It is the practices’ policy that the Business Manager, Kate Reeves, is responsible for recruitment.

Introduction

Effective and consistent recruitment practices are essential for treating all applicants fairly, with equality and diversity considered during the selection, recruitment, and appointment stages.

This policy and procedure defines the principles that we consider important in the recruitment process and aims to meet both current employment legislation and Schedule 3 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Our intention is to apply consistency and good practice to select the most suitable person for each job in respect of skills, experience, and qualifications while avoiding costly recruitment mistakes.

Equality of opportunity in recruitment

We do not discriminate either directly or indirectly at any stage of the recruitment process, on the grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, ethnicity, cultural, or religious beliefs.

All our policies and procedures reflect our commitment to achieving and maintaining equal opportunities within the workplace. It is the responsibility of every employee to monitor continually and evaluate formal and informal practices and procedures to ensure that they do not directly or indirectly discriminate against any individual or group of society.

Any employee who is found to be discriminating in any way during the recruitment process will be subject to the disciplinary procedure and may be liable to dismissal.

Recruitment authorisation

All vacancies are authorised by the practice owner, [ Lesley Lazzari ], before any attempt is made to fill the role. Consideration is given to whether the role could be absorbed amongst the rest of the team or if it can be filled internally and all other cost implications.

The practice owner will set an appropriate standard of behaviour, will lead by example, and ensure that those they manage adhere to the policy and promote the aims and objectives with regard to equal opportunities. The practice owner has appropriate training on equal opportunities awareness and equal opportunities recruitment and selection best practice.

This policy is reviewed when necessary by the practice owner. Recommendations for change should be reported to the practice owner. Staff are invited to comment on this policy and suggest ways in which it might be improved.

Discrimination

You must not unlawfully discriminate against or harass other people including current and former employees, job applicants, clients, customers, suppliers, and visitors. This applies in the workplace, outside the workplace (when dealing with customers, suppliers, or other work-related contacts or when wearing a work uniform), and on work-related trips or events including social events. You must not make discriminatory statements about your recruitment practices (i.e. not wanting to recruit a person with a protected characteristic) even if there is no current vacancy or intended victim.

The following forms of discrimination are prohibited under this policy and are unlawful:

• Direct discrimination: treating someone less favourably because of a Protected Characteristic. For example, rejecting a job applicant because of their religious views or because they might be gay
• Indirect discrimination: a provision, criterion, or practice that applies to everyone but adversely affects people with a particular Protected Characteristic more than others, and is not justified. For example, requiring a job to be done full-time rather than part-time would adversely affect women because they generally have greater childcare commitments than men. Such a requirement would be discriminatory unless it can be justified. This also includes a provision, criterion, or practice that puts people without a Protected Characteristic at substantively the same disadvantage as those with a Protected Characteristic (i.e. not providing the same flexible working arrangements for a male primary caregiver that are provided to a female caregiver)
• Harassment: this includes sexual harassment and other unwanted conduct related to a Protected Characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for them
• Victimisation: retaliation against someone who has complained or has supported someone else’s complaint about discrimination or harassment
• Disability discrimination: this includes direct and indirect discrimination, any unjustified less favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability, and failure to make reasonable adjustments to alleviate disadvantages caused by a disability

Job descriptions and person specifications

Recruitment, promotion, and other selection exercises will be conducted on the basis of merit, against objective criteria that avoid discrimination. Shortlisting should be done by more than one person. Our recruitment procedures should be reviewed regularly to ensure that individuals are treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities.

Once a vacancy is agreed upon, the Practice Manager will create an appropriate job description and person specification (with the necessary and desirable characteristics and traits) providing a fair and accurate representation of the role, essential qualifications, skills, and experience. These help set expectations about the job holder’s performance and their effectiveness as a team member.

All applicants are provided with the job description prior to the interview to enable them to prepare adequately and so improve the success of the interviewing process.

Advertising of vacancies

All vacancies are advertised internally and externally. Wherever possible internal applicants will be provided with reasonable training and coaching to support their career advancement. External recruitment methods may include approaching agencies or advertising in suitable press.

Advertisements should avoid stereotyping or using wording that may discourage particular groups from applying. When approaching recruitment agencies and advertising in the local press, ensure job adverts are worded carefully to avoid language that may be potentially construed as discriminatory. Advertisements will clearly indicate the:

• Requirements of the job
• Necessary and desirable criteria for job applicants (to limit the number of inappropriate applications received)
• Whether the job is full-time, or part-time if so, how many days per week
• Contract length (if a fixed-term contract)
• Job location
• Details of how to apply and the deadline

We will ask candidates to apply for a vacancy by providing a CV and covering letter. All applications will be treated confidentially and circulated only to those individuals involved in the recruitment process.

Shortlisting

We will appoint an interview panel of at least 2 people to shortlist the candidates to help us select the most suitable candidate for the position. The panel will:

• Identify specific job-related criteria using the job description
• Match these criteria with those detailed in the applicant’s CV
• Create a shortlisting form, with the applicant’s details to select an interview shortlist
• Inform all applicants of the outcome of their application in writing

Recruitment interviews

Preparing for the interview

Recruitment interviews will be arranged in advance and confirmed to the shortlisted candidates in writing. They will be conducted by an interviewing panel of a minimum 2 of the most appropriate senior members of the team.

In preparing for the interview the panel will:

• Identify any areas on the list of criteria that need further exploration or clarification for each candidate. For example, where it is not obvious from the candidate’s CV that they possess the required skill
• Identify any other areas on each CV that need further exploration or clarification, particularly unexplained gaps in employment, a succession of rapid job changes, or a statement of achievement that needs to be validated
• Formulate the interview questions that will help to gather all the above information

When conducting the interview the panel will:

• Use the same questioning strategy with each candidate and refrain from asking for any personal information or views that are not relevant to the job
• Not accept partial or unclear answers to any of their questions; probe for more detail if necessary, and give every candidate an opportunity to answer the questions fully
• Try to keep questions open, i.e. will not ask questions that require a simple yes/no answer
• Keep notes of candidate’s answers and their impressions
• Allow the candidate to talk for 80% of the time
• Job applicants should not be asked questions that might suggest an intention to discriminate on grounds of a Protected Characteristic
• Job applicants should not be asked about health or disability before a job offer is made. There are limited exceptions that should only be used with the approval of the Practice Owner e.g.:
  • Questions necessary to establish if an applicant can perform an intrinsic part of the job (subject to any reasonable adjustments)
  • Questions to establish if an applicant is fit to attend an assessment or any reasonable adjustments that may be needed at the interview or assessment
  • Positive action to recruit disabled persons
  • Equal opportunities monitoring (which will not form part of the selection or decision-making process)
• Where necessary, job offers can be made conditional on a satisfactory medical check

After the interview, the panel will:

• Read through their notes about each candidate and complete the assessment form
• Compare each candidate against the job description again in light of the additional information they now have
• Make an assessment for each candidate as to whether they will fit the culture of the team, however, ensure that they are not discriminating against any candidate because they are a different sex, of a different age, or from a different racial, religious or cultural background to the rest of the team
• Ask the candidate back for another interview or talk to them over the phone to clarify if they are uneasy or unsure about anything that was discussed in the interview
• Let all candidates know whether they are successful or not as quickly as possible
• Re-advertise if none of the interviewed candidates met the criteria

Medical Assessments

The interviewing panel will only ask questions about essential medical issues relevant to a job during the interview. Once the job is offered, the candidate will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire for the practice to obtain essential information about the candidate’s fitness for the job as per the industry regulatory requirement (the CQC in England and the RQIA in Northern Ireland).

If necessary, an Occupational Health Assessment is arranged to advise the employer regarding the employee’s health issue and to make recommendations on adjustments to be considered for a safe/healthy working environment for the individual.

Offer of employment

Once the most appropriate candidate has been selected, this selection will be approved by the Practice Owner, Lesley Lazzari, and an offer of employment will be made with a specified salary and a proposed start date, subject to satisfactory references and for identified roles: enhanced DBS check and immunisation status.

An offer is usually made verbally to the candidate and once it has been accepted, it is confirmed in writing.

References

All employment offers are conditional upon receipt of two professional references which are satisfactory. The referees should usually be the applicant’s current and previous employers and relate to positions in health and social care, with children and/or vulnerable adults, although in the case of a college or school leaver, the college tutors or teachers will be acceptable. Referees will usually be sought from an applicant once an offer of employment is made, and they will not be approached without the candidate’s permission.

References will usually be sought in writing, although details may be checked or clarified by telephone where necessary. If a response to a written request for a reference has not been received and contact details have been provided, then we will telephone the referee and may seek an oral reference instead. If satisfactory references are not received within a reasonable timescale, then it may be necessary to withdraw the offer of employment.

Qualification certificates

All applicants are required to provide evidence of qualifications either in the form of original certificates, which will be copied and then returned, or confirmation from the relevant Examination Board if certificates cannot be produced. The employment offer will be conditional upon valid evidence of qualification and the offer may be withdrawn if this is not supplied within a reasonable timescale.

If an applicant falsifies certificates or evidence of qualifications and this subsequently comes to our attention at any stage during employment, then the individual will be subject to disciplinary action and may be liable to dismissal.

Immunisations

To comply with Department of Health requirements, we follow national immunisations guidance (when recruiting new team members.

Criminal records disclosure

All successful applicants for clinical positions will be required to apply for an enhanced disclosure for the practice to carry out a risk assessment of their suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults as required by a regulator. Successful applicants for other positions will be advised if a disclosure would be required. A job applicant’s disclosed criminal conviction will be considered in terms of its relevance to the job.

Employment history

Candidates will have to provide a full employment history (usually a CV) and the interviewer will make a written explanation of any gaps in employment to be retained on file. This will include evidence of why employment ended if child or vulnerable adult related.

Work permits and illegal working

We are required by law to ensure that all employees are entitled to work in the UK. Assumptions about immigration status should not be made based on appearance or apparent nationality. All prospective employees, regardless of nationality, must be able to produce original documents before employment starts, to satisfy current immigration legislation.

It is against the law to employ a person who does not have permission to live and work in the UK. The company could be prosecuted and fined for employing somebody who does not have permission to work in the UK. Therefore, all successful applicants will be required to provide relevant right-to-work documentation in accordance with the below.

Documents proving the right to work in the UK

We follow current government guidance to ensure we have the required proof of right to work in the UK for a successful applicant.

Identification

In addition to the above, candidates must provide current photo identification to meet the requirements of Schedule 3 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in England.

Personnel records

All recruitment process-related records are kept securely for a minimum of 6 months and can then be safely destroyed. All employment records are kept securely and access to personnel files are restricted to their line manager and the practice owner/s. These are held in paper and/or electronic format. To keep records up-to-date employees are required to inform their line manager of any changes as soon as reasonably practicable. As a minimum, employees will be asked annually to confirm that their contact and their next of kin information is correct. Records will be retained in line with current guidance and legislation.

To ensure that this policy is operating effectively, and to identify groups that may be underrepresented or disadvantaged in our organisation, we monitor applicants’ ethnic group, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and age as part of the recruitment procedure. Provision of this information is voluntary and it will not adversely affect an individual’s chances of recruitment or any other decision related to their employment. The information is removed from applications before shortlisting and kept in an anonymised format solely for the purposes stated in this policy. Analysing this data helps us take appropriate steps to avoid discrimination and improve equality and diversity.

Personnel file

All team members will have a digital or paper personnel file, containing at least the documents listed in the Staff file Checklist (M 249).

Part-time and fixed-term work

Part-time and fixed-term staff should be treated the same as comparable full-time or permanent staff and enjoy no less favourable terms and conditions (on a pro-rata basis where appropriate), unless different treatment is justified.

Breaches of this policy

We take a strict approach to breaches of this policy, which will be dealt with in accordance with our Disciplinary Procedure. Serious cases of deliberate discrimination may amount to gross misconduct resulting in dismissal.

If you believe that you have suffered discrimination you can follow the grievance procedure. Complaints will be treated in confidence and investigated as appropriate. We never victimise or retaliate against staff who complain about discrimination.