Equity in Practice: Building a fairer future for all
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Graduates at Sanctuary
Imagine serving local residents and communities, contributing to the success of a multi-million pound organisation and developing to become a leader of the future.
Each year we hire a small number of graduates and provide a bespoke Graduate Development Programme, tailored to the strengths and aspirations of each individual.
Graduate Development Programme
Applications will open in October 2025
Who we look for
We’re an ambitious organisation and we want our graduates to share our ambitions. Graduating in any degree subject, you will be in your final year of study or have finished your studies within the past two years, and will have or be predicted a minimum of a 2:1 degree.
Your personal skills will be just as important. Determined and focused, you will be a natural at building relationships and inspiring others. You’ll also need adaptability, ideas and initiative, strong problem-solving skills and confidence in your own ability. Above all, you’ll have the commercial aptitude and desire to take us forward. We are looking for people who demonstrate Sanctuary’s values and behaviours and in particular show a high degree of potential in the following areas:
- Commercial aptitude
- Ambition and drive
- Leadership
- Communication
- Adaptability
- Decision making
- Creativity
- Influencing
- Problem solving and analysis
Sanctuary is committed to diversity and inclusion. We particularly encourage applications from people who are Black, Asian or minority ethnic or disabled.
What's in it for you?
Rewards and benefits
We offer a competitive salary, a generous contributory pension scheme and a range of other benefits including 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, life assurance, leisure and retail discounts and exclusive employee offers through our e-hub scheme.
Learning and development
Your learning and development will be a priority at Sanctuary. You’ll have a comprehensive induction, where you will be introduced to senior leaders throughout the business and visit a range of our operations across the UK. Throughout your time on the programme, we’ll make sure you have the right balance of on-the-job training, more formal learning and professional development.
After the programme
From Corporate Services to Development, Supported Living to Housing, our former graduates work across all areas of the business. Your future is in your hands. We’ll be expecting you to have the ambition and focus to progress within Sanctuary and have a significant impact on our operations. Your development doesn’t stop when you complete the programme, and we will continue to nurture your potential and help you to realise your career aspirations.
Application process
When you apply for our Graduate Development Programme, you’ll go through the following process:
1. Complete an online application form and submit a short video
The first part of the application process is to complete an online application form and submit a short video. We will be looking for you to demonstrate why you want to work for Sanctuary so please ensure you have done your research about each of our business areas and our core values. When providing answers to questions, please provide specific examples which are appropriate and can relate to the role you have applied for.
2. First stage interviews
These will be about an hour long and will be conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The interviews will take place at the end of January. We will be looking to find out why you want to join your chosen Graduate Development Programme. We are looking for future potential in our graduates so think about how you can best demonstrate your potential.
3. Pre-Assessment Centre meeting
If you’re successful at first stage interview, we’ll invite you to a virtual meeting prior to the Assessment Centre. This meeting will enable you to meet some of our Directors and find out more about Sanctuary. You’ll also be able to network with our current graduates to find out what life is really like as a graduate at Sanctuary.
4. Assessment Centre
The Assessment Centre is a great opportunity for you to show that you are genuinely interested in the role. The one-day assessment centre will be held at our Worcester head office which is easily accessible by road and rail. We’ll provide overnight accommodation the night before for applicants with a long distance to travel, and reasonable travel expenses to the will also be reimbursed. You will be informed of the outcome within 24 hours and a member of our Graduate Recruitment Team will schedule in time with you to deliver detailed feedback on your performance.
Top tips for applying
We receive a high volume of applications, so it is essential that your application stands out from the crowd.
- Do your research. We want to hear why you are passionate about wanting to work for our organisation and how your values and behaviours align to Sanctuary’s values and behaviours
- Carefully check your spelling and grammar and proofread your application before submitting it – do not rely on spellcheckers to auto correct words
- Ensure you sell yourself, demonstrating your passion and enthusiasm for both our organisation and the programme you are applying for
- Use short, succinct sentences and paragraphs which are easy to follow and focus on answering the question
CASE STUDY
Jennifer Cotterill - Graduate
I joined Sanctuary fresh out of a Maths degree at Warwick University, and it’s been an opportunity I’m overwhelmingly grateful for.
Before applying, I was nervous to start full-time work, and worried I might not find a job that paid the bills, interested me, and stood for a goal that I believed in. However, the more I learnt about Sanctuary throughout the application, the more I became certain that a job here would meet those needs, and far exceed them.
What I’ve ultimately found is what I can only deem to be a perfect first job; any anxiety I had over integrating into the working world has vanished, as from the first day I’ve been welcomed by incredibly friendly co-workers, countless avenues of support, a flexible work-life balance, and a role that motivates, challenges, and teaches me.
As a trans woman, I also had worries about finding an accepting workplace, with colleagues that would treat me the same regardless of identity, however once again I was only met with warmth and kindness. Since starting here, I have not had a single incident, comment, or even disapproving look for being who I am, and that is incredibly important to me.
The most standout feature of the Graduate scheme is the sheer amount I learnt in such a short time – it is impossible to overstate it. In six months, I went from having no prior IT experience, and no knowledge of Sanctuary’s applications or systems, to being a valuable asset to a Technology team with decades of experience, my manager from that team having said I would easily be welcomed back at any point. Put into perspective: in half a year I gained the experience needed to guarantee a role that would normally take a 3 year qualification to even apply for. That was only my first placement, and I’ve learnt even more during the second.
All of this is supported exceptionally by the business, who during the induction and throughout the scheme provide endless opportunities to travel and work all over the country, get priceless experience of Sanctuary’s frontline operations, collaborate with teams across many departments, and expand my network and skillset. This flexibility is present in all aspects of the scheme, and as a Graduate your input is always welcomed and considered, allowing you to craft your own experience and get what you want from these opportunities.
For my first placement, I was with the Business Applications Team in Technology and underwent a variety of projects. I researched, compiled, and documented information for all our applications by speaking with dozens of stakeholders, created multiple pieces of governance on automation, some of which I successfully automated myself, and how the department deals with acquisitions, and contributed directly to our team by creating many vital dashboards, and working through our day-to-day support as any other member of the team.
Now, at the end of my second placement with Data Analytics in Property Services, I’ve played a role in one of Sanctuary’s largest projects - OneProperty - affecting thousands of residents, homes, and employees around the country. With my team we’ve provided essential reporting to the business, through many months of careful negotiations of requirements with colleagues all across the Group, thorough investigation of our data, and precise development of our reporting solutions.
My next placement will be in Sanctuary’s own software development team, working on the Kradle app used in our care homes all over the UK. Once again this will grant me a wealth of experience, now covering multiple programming languages and a professional software development cycle, further expanding my skills and potential career paths, and I’m excited to contribute as much as possible to this corner of Technology.
The amount you can learn, together with the number of connections you can make with potentially very senior colleagues at Sanctuary, means that the progression available to a Graduate during and after these two years is immense. As a Sanctuary Graduate you don’t just learn the ropes and do menial tasks until you can work your way upwards, instead you are treated as a valuable employee with something to contribute at all levels from the very start.
I’d highly recommend Sanctuary’s Graduate Scheme to anyone looking for a job that will make you relish everything you learn, drive your ambition (or reveal ambition you didn’t know you had!), and know that your work is truly helping people, through an organisation that is worth your passion.
Articles in Graduates at Sanctuary
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