Standard Reference Request

Transcription

1 Overview One of the six NHS Employment Check Standards is to obtain information about an applicant's employment and/or training history in order to ascertain whether or not they are suitable for a particular position. As stated in NHS Employers Checks Guidance, employers have a duty of care to patients and staff to ensure that all reasonable checks are undertaken to identify any reason, if known, that would result in an individual not being employed or appointed to undertake any activity on its behalf. The guidance also reminds employers that they have a duty to staff and former employees under the Data Protection Act to ensure that when providing personal data within a reference, that this information is true, accurate, fair and can be justified. Any statement made in a reference which is untrue is likely to bring with it a claim for libel. It is therefore recommended that employers make clear that it is their organisation s policy to provide only factual information about an individual's employment with them. Complying with guidance The Standard Reference Request feature in ESR enables the IAT initiator to opt for the inclusion of a reference request as a part of the IAT process. This allows the initiating Organisation to ensure the applicant s approval to request the reference has been gained. The reference is based on the templates outlined in NHS Employers guidance on obtaining reference requests and employment history. This process is unique in that on receipt of a reference request from another Organisation the reference approver is presented with a standard reference form pre-populated with a number of fields from ESR. They have the ability to review, validate and amend any information contained on the Standard Reference Request. Furthermore they are able to add any additional supporting information where required or where information is unavailable in ESR. Once the approver is satisfied with the content of the reference, they submit the request, which will sends the information to the requesting Organisation. The initial recipient of the reference request is also be able to reassign or delegate the request to a more suitable person within the organisation should that be required. The Process The following flowchart gives a high level overview of how the process works.

2 Requesting the reference An optional tick box called Request Reference is located on the Initiate Person Request form; Only available for Applicants, the Request Reference tick box sends a notification to the

3 selected Organisation once the IAT is submitted. It should be noted that Organisations should ensure that the Applicant s approval to request the reference data has been gained prior to initiating the IAT and selecting the request reference option. Organisations should consider how they will include this action into their recruitment process. Who will receive the Request? Once the IAT request has been submitted, the reference request is delivered via a Notification, to the role called Reference Approver in the Source Organisation. Approved, Rejected and Reassign buttons are available on the Notification. Organisations should consider who is the most appropriate person to receive the reference request. Use the NHS Employers guidance here to help you What do the reference templates look like and which one will be sent? The NHS Employers guidance identifies two templates for different stages in the requirement process: a) Reference Type 1 - Reference request including sickness absence information. Where the applicant is at one of the following recruitment statuses at the point of the request, then the template also includes details about the number of sickness days/episodes in the previous 2 years: Offered Post Conditional Offered Post Unconditional Offer Accepted

4 If an applicant has multiple applications and at if least one of them is not at the offered status then Reference Type 2 will be sent. b) Reference Type 2 - Reference request excluding sickness absence information Where the applicant is at any other recruitment status then the same template, minus the sickness absence questions is sent. The screenshots opposite shows the details the Reference Approver receives to review and complete.

5 Completing the Standard Reference The Reference Approver should review the pre populated fields for accuracy, make any changes where necessary and complete the remaining blank fields which relate to: Current Warnings on Employee Record DBS further information Recent or on-going disciplinary action Safeguarding issues/ referrals Contact details for follow up These fields require the role holder to establish the answers to questions proactively. For example if the organisation uses the ESR Employee Relations module then refer there for details about any current or recent disciplinary actions. Alternatively, speak to a relevant HR manager about what information can be released. Ensure all members of the Reference Approval role are aware of the best sources of information for completing the reference request. After approving a reference request Upon completion of the reference, the first responder to approve the notification sends a notification back to the requesting Organisation which is delivered to the role called Reference Receipt. Once approved other copies of the reference request will be closed.

6 The notification received by the Reference Receipt role holder contains both a summary of the reference details and an attachment, in PDF format, with the full reference details, which should be saved in a secure location locally. The notifications remain open for 45 days before being purged. Consider a secure area to save local reference details received from ESR The Reference Receipt holder then receives the following notification and is able to open a PDF document containing the full details of the reference. The PDF reference is detailed below:

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9 What happens if the Reference Request is rejected? Should the reference request be rejected by the previous employing organisation then a notification is returned to the requesting organisation to the Reference Receipt role. Organisations must agree their local policy to decide whether this rejection should be followed up separately with the current/previous employer. The Reference Requester can use the Request Further Information button to seek reasons for rejection if required. This sends another notification back to the rejecting organisations Reference Approver role who can then respond back if desired.

10 Benefits This functionality brings many benefits both to NHS organisations and to patient safety. Streamlines the recruitment process Removes bottlenecks often experienced with waiting for references Provides factual and accurate information about the prospective employee Enables a robust recruitment decision to be made in light of information received Robust and safe employment decisions reduces risks to patient safety