w4mp | guides & good practice

It's 13 May 2008

Guides & good practice

Page last updated: 12 January 2008

Here you will find guides, documents and other useful material. We are continuing to stock our library and we welcome suggestions for new material. Some guides are written by us or other staff working for MPs and some originate from various House Departments. You can, however, still find everything that was on the old site by visiting the archive.

Your Job – survival tips

Casework – essential tools

Your office – vital skills

Research – crucial kit

Parliament – the knowledge

You can also see a selection of Standard Notes – from the House of Commons Library

Your Job

	Date
Getting a Job with an MP. Part 2 – Giving a Successful Interview	21/04/2008 Revised on
Getting a Job with an MP. Part 1 – Applications: Creating a Winning CV & Cover Letter	26/02/2008 Revised on
Access the Internet from an ordinary telephone!	07/10/2007
Looking for a job working for an MP?	13/08/2007 Revised on 13/08/2007
Your First Ten Days	01/07/2007 Revised on 25/07/2007
Maternity Leave and Pay for MPs' Staff	22/05/2007 Revised on 22/05/2007
Staff salary scales from 1 April 2007	01/04/2007 Revised on 13/04/2007
Training courses for MPs' Staff	25/11/2006 Revised on 17/01/2007
National Minimum Wage and Volunteers	28/09/2006
Political Assistants' Pay	14/08/2006
Sports and social groups for staff	01/08/2006 Revised on 11/09/2007
Essential business/study/pleasure guide to the UK	18/05/2006
Staffing Allowance salaries ready reckoner	12/04/2006
Protocol clarified on representing constituents	01/03/2006
Looking for accommodation	27/11/2005
Mouth cancer information sheet	24/11/2005
Facilities for children in Westminster	02/09/2005
Register of Interests	15/07/2005
Data Protection and MPs - essential information	27/05/2005 Revised on 08/08/2007
Guardian article on what it's like to work for an MP	21/04/2005
Working from Home: A guide for those who work for an MP	11/03/2005 Revised on 15/03/2005
Use the w4mp Noticeboard to sell/buy/advertise	17/01/2005
Can't ring constituents who bar calls from withheld numbers?	03/01/2005
Opening a bank account - guide for non-UK Interns/Students	03/12/2004
Facilities and Services for Members' Staff	19/11/2004 Revised on 12/03/2007
Do you know what to do in an emergency?	08/11/2004
Ethical Internships	01/10/2004
Do you need to register as self-employed?	01/09/2004
Foreign nationals working for MPs	27/07/2004 Revised on 25/10/2006
Childcare Vouchers for Members' Staff	18/03/2004 Revised on 31/08/2005
Frequently asked questions	22/02/2004 Revised on 01/10/2007
Union membership for MPs' Staff	01/02/2004 Revised on 19/06/2007
Internships	11/11/2003 Revised on 09/11/2006
Finding a hotel near Parliament	12/01/2003 Revised on 01/01/2008

Casework

	Date
Freedom of Information requests	06/10/2007
Guidance on FoI requests for MPs' correspondence with constituents	08/08/2007
The Tax Credit System	22/06/2007
Bringing the Warm Front Scheme into your constituency	29/10/2006
Energywatch - independent gas and electricity watchdog	07/07/2006
Immigration Casework	08/06/2006 Revised on 18/07/2007
Immigration Advisory Service	08/06/2006
"Members and Constituency Etiquette" - vital guide	01/03/2006
Should you be doing casework?	27/02/2006
Guide to the Child Support Agency	28/01/2005 Revised on 13/03/2007
UK Visas announce changes to UK immigration rules	22/12/2004
Hotline numbers for MPs, MEPs, MSPs, AMs and their staff	01/12/2004 Revised on 09/12/2007
Immigration entry clearance statistics 2003/04 now available	25/11/2004
The UKvisas (FCO & HO) website and Newsletters	21/06/2004 Revised on 14/02/2007
Case management software information	16/03/2004 Revised on 26/08/2005

Your Office

	Date
Defamation - how it applies to MPs	01/05/2007
Working with lobbyists - A view from the dark side	13/04/2007
Communications Allowance (PDF)	01/04/2007
Age discrimination legislation - effective 1 Oct 2006	09/10/2006
Public Bill Guides - preparing Public Bills and how they proceed	28/03/2006
What on earth is RSS?	06/09/2005
Housekeeping: tidying your email inbox	12/08/2005
Paying for security costs in your constituency	21/07/2005
Suspicious packages alert	09/06/2005
Security alerts at Westminster	18/05/2005
Services for constituency-based staff	01/05/2005
Services for members' staff	01/05/2005
Bulk emails - the DOs and DON'Ts	19/01/2005
How to stop junk faxes, junk mail and unwanted sales calls	12/01/2005
Keep up to speed with breaking news	17/12/2004
Google Desktop - simple new search tool for your computer	16/12/2004
Freedom of Information Act goes live in January - details	30/11/2004
Email etiquette	15/10/2004
Online stationery ordering	18/08/2004
Promotion of a Political Party: Guidance from the Information Commissioner	07/06/2004
Tips and Hints from PCD	01/06/2004 Revised on 05/04/2005
Useful forms from Dept. Finance & Admin	20/05/2004 Revised on 27/04/2005
Clarification on proper use of Commons stationery	29/04/2004
Article on using MPs' blogs effectively	07/04/2004 Revised on 30/07/2004
Managing an MP's Diary	23/03/2004 Revised on 23/03/2004
Organising events in the constituency	09/03/2004
Laptop security	26/02/2004
Handling Lobbyists	24/02/2004
Handling the Media	14/02/2004
Useful Resources for the Constituency Office	01/05/2003
Everyday Tasks	01/01/2001 Revised on 03/12/2003
Setting Up the Office	01/01/2001 Revised on 10/11/2003

Research

	Date
Commons Library Directory of Subject Specialists - May 2008	01/05/2008 Revised on
10 things you can get from the Library	06/12/2007
Speechwriting for Party Conferences	14/09/2007
How to compile a briefing for a roundtable or panel discussion	25/05/2007
Standard Notes from the Commons Library	02/05/2006
"Using the Library" - new comprehensive guide and contacts info	05/07/2005
Parl'y Office of Science & Technology - POSTnotes	26/06/2005
Useful Internet Tools for Staff	25/05/2005
New Statesman Trade Union Guide	08/10/2004
YouGov - online public opinion polling	29/09/2004
Topical Issues page on Library Intranet	31/08/2004 Revised on 27/04/2005
Politics-related websites - Keele University links	10/08/2004
DodOnline's new website	07/07/2004 Revised on 15/12/2004
Parliamentary Current Awareness Service	26/03/2004
Staff Guide to the Council of Europe	25/03/2004 Revised on 23/05/2007
Writing a speech	12/02/2004
Sources of Information	01/01/2001 Revised on 03/12/2003

Parliament

	Date
Working on Public Bills	18/12/2007
Guide to All Party Group	03/09/2007
Security at Westminster and in Constituency Offices	12/07/2007
How to organise a school visit to Westminster	18/06/2007
Parliamentary Questions (PQs)	26/04/2007
Palace of Westminster Telephone Directory	26/07/2006
Booking committee and meeting rooms	09/06/2006
Access to refreshment facilities in the Palace of Westminster	17/05/2006
PCD's new Service Catalogue	24/11/2005
List of Ministerial Responsibilities	21/10/2005 Revised on 03/10/2007
New Procedure for Ordering Gallery Tickets	29/09/2005
Glossary of Parliamentary Terms	06/07/2005
Public Bills before Parliament	25/06/2005
"Clerks and other perks" - what the Clerks do	07/06/2005
List of current MPs elected to Parliament following the 2005 General Election	11/05/2005
The new Members' Handbook	06/05/2005
Maps of the Parliamentary Estate	25/04/2005
Online Parliamentary Archives catalogue	29/03/2005
HoC Library 'How To...' Guides	16/03/2005
theyworkforyou.com website	25/02/2005
What Happens During a Dissolution of Parliament?	14/02/2005 Revised on 05/04/2005
Watch Parliamentary proceedings on the Internet	02/12/2004
What happens to unanswered PQs when Parliament is prorogued?	29/11/2004 Revised on 09/12/2004
Leader of the House of Commons Website	26/11/2004
“You and Your MP” factsheets now available in 16 languages	22/11/2004 23/04/2008
What is "Prorogation"?	05/11/2004
House of Lords Newsfeed	21/09/2004
New Intranet facility: "Today's Meetings"	08/09/2004
What is impeachment?	27/08/2004
Early Day Motions procedure	17/06/2004
Business of the House and its Committees: a short guide	26/04/2004
Parliamentary Tours - the script	13/04/2004
Petitioning 10 Downing Street	12/03/2004 Updated on 25/04/2007
Understanding the Parliamentary Stages of a Government Bill	04/03/2004
How the place works" - Parliamentary Procedure	05/01/2004 Revised on 06/06/2005
Departments of the House of Commons	01/01/2001 Revised on 28/11/2003

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