W4mp guides

These are the guides on the main w4mp site as of August 7 2023

Current Guides

See the guides page for the current list, with links

Support in Your Job

• Members’ Services Team
• Surviving your first week in the constituency office
• Help and Advice for Staff
• Office Managers’ Virtual Drop-in – every Wednesday
• Monthly phone-in Q&A session for all MPs’ staff
• Members’ Staff Roadshows
• Employment
  • Recruitment
    • Hiring work experience students and interns
      • Getting the best out of your internship
      • Researcher's Guide to Managing an Intern
      • Internship Charter — code of practice from CIPD
    • Recruitment and Selection — Best Practice Guide
    • Hiring Staff
  • Starting Out: Applications, internships and work experience
    • Quick Tips to Help You Find a Job Working for an MP
    • Being an Intern / Doing Work Experience
    • Working as an Intern
    • How to write a good job application
    • Creating a Winning CV & Cover Letter
    • Giving a Successful Interview
    • Fast Stream Appointments
    • Foreign nationals working for MPs
    • Infiltrating Westminster – how to get a foot in the door
  • Managing an Internship in Your Office
  • Organising Work Experience in an MP’s Office
• The Members’ HR Service
• Induction Sessions for MPs’ Staff
• Health & Wellbeing
• Wellness Working Group
• Publishing Pictures And Avoiding Rights Issues
• Working from Home
• Bullying and Harassment and Sexual Harassment support services
  • ICGS Annual Review 2020
• Workplace Adjustments
• Staying sane over the summer recess
• Your Computer is More than a Typewriter (part 1)
• Your Computer is More Than a Typewriter (part 2)

Guides to Parliament

• A Welcome from Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons
• Security at Westminster and in Constituency Offices
• Rules and courtesies
• How the place works – Parliamentary Procedure
• The Privy Council
• Business of the House and its Committees: a short guide
• Campaigning: Early Day Motions
• Campaigning: Parliamentary Questions (PQs)
• Campaigning: Petitions
• Register of Interests – Staff
• Rules for the use of stationery and postage-paid envelopes, and for the use of the Crowned Portcullis
• Complaints about an MP
• Online Parliamentary Archives
• Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster
• Tours of the Houses of Parliament
• How to organise a school visit to Westminster
• How to arrange Gallery Tickets

The Library

• Guides to Commons Library Services
• Ten Things the Library Can Do For You
• Commons Library Training and Events
• Research Briefings, Standard Notes and Debate Packs
• Online resources from the Commons Library
• The Library Loans Service
• Library Talks

Your Office

• Setting Up the Office
• Everyday Tasks
• Stationery
• Travel information for MPs and their staff
• Insurance for MPs
• Data Protection
• Freedom of Information

Your MP

• The Members’ Handbook
• Members and Constituency Etiquette
• Defamation – how it applies to MPs

Researcher Extraordinaire

• PolicyMogul – a free political monitoring and research platform
• Writing a speech
• How to compile a briefing for a roundtable or panel discussion
• Handling the Media
• Working with lobbyists

General Elections

• Dissolution Guidance – updated 2019
• What is ‘Prorogation’?

Who’s Who

• List of current MPs elected to Parliament following the 2019 General Election
• List of Ministerial Responsibilities
• Parliamentary Digital Services (PDS)
• Whips and Their Work
• ‘Servants of the House’ – what the Clerks do
• Guide to All Party Parliamentary Groups
• Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology – POST notes
• Peers for the Planet

In the Constituency

• Organising events in the constituency
• Casework
  • Introduction to Casework
  • Protocol clarified on representing constituents
  • Case management software information
  • Issue by Issue
    • Afghanistan – information for constituents seeking help
    • Immigration Casework
    • Finding legal advice for your constituents
      • Legal Ombudsman
    • The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
    • Planning matters
    • Introduction to the Child Maintenance Service
    • List of waiting times for UK visa applications
    • Dealing with Service Providers and Consumer Protection (for Caseworkers and Researchers)
  • Constituency Casework Toolkit – from the Commons Library
  • Helping your constituents – A guide for MPs and their staff from the Citizens Advice Bureau
• Preparing for a Constituency Surgery

Online Presence

• Working with Wikipedia
  • Editing Your MP’s Wikipedia Page
  • Keeping your MP’s Wikidata Up to Date
  • Working with Wikipedia and other Foundation Projects
• Video Recording Meetings, Events and Lectures
• Introduction to political blogs and social media

Groups which staff can join

• Representation
  • Conservative Women’s Parliamentary Staff Network
  • GMB Branch for MPs’ and Lords’ Staff
  • Labour Staff Network
  • Labour Women’s Parliamentary Staff Network
  • The Members and Peers’ Staff Association (MAPSA)
  • Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch
• Workplace Equality Networks
  • ParliABLE
  • ParliCARE
  • ParliGENDER
  • ParliON
  • ParliOUT
  • ParliREACH
• Civil Service Sports Council – Sports and Leisure
• Other groups which staff can join at Westminster
  • All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group
  • Christians in Parliament
  • Commons and Lords Hockey
  • Commons and Lords Rugby Football Club
  • Conservative 6-a-side Football
  • Lords and Commons Tennis Club
  • Parliament Choir
  • Parliamentary Netball Group
  • Parliamentary Running Club
  • Westminster Gym
  • Westminster Wanderers Football Club
  • Women’s Parliamentary Cricket Team

Jobs

• Finding and Posting Jobs
• Frequently asked questions about job adverts
• Finding a job on w4mpjobs
• Advertising jobs with w4mp
  • Guide to Submitting Jobs
  • Guide to Submitting Jobs (notes for advertisers)
  • Notes for agencies
  • Jobs we don’t accept
  • National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage and Volunteers
  • Jobs Paying Less than NMW/NLW
  • Creative Access Adverts for Traineeships in the Media
  • Real Living Wage
• Other Places to Look for Jobs
• Members’ Staff Security Clearance and Pre-Employment Check Questionnaire
• Volunteering and writing opportunities
• Volunteers
• Example of Submitting Multiple Ads as One