Recruitment & Selection Policy

Transcription

1 Recruitment & Selection Policy Version: 2 Status: Title of originator/author: Name of responsible director: Developed/revised by group/committee and Date: Approved by group/committee and Date: Effective date of issue: (1 month after approval date) Final HR Services Manager Executive Director of HR & Organisational Development Policy Review Alignment Group June 2014 Joint Negotiating and Consultative Committee June 2014 July 2014 Next annual review date: July 2016 Date Equality Impact Assessment Completed Regulatory Requirement:

2 Trust Policy Foreword South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) has a number of specific corporate responsibilities and obligations relating to patient safety and staff wellbeing. All Trust policies need to appropriately include these. Health and Safety - SWASFT will, so far as is reasonably practicable, act in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and associated legislation and approved codes of practice. It will provide and maintain, so far as is reasonable, a working environment for employees which is safe, without risks to health, with adequate facilities and arrangements for health at work. SWASFT employees are expected to observe Trust policy and support the maintenance of a safe and healthy workplace. Risk Management - SWASFT will maintain good risk management arrangements by all managers and staff by encouraging the active identification of risks, and eliminating those risks or reducing them to the lowest level that is reasonably practicable through appropriate control mechanisms. This is to ensure harm, damage and potential losses are avoided or minimized, and the continuing provision of high quality services to patients, stakeholders, employees and the public. SWASFT employees are expected to support the identification of risk by reporting adverse incidents or near misses through the Trust webbased incident reporting system. Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty - SWASFT will act in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace. The Equality Duty has three aims, requiring public bodies to have due regard to: eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimization and any other conduct prohibited by the Act; advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it. SWASFT employees are expected to observe Trust policy and the maintenance of a fair and equitable workplace. NHS Constitution - SWASFT will adhere to the principles within the NHS Constitution including: the rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled; the pledges which the NHS is committed to uphold; and the duties which public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure the NHS operates fairly and effectively. SWASFT employees are expected to understand and uphold the duties set out in the Constitution. Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy - The Trust Code of Conduct for Staff and its Conflict of Interest and Anti-Bribery policies set out the expectations of the Trust in respect of staff behavior. SWASFT employees are expected to observe the principles of the Code of Conduct and these policies by declaring any gifts received or potential conflicts of interest in a timely manner, and upholding the Trust zero-tolerance to bribery. Information Governance - SWASFT recognises that its records and information must managed, handled and protected in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 and other legislation, not only to serve its business needs, but also to support the provision of highest quality patient care and ensure individual s rights in respect of their personal data are observed. SWASFT employees are expected to respect their contact with personal or sensitive information and protect it in line with Trust policy. Page 1 of 10

3 CONTENTS 1. PREFACE PURPOSE SCOPE DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPORTING WORKFORCE VACANCY REQUEST ADVERTISING VACANCIES EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY APPLICATIONS FOR VACANCIES INTERVIEWS/ASSESSMENTS PRE-EMPLOYMENT CHECKS COURSES AND TRAINING TEMPORARY AGENCY RECRUITMENT MONITORING ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS... 9 APPENDIX A VERSION CONTROL SHEET Page 2 of 10

4 1. Preface 1.1. South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is committed to providing a suite of employment policies designed to give staff a clear and consistent framework through which they are supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities safely and effectively. All policies are developed in consultation with Staff Side Representatives and are approved through the recognised Joint Negotiating and Consultative Committee and Directors group. 2. Purpose 2.1 The has been prepared with the aim of enabling managers within South Western Ambulance Services NHS Foundation Trust to recruit staff within a corporate framework, highlighting the support they can receive from the Directorate of Human Resources and Organisational Development. 2.2 In order to maintain and improve the quality of its services to the benefit of patient care, South Western Ambulance Services NHS Foundation Trust aims to recruit the best person for any vacancy that arises irrespective of a candidate s age, gender, race, ethnic or national origin, domestic circumstances, social and employment status, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability or other grounds which are irrelevant to the post, in accordance with its policy on equality & diversity. 2.3 In recognising that effective recruitment facilitates the delivery of a quality service this document is intended to:- a) Ensure that recruitment activities within the Trust adhere to best practice and pertinent employment and anti-discriminatory legislation; b) set out a corporate approach to recruitment and selection across the Trust; c) Clarify the duties and responsibilities of those involved in the recruitment process. 3. Scope 3.1. This Policy applies to all managers undertaking recruitment of new staff within the Trust and to all employees applying for positions within the Trust. 3.2 If managers adhere to the guidance contained within this policy they can be confident that their recruitment activities are in line with the Trust's policy on equality & diversity and employment legislation. 3.3 With the exception of agency staff and transfers of staff into identical vacancies under the Trust's policy on staff transfers, all vacancies to be filled within the Trust should be dealt with in accordance with the procedures detailed in this document. 3.4 An accompanying Recruitment Manual for Managers has been developed which provides managers more detailed guidance on the Trust s processes and procedures. Page 3 of 10

5 4. Duties, Responsibilities and Reporting 4.1 The Deputy Director of HR is responsible for ensuring consistency of application throughout the Trust and that all complaints are dealt with in an efficient, fair and confidential manner. 4.2 Recruiting managers are responsible for ensuring that the recruitment and selection process is carried out in accordance with the Trust s Policies and Procedures at all times and for contacting the HR department for advice and support where needed. 4.3 The HR Services Department will be responsible for monitoring the operation of the Policy for manager, employees and job applicants. 4.4 The HR Services Department will provide advice and support to recruiting managers and will also be responsible for advertising vacancies, carrying out pre employment checks and issuing contract documentation. 5. Workforce Vacancy Request 5.1 Where a vacancy occurs managers are required to complete a workforce vacancy request form. 5.2 Managers will need to detail the reason for the request to fill the vacancy, detail any reviews of current structure arrangements and identify the funding for the position. 5.3 All requests will need to be approved by an appropriately constituted panel or in the case of A&E and 111 services by the Director lead. 5.4 The workforce vacancy process will not prohibit the advertising of a vacancy, however no formal offers of employment can be made until this process is complete. 5.5 Upon confirmation of approval to recruit the recruiting manager will be required to complete the Notification of Advert form and submit to the HR Services team. 6. Advertising Vacancies 6.1 As a minimum, all vacancies will be advertised in the Trust s Vacancy Bulletin and on NHS Jobs for a period of one week and will be open to all staff, including bank staff and agency staff who have completed 12 weeks service working for the Trust. The only exception to this will be as follows; Organisational change the provisions of the Trust s Management of Organisational Change Policy will apply when restructuring as a result of organisational change. Staff who are not successful in securing a post in the new structure will be deemed as at risk of redundancy and will be issued with an NHS Jobs Restricted User Account allowing them to apply for vacancies but having priority over other applicants. Ill health/incapacity where there is a need to redeploy a member of staff in order to avoid ill health retirement or termination of contract due to incapacity in line with the Trust s Sickness Absence Policy. In these circumstances, the member of staff will Page 4 of 10

6 be issued with an NHS Jobs Restricted User Account allowing them to apply for vacancies but having priority over other applicants. Internal Staff Transfer the provisions of the Trust s Staff Transfer Policy will apply where any vacancies are to be filled by the internal transfer of staff into an identical position. 6.2 For specialist roles there may be the need to undertake external advertising within specific publications. Managers will be required to discuss this with the HR Services team who will arrange for the advert to be placed. 6.3 All advertisements, both internal and external, will be checked by the HR Services team to ensure they are not in breach of employment legislation and appropriately sell the role to prospective candidates. 7. Equality and Diversity 7.1 The Trust is committed to equality of opportunity for both employed and prospective staff and supports a culture where our workforce is representative of the communities we serve and where differences are recognised, accepted and valued. 7.2 The Trust has signed a commitment to act positively towards disabled people and is permitted to use the Two Ticks (Positive about Disabled People Symbol) on adverts and recruitment literature. As part of this commitment disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria of the person specification for a post, will be guaranteed an interview. 7.3 Data to monitor equality and diversity will be collected at short-listing, interview and appointment stages within the recruitment process. 8. Applications for Vacancies 8.1 All applicants will be required to complete an on-line application via NHS Jobs. Paper applications can be accepted for exceptional circumstances and requests should be made directly to the HR Service team. 8.2 Recruiting managers will not be permitted to see personal or monitoring information on the application form at the short-listing stage. 8.3 All short-listing should be completed by the recruiting manager on-line via NHS Jobs, any paper applications will be sent to the manager by the HR Service team via For positions where a full UK driving licence is an essential requirement of the role, all new entrants are allowed up to 3 points on their licence for specific offences. Where offences are identified at the shortlisting stage recruiting managers should discuss these with the HR Service team. 8.5 Any applicant who has applied under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme will be identified by the Two Ticks symbol and must be shortlisted if they meet the essential criteria in the person specification of the job description. Page 5 of 10

7 8.6 Upon completion of the shortlisting, the recruiting manager should complete the Notification of Interview form and return to the HR Services team. 8.7 Shortlisting for Trustwide positions of Emergency Care Assistants and Paramedics will be undertaken by the HR Services team. 8.8 Shortlisting should be completed within one week upon receipt of applications. 9. Interviews/Assessments 9.1 All interview panels should have at least 2 members, including the line manager. 9.2 The chair of the interview panel would normally be the recruiting manager. In most cases this will be the line manager of the postholder. 9.3 Where interviews for specialist or senior positions are to take place, the recruiting manager may wish to include an outside assessor or psychometric testing assessor. The recruiting manager should discuss these details with the HR Service team or dedicated HR Business Partner who will advise on the options available. The HR Services team will make the necessary arrangements for any required external assessors. 9.4 With the exception of Emergency Care Assistant and Paramedic interviews there will not automatically be a representative from the HR department on the interview panels. Recruiting managers can request HR support and these requests should be made through the HR Business Partners. 9.5 All panel members will need to make accurate and detailed notes on each interview held and on conclusion of the interview process submit these back to the HR Services team. 9.6 The recruiting manager is responsible to notify all candidates by telephone of the outcome of the interview and provide appropriate feedback if requested by the candidate. The HR Services team will then confirm these details in writing. 9.7 If a candidate is unsuccessful at interview/assessment they will not be permitted to reapply for the same position within 3 months of the interview/assessment date, this is to allow for a period of time for consolidation of learning to take place. Advice and feedback to assist this is available from the HR or Training departments. 9.8 Should the successful candidate withdraw from the process or from their position if employment has commenced, recruiting managers can review the previous interviews for up to 6 months to ascertain whether another candidate could be offered the position. 9.9 All successful candidates will receive an offer letter conditional on satisfying the Trust s pre-employment checks requirements. Page 6 of 10

8 10. Pre-Employment Checks 10.1 The NHS Employment Checks will be followed for all successful candidates and before an offer of employment can be confirmed The HR Services team will carry out the following checks, where appropriate for the role: Verification of Identity Right to Work Checks Professional Registration and Qualifications Employment History and References Disclosure and Barring Service Checks (DBS) Occupational Health (OH) Checks 10.3 Any pre-employment checks that are returned and deemed to be unsatisfactory will be notified to the recruiting manager The recruiting manager should seek advice from the HR Business Partner or Business Manager for the potential withdrawal of any offers before a final decision is made The recruiting manager is responsible for withdrawing any offers of employment and should contact the candidate to discuss the withdrawal of the offer but only having taken advice from HR. The HR Business Partner will confirm all withdrawals of offers in writing If pre-employment checks are cleared the HR Services team will issue a substantive offer of employment and Written Terms and Conditions to the successful candidate For internal promotions, it is the responsibility of the employee to resign from their current position in writing to their current line manager giving the appropriate notice period. Should an individual not formally resign but take up a new internal position the Trust will consider the employee to have resigned as a result of their action. 11. Courses and Training 11.1 Where a training course is a requirement of an appointment, for the duration of the course, the Training College will be the nominated base location Travel expenses to the Training College will not be paid, however should the candidate live more than one hours commute from the College they will be offered accommodation from Monday evening through to Friday morning for the duration of the course If for reasons other than redundancy, ill health retirement or failure of the course the employee leaves the Trust s employ within 24 months of completing the course provided they will be required to reimburse training costs according to the following scale: Page 7 of 10

9 Leaving during training or within 6 months of completion 100%; Leaving within 6-12 months of completion 75%; Leaving within months of completion 50%; Leaving within months of completion 25% Leaving after 24 months of course completion Nil 11.4 All offers of employment are subject to successful completion of the training course (Pathways/ECA) provided by the Trust. Should an employee not successfully pass their course their contract of employment will be terminated with notice The Trust has no obligation to revert internal candidates back to their previous position which they would have voluntary resigned from before commencing the course. 12. Temporary Agency Recruitment 12.1 It is essential that all Employment Agencies the Trust engages with fully meet all legal and regulatory requirements. These include, but are not limited to, the Data Protection Act (1998), the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice ( Approved DOH guidance 2003), all Disclosure and Barring Service requirements, Registration with the appropriate Professional Bodies where appropriate, Home Office Status if applicable and working within the EWTD regulations ( Working Time Directive 1993 & Working Time Regulations 1998) 12.2 In this respect the onus must be placed on the Employment Agency to ensure that all relevant prospective employees fulfil all legal and regulatory requirements. The Trust should ensure that it is protected contractually in the event of a supplier not fulfilling these obligations In order to facilitate this, the Trust will, wherever possible, use the services of Employment Agencies registered under the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Framework Agreements. The sourcing process undertaken by GPS ensures that all Employment Agencies in Framework Agreements meet all legal and regulatory requirements The booking of agency staff is co-ordinated by the HR Services team, who hold a framework search document which identifies agencies the Trust may approach for temporary recruitment Any issues of capability or conduct should be raised immediately with the HR Services team who will contact the recruitment agency. The recruitment agency, as the employer, will handle any notifications of termination of assignment The Agency Worker Regulations 2011 stipulate that an agency worker is entitled to the same rights and working conditions as a comparable permanent employee after 12 weeks in a role Placement, or introduction, fees are charged by recruitment agencies upon offer of a permanent or fixed term positions with the Trust. Any offers of employment to agency staff should be discussed with the HR Services team who will liaise with the Page 8 of 10

10 recruitment agency to ascertain these charges. Appropriate approval will need to be obtained via the Workforce Vacancy process before any offer of employment can be made. 13. Monitoring 13.1 The HR Services team will maintain records of recruitment processes and the preemployment checks carried out The effectiveness of this policy will be monitored and reviewed at the HR management team meeting three months before the review date. Recommendations will be recorded and shared via the recognised policy approvals process in time for the policy review date. 14. Associated Documents 14.1 This document should be read in conjunction with the following; Recruitment Manual for Managers Management of Organisational Change Policy Sickness Absence Policy Staff Transfer s Policy Disclosure and Barring Service Policy Page 9 of 10

11 Appendix A Version Control Sheet Version Date Author Summary of Changes 1 Draft 09/06/2014 HR Services Manager 2 Final 10/06/2014 HR Services Manager New Policy following the acquisition of Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust Policy amended as final version for publication Page 10 of 10