Guidelines and Process for appointing internal employees
1.0Introduction
1.1The purpose of this guidance is to clarify the approach taken by the Trust in relation to appointing internal employees to positions within the Trust.
2.0Purpose and Scope
2.1Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust is an equal opportunities employer and as such promotes the efficient, effective, fair and consistent recruitment and selection practices for all staff in the Trust. It is our policy to recruit the best person for each vacancy regardless of age, disability, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity or marriage and civil partnership.
2.2This process applies to all internal applicants who are currently employed and have applied for posts within the Trust.
3.0Responsibilities
3.1It is the responsibility of the recruiting manager to initiate any recruitment process, liaising with the Recruitment Team. As with other recruitment activity this must be authorised using a VRF to ensure that authority for the recruitment has been given.
3.2The Recruitment Team will be responsible for undertaking the process, including NHS Checks Standards to ensure compliance and governance of the process.
3.3It is the responsibility of internal applicants to ensure that they are aware of the relevant recruitment processes in applying for a role within the Trust.
4.0Process
4.1The Trust will carry out all pre-employment checks in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Information should only be obtained where it is essential to the recruitment decision and kept in accordance with the Act. The Trust will record the outcome of employee pre-employment checks on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR).
4.2Where an internal applicant is successful in obtaining a new role within the Trust any offer of employment in this new role will be subject to pre-employment checks. These checks will differ to that of an external candidate as only information that is essential to the recruitment decision (the unconditional offer of the role) will be collected. These checks will be as follows:
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
4.3Where the role is eligible for a DBS check or where there is a change of role regarding regulated activity (i.e. working with adults to working with children) a full DBS check will be required. Where there is no change in regulated activity i.e. the postholder is working within the same or similar role, the applicant will need to sign a self-declaration form with regard to their suitability and character for employment in that role instead.
Occupational Health (OH) Check
4.4All internal applicants will need to undertake an OH check to establish their current suitability for the role:
- To ensure that they are physically and psychologically capable of doing the workproposed, taking into account any current or previous illness
- To identify anyone likely to be at excess risk of developing work-related diseases fromhazardous agents present in the workplace
- To ensure as far as possible, that the prospective employee does not represent a risk to patients and that they will be doing work that is suitable and safe for them.
Right to Work in the UK Check and Verification of Identity Check
4.6The Recruitment Team will check on ESR if this information is recorded. Where this information is not recorded on ESR, the current manager of the applicant will need to provide evidence to the Recruitment Team that the relevant information with regard to these checks is currently held on the applicant’s personal file. Where there is no evidence to support this, the full checks will need to be undertaken.
Professional Registration Check and Qualification Check
4.7The Recruitment Team will check on ESR that any relevant professional registration required for the role is in place and that relevant qualifications are in place. Where a further qualification is required for the new role, the recruitment team will need to be provided with evidence of the relevant qualification.
Employment History and Reference Checks
4.8The Recruitment Team will check on ESR the dates of employment and other employment history. References will be gained from the current manager via email.
4.9All queries with regard to the process should be directed to the Recruitment Team in the first instance.
5.0Related documents
5.1The following documents should be read in conjunction with these guidelines:
- Safer Recruitment Policy
- Toolkit for Recruiting Managers
- Policy & Procedure on Equality and Diversity
- Professional Registration Policy