Recruitment Policy

This policy sets out the process to be followed in the recruitment of all staff.

APPLICABILITY

The policy applies to all employees involved in recruitment and applies to recruitment for new posts and replacement staff, applies for permanent. Fixed term or temporary contacts and applies to both full-time and part-time posts.

THE POLICY

  • The Practice will select the successful candidate on the basis of the best person for the job.
  • The Practice will invest time and care in the selection process to give all candidates the initial opportunity to progress equally through the recruitment process.
  • The Practice will ensure that its recruitment process is free from discrimination and follows the principles and ethos of the Equality Act 2010.

THE PROCEDURE

The following procedure will be adopted for all recruitment campaigns:

  • Preparation of a business case for the recruitment to be agreed by SLT.
  • Preparation of a job description for the vacancy.
  • Agreement of the job description by SLT.
  • Preparation of a Person Specification.
  • Briefing for staff on the handling of enquiries with basic background and procedural
    information.
  • Preparation of an initial candidate scoring document.
  • Agree process and roles for handling enquiries and managing the recruitment process
  • Receipt of applications. All to be acknowledged within agreed timeframe.
  • Screening of candidates and selection of first round candidates.
  • Issue of written interview invitations.
  • Interviewing by selected panel.
  • Consideration of the need for second interviews.
  • Selecting or re-interviews.
  • Verbally offer the job subject to the receipt of satisfactory references, DBS check, certificates and other items as agreed.
    • An enhanced DBS check is mandatory for all clinical roles. For non-clinical roles a standard, or enhanced, DBS check is required where the role will, or may, involve the member of staff being in one-to-one encounters with patients or where the role involves interactions with a patient in potentially more intimate situations, for example acting as a chaperone
    • Where the candidate has a DBS certificate from another NHS organization, or
      other reputable organization, and the certificate date is within 6 months of the employment start date, then the Practice may decide to accept this DBS certificate. The Practice will perform its own DBS check should the individual’s role change or should other circumstances require it.
  • Ask for authority to approach referees.
  • Issue written offer letter to include key terms – salary, leave, probationary period, start date if agreed, conditions, e.g. acceptable references.
  • Take references/medicals
  • When satisfactory references and DBS check have been received, confirm to candidate that the job offer is firm and unconditional. Agree start date.
  • If references are unsatisfactory then this is discussed by Practice Manager, General Manager and Managing Partner (if appropriate) prior to deciding how proceed
  • If DBS check shows criminal convictions, then this will be discussed HR Partner and, or, SLT (if appropriate) prior to deciding how proceed
  • Advise unsuccessful interviewees by letter.
  • Advise non-interviewed candidates by email or letter.

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

Certain roles, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, require specific registrations. These must be checked as part of the recruitment process.

The main steps are to:

  • Check registration with professional body is current
  • Check that candidate is on the performers list (doctors)
  • Check whether the candidate is subject to practising restrictions
  • Check whether there are any investigations recorded against them
  • Confirm that suitable professional indemnity is in place (doctors – practice arranges indemnity for nurses)
  • Original documentation should be checked when available. Where this is not available, alternative methods of verification may be considered based on the importance and relevance to the qualification to the overall role.
  • The following main organisations generally can provide an on-line checking facility, although some employer pre-registration may be required.

GMC

The GMC can confirm a doctor’s name and address, gender, qualifications, registration number along with registration status and renewal date. They may also confirm any current conditions placed on the doctor, warnings or suspensions. On line checking is available.

NMC

Registration information is available including renewal date, conditions of practice, registration status, cautions and suspensions, however the on line system does not indicate current investigations, although this is available by written request.