians;
• Post mortem officers;
• Operating Department Practitioners;

Those staff performing administrative roles or functions where the core skills are not peculiar to clinical organisations (e.g. IT specialists, catering staff, cleaners, maintenance staff) are not entitled. 

THE CHILDREN AND FAMILY COURT ADVISORY AND SUPPORT SERVICE

Fully qualified social workers (also know as Guardians) and children’s social workers, employed by CAFCASS and have attained the recognised professional social worker degree/diploma are eligible.

POLICE

Bedfordshire Police

All applicants must be:
 
- Serving Police Officers or Police Community Support Officers

- Fingerprint Officer

- Crime Scene Investigator (SOCO)

Cambridgeshire Police

All applicants must be:
 
- Serving Police Officers or Police Community Support Officers

Essex Police

All applicants must be:

• Police Officers of federated ranks who have successfully completed 26 weeks initial probationer training and have a minimum of five years to serve. 
• Police Community Support Officers who have successfully completed the initial probationer training and have a minimum of five years to serve.

 
Hampshire Police

All applicants must be:
 
- Frontline Operational Staff - which includes police officers, police community support officers and civilian investigators
 
- Frontline Operational Support Staff - which includes station enquiry staff, detention officers, scientific services and scenes of crime staff, control room staff and intelligence analysts
 
These lists are not exhaustive. 

Hertfordshire Police

All applicants must be:

- serving Police Officers up to and including the rank of Inspector who have completed initial training and who have a minimum of five years left to serve. This would include officers transferring from other forces
- serving Police Community Support Officers who have completed initial training and who have a minimum of five years left to serve. This would include officers transferring from other forces
 

Kent Police

All applicants must be:
 
- Serving Police Officers or Police Community Support Officers

The following job roles are also eligible for assistance:

• Communication Officers (levels 1-5)
• Detention Officers
• FIB Operators (Disclosure)
• Forensic Nurse Practitioners
• Public Enquiry Officers
• Caseworkers
• Crime Administration Clerks
• Tape Summariser/WP Operator. (This is one job role)
  

Norfolk Police

All applicants must be:
 
- Serving Police Officers or Police Community Support Officers
- Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator

 
Suffolk Police

All applicants must be:
 
- Serving Police Officers or Police Community Support Officers
 
 

Sussex Police

All applicants must be:
 
- Serving Police Officers or Police Community Support Officers who have completed their initial 18 weeks training.
 

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

All applicants must be:
 
- Serving Police Officers or Police Community Support Officers based in Kent, Suffolk or Oxfordshire
- have completed their initial training

 
Thames Valley Police

Basic criteria to be met by all applicants
 
- Police Officers must have a minimum of 5 years service remaining to apply for the schemes;
- Police staff in the following posts who have successfully completed their six month probation period.

-  Permanent civilian staff employed by Thames Valley Police Force as Operators, Team Leaders or Bureaux Supervisors working within the Police National Computer, Phoenix or Disclosures Bureaus, providing they have successfully passed their probationary period. 
 

Surrey Police

Basic criteria to be met by all applicants
 
- Serving Surrey Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers
The following police staff are also eligible once they have completed their 6 months probationary period.

• ANPR Operator
• Borough Investigative Assistant
• Borough Investigative Case Builder
• Call Handling Operator (Civilian) Contact Centre
• Contact Centre Business Manager
• Contact Centre Duty Supervisor
• Coroners Officer
• CRB Centre Supervisor
• CRB Manager
• CRB Operator
• Crime Desk Investigator
• Criminal Investigator
• Detention Officer
• Detention Officer Designate
• Divisional Custody Manager
• Force Station Officer
• Incident Handling Centre Duty Supervisor
• Incident Handling Operator
• Investigating Officer - Prisoner Handling
• Investigating Officer (Level 1)
• Investigating Officer (Level 2)
• Investigating Officer (Level 3)
• Investigation Team Investigative Assistant
• Investigative Assistant - Volume Crime
• MCIT Investigating Officer (Level 1)
• OSC Communications Operator
• Police Community Support Officer
• Police Counters Officer
• Police Counters Supervisor
• Prevent and Deter Youth Worker
• Roads Policing Support Officer (BCU)
• Roads Policing Support Officer (SRU)
• RPCSO
• Scenes of Crime Manager
• Senior Coroner Officer
• Stolen Vehicle Unit Officer
• Volume Crime Scene Investigators
• Youth Community Support Officers
• Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator
• Anti-Social Behaviour Case Manager
• Anti-Social Behaviour Manager
• Arson Task Force Intelligence Researcher
• Casualty Reduction Officer
• Central Drugs Stores Submission Officer
• CHIS Intelligence Co-ordinator
• CIU Investigators
• Civ. Div. Drug Financial Invest. Officer
• Collision Investigation Unit Officer
• Collision Investigator
• Crime Prevention Officer
• Crime Reduction Design Advisor
• Data Bureau Manager
• Data Bureau Operator
• Data Bureau Senior Operator
• Data Bureau Supervisor
• Deputy Force POLSA
• Deputy Principal Analyst
• Deputy to Emergency Planning Officer
• Director of Scientific Services
• Disclosure Officer/Investigative Assistant
• Divisional Anti-Social Behaviour Case Manager
• Divisional Anti-Social Behavoiur Case Builder
• Divisional Briefing and Debriefing Officer
• Divisional Drugs Liaison Officer
• Divisional/Force Intelligence Researcher
• Divisional/Force Intelligence Researcher
• Emergency Planning Officer
• Financial Investigation Officer
• Financial Investigative Supervisor
• Financial Investigator (FIU)
• Fingerprint Department Team Leader
• Fingerprint Department Trainer
• Fingerprint Officer Grade 1 (Expert)
• Fingerprint Officer Grade 2
• Fingerprint Officer Grade 3
• Fingerprint Recognition Officer
• Fingerprint Technical Support Manager
• Forensic Computer Analyst
• Forensic Intelligence Officer
• Forensic Photographer
• Head of Fingerprint Dept
• Head of Intelligence Analysis
• Head of Major Crime Review Team
• Head of SOCO
• HOLMES / Disclosue Officer
• HOLMES Exhibits/Disclosures Officer
• HOLMES Support Officer
• IDR Analyst
• Intelligence Analyst (higher)
• Intelligence Analyst (Junior)
• Intelligence Officer Surrey Paedophile On Line Investigation Team
• Investigation Team Officer CIU
• Investigative Assistant - Commercial Crime
• Investigative Coach
• Laboratory Submissions Authorising Officer
• Licensing and Enquiries Officer
• Licensing Investigator
• Local Intelligence Officer (see appeal 16-12-03)
• Mobile Support Divisional Analyst
• OSC Intelligence Officer
• Photographic & Video Lab Manager
• Photographic Technician
• Police Dog Instructor
• Principal Video/Audio Process Technician
• Prison Liaison - Intelligence Interview (Debrief) Assistant
• Review Investigator
• Safety Camera Imaging Technician
• Scenes of Crime Manager MCIT
• Senior Imaging Technician
• Senior SOCO: Second Evaluation
• Senior Strategic Intelligence Analyst
• Snr. Forensic Photographer
• SOCO I
• SOCO II
• SOCO Team Leader
• Special Branch Counter Terrorist Security Advisor
• Submissions Officer, Central Drug Stores
• Technical Support Officer
• Telecommunications Liaison Officer
• Telecommunications Liaison Unit and Central Authorities Bureau Officer
• Video/Audio Processing Technician

Metropolitan Police

Basic criteria to be met by all applicants
 
- a serving Police Officer, including those within the Royal Parks Constabulary, who has been in post for six months or more i.e. once they have completed the initial training at Hendon, or a Police Officer transferring from another constabulary who cannot be housed in police quarters
- A member of police staff who is directly employed and has been in post for six months and is in one of the following priority posts:

• Communications Officers
• Scientific Support Team
• Crime Analysts
• Station Reception Officers (staff undertaking this role and based at Lewisham, Bromley and Sutton Station are excluded as they are employed by a private sector organisation)
• Civilian Gaolers 
• Police Community Support Officers
• Intelligence Analyst/ Researcher
• Financial Investigator
• Custody Nurse
• IBO Staff
• Coroner’s Officer
• Witness Support Staff
• Burglary Investigator
• Evidential Imaging Officer
• Crime Management Unit Officer
• Telephone Investigation Unit Staff
• Firearms Enquiry Officer
• Football Liaison Officer
• Restorative Justice Officer
• Neighbourhood Watch (non administrative roles) 
  
   

BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE

Basic criteria to be met by all applicants
 
Staff must have at least five years left of service and be based at stations in:
- Norwich
- Peterborough
- Cambridge
- Ipswich
- Milton Keynes
- Southend
- Reading
- London
- Guildford
- Southampton
- Portsmouth
- Brighton
- Gatwick
- Croydon
- Chatham
- Ashford
 
Applicants must be:

- Police Officers or Community Support Officers who have successfully completed initial training i.e 32 weeks service
- Crime Analysts or Senoir Crime Analysts
- Communications Officer
- Civilian Scene of Crime Officer
- Community Race Relations Analyst

 
PRISON SERVICE

1.- Applicants from the Prison Service must work in one of the following
establishments. 

2. In addition to working in one of these establishments applicants must also be from one of the following disciplines:
 
Prison Officers and related grades;
Nursing and other clinical Staff;
Operational Support Grades (OSGs);
Industrials;
Instructional Officers
LEA Employed FE Teachers.
 
Full list of qualifying posts and roles are:

  

 
 Grade   Short descriptor
 Industrial Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Craft grades
 Instructional Officer  Prisoner workshop instructor
 Nursing Grades A, B, C, D, E, F, G & other clinical staff  Clinical NHS grades
 Operational Support Grade  Uniformed support grade
 Principal Officer  Uniformed prison officer management grade
 Prison Officer  Basic uniformed officer grade
 Psychologist  Working on prisoner programmes
 Psychological Assistant  Prisoner programmes support grade
 Senior Officer  Uniformed prison officer management grade

Within this group, the highest priority should be given to first line and other managers with experience elsewhere. This will assist the recruitment of prison officers from elsewhere in the country to jails in London and the South East. The next highest priority should be the direct recruitment of staff in the grades listed above to the prisons in the table above 
 

PROBATION SERVICE

Within the Probation Service: Senior Probation Officers, Probation Officers, Probation Service Officers and other operational staff (except Assistant Chief Officers) who work directly with offenders.
 
 

LOCAL AUTHORITY PLANNERS

All applicants must:
- be employed in a Local Planning Authority (LPA) (including National Parks Authority) as a Planning Officer delivering statutory planning services, whether that is in the area of development control or development plan production. This includes the following grades:

• Level 1 Basic Professional
• Level 2 Experienced/Senior Professional
• Level3 Principal Professional – manage a single function or small team
• Level4 Divisional Head.

Terms like Conservation Officer, Enforcement Officer or and Tree Preservation Officer fall within the categories of Level 1 to Level 3.  

 
OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITY STAFF

Other eligible key workers employed by local authorities are:

• Nurses and other clinical staff directly employed by Local Authorities to provide nursing/clinical care can be assisted in the same way as equivalent staff employed in the National Health Service;
• Fully qualified Social Workers and Children's Social Workers who are registered with the General Social Care Council (GSCC) and who have attained the recognised professional Social Worker degree/diploma are eligible for all KWL products;
• Unqualified Social Workers  who are registered with the GSCC and currently working towards attaining such qualifications (including Graduate trainees) can access the Intermediate Rent product only;
• Qualified nursery nurses;
• Qualified Therapists including but not exclusively Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Rehabilitation Officers for the Visually Impaired;
• Qualified Educational Psychologists.
  

CONNEXIONS PERSONAL ADVISORS

Connections Personal Advisors can be accepted as eligible key workers provided they are employed by a local authority or a Connexions Partnership.  CPAs employed by a private or voluntary sector organisation ARE NOT eligible. 
 

FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES

Uniformed staff below principal level in the following Fire and Rescue Services are eligible once they have successfully completed their initial training.  Length of training may vary dependant on Service:

• Bedfordshire & Luton
• Buckinghamshire
• Cambridgeshire
• East Sussex
• Essex
• Hampshire
• Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
• Isle of Wight
• Kent
• London
• Norfolk
• Oxfordshire
• Royal Berkshire
• Suffolk
• Surrey
• West Sussex

Control Room Staff in the following Fire and Rescue Services are eligible once they have successfully completed their initial training.  Length of training may vary dependant on Service:

• Buckinghamshire
• Oxfordshire
• Royal Berkshire
• London
• Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
• West Sussex
• East Sussex
  

Ministry of Defence personnel

MoD personnel qualify for New build Homebuy where:

• They have completed their basic (phase 1) training.
• They have at least 5 years to serve before discharge/retirement date.
• Their permanent duty station is located within London, the South East and East.
• They are one of the following:

                    - Regular service personnel (i.e. regular service personnel, including
                    - Military Provost Guard Service, in the Navy, Army and Air Force) 
                    - Clinical staff (with the exception of doctors and dentists) 
                    - MoD Police Officers
                    - Uniformed staff in the Defence Fire Service

To qualify for Intermediate Rent schemes:

• Individuals are in one of the above roles
• Full Time Reserve Service (Full Commitment)
• Individuals need not have completed their Phase 1 Training.
• There is no requirement to have 5 years Service remaining.

There will be some service personnel such as the Ghurkhas and those from Foreign and Commonwealth countries that qualify under the criteria but do not have indefinite leave to remain (ILR).  A Ghurkha is guaranteed indefinite leave to remain on completion of their term of service but no such guarantee applies to FCO personnel.   Immigration status should be taken into account by the RSL in deciding whether an applicant can sustain the costs of home ownership.  We would encourage RSLs to highlight this in marketing material in order to manage the expectations of groups without ILR. 

Long Service Advance of Pay
The MoD offer their personnel a loan to assist with the costs of buying a house.  This loan is called Long Service Advance of Pay and cannot exceed £8,500.  It is secured through a charge on the property purchased.  LSAP can be used in conjunction with New Build HomeBuy as long as the RSL's interest has priority over the LSAP loan in the charging structure.