Overview and Purpose
Coast Medic aims to provide excellent outstanding patient care to our service users. As part of this aim, we are committed to recruiting and selecting candidates who have a wide range of skills, knowledge and from a range of different backgrounds including Healthcare Professionals. Coast Medic recognises our duties and responsibilities under legislation and has embedded this at the heart of management of our workforce and are firmly committed to providing a competence, capable workforce to ensure that care and treatment provided is safe, effective and to the highest possible standards. The policy supports the processes for ensuring that persons who are employed by Coast Medic are considered fit and proper persons, whilst ensuring that there is a safe level of staffing provided to meet the needs of our service users.
This policy is considered a live document and will be updated and changed to reflect the current practices of the company. This document is also subsidised by additional supporting documents which will also be updated as required in line with this policy to ensure currency and accuracy within current standards.
Scope
This policy applies to all employees, staff, contractors and others who are involved with Coast Medic. This encompasses staff who are contracted from other organisations to provide services on behalf of Coast Medic.
Principles
Coast Medic recognises its duty to ensure that any person who is employed to provide regulated activities and services on behalf of the organisation is considered a fit and proper person.
To meet this requirement Coast Medic requires all new staff and volunteers to provide information to enable the organisation to assess their suitability for role and to ensure that Coast Medic staff and volunteers fit and proper persons with the correct level of qualifications for the role they intend to perform.
All staff are required to regularly ensure that the information which is retained by Coast Medic is correct and up to date. It remains the individual employee’s responsibility to ensure that if any changes are required to be made to their personnel file. Individual employees are also responsible to inform the Human Resources and Training Lead and their Line Manager if there are any concerns with their fitness to practice or changes which could impact their role.
To ensure that, when filling a vacant post, the person most suited to the post is selected. This principle will apply equally to internal promotions, secondments and acting up positions, as with external applicants. Additionally, to ensure that applicants are selected on the grounds of ability and suitability for the vacancies which have been advertised.
This policy aims to ensure consistency and fairness in the selection process, providing equality of opportunity for all applicants.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is paramount throughout the recruiting process; therefore it should be maintained throughout the recruitment process. It is everyone’s responsibility who is part of this process to ensure that confidentiality is maintained. Any breaches of confidentiality by an employee may result in action being taken in line with the Disciplinary Policy.
Responsibilities
Chief Executive Officer
The CEO is responsible for identifying positions which are required to be advertised depending on service need and, is responsible for this process in relation to the recruitment and selection of Healthcare Professionals.
The Human Resources Team
HR are responsible for the implementation of this policy within Coast Medic. They are also responsible for providing oversight of this policy on behalf of the Management Team ensuring compliance with the policy.
Role Descriptions and Person Specifications
A job description must be drawn up for each post, setting out the principal duties and responsibilities of the job.
The job description must be supplemented by a person specification to be used to assess the suitability of candidates for the vacant post. The personal specification states the qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience needed to fulfil the role. It should be specific, related to the job, objective and justifiable and should not be unnecessarily restrictive.
Copies of the role descriptions and person specifications will be available from the Human Resources and Training Lead.
Advertising Vacancies
All vacancies which are available within Coast Medic will be advertised. The HR Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the vacancy request is completed correctly.
Coast Medic will advertise all vacancies through a variety of different forms of media which include Coast Medic Public Website, Social Media and appropriate recruitment websites such as Indeed.
Shortlisting
All applicants will be shortlisted against the criteria identified within the Person Specification.
Feedback should be provided which will be provided to the Human Resources Manager.
Interview
All applicants will be shortlisted against the criteria identified within the Person Specification will be invited to interview.
Interview Panels should consist of a minimum of two persons (including the posts line Manager). For positions where Healthcare Professionals are being appointed this should include the CEO or his delegate.
Panel members should not discuss confidential information given at interview with third parties, without the permission of the applicant.
All candidates must be informed by telephone, letter or in person, of the outcome of the interview by the appointing manager, as soon as possible after the selection process is complete. The appointing manager will be responsible for advising candidates of the reasons for rejection, in a constructive manner, if requested to do so. All candidates should be offered feedback on their interview.
All paperwork from the interview should be returned to the Human Resources Manager.
Contractors and Temporary Staff
All contractors and temporary workers are required to meet the same standards of pre-employment checks as applicants who are applying to join Coast Medic
Pre-Employment Checks
The following information will be required to be submitted to assist with the assessment of the fit and proper persons criteria. All information will be held within the employees file, this list is not lengthy but is to include:
- Professional Registration information (If required)
- Qualifications and copies of certificates and training
- Employment History
- Two references (one should be from current line manager).
- Right to work
- Occupational Health Form
- DBS Check to appropriate level (if required for role and showing the correct workforce).
- Driver Information (if appropriate for role).
This is required for all persons before they provide services on behalf of the company. This information will be collated during the recruitment process and will be reviewed on a yearly basis, usually on the anniversary of the individual joining the company.
Where required enquiries may be undertaken as part of the recruitment process to confirm the validity of information submitted to Coast Medic. Where there are considered inconsistencies or where false information and documentation is provided then this will result in termination of the recruitment process or disciplinary action.
Coast Medic will make reasonable enquiries to ensure that the employee has the competence, skill and experience required to undertaken. This will be applied in all cases and a record of these enquiries will be held within the employee file.
All records in relation to employees of Coast Medic will be retained within an electronic database and all information which is submitted will be treated in the highest confidence and managed and handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). These documents will also be retained in line with the Records Retention Schedule.
These records will only be updated and amended when required and access to these records will be restricted to authorised individuals only.
Checking Procedures
Prior to the appointment to position, the appropriate recruitment checks should be undertaken, these are outlined in the pre-employment section of this policy and further supported by the Workforce Policy.
The Human Resources Manager is responsible for the monitoring the process and ensuring compliance with all employees through checking that all appropriate pre-employment checks are undertaken.
It is recognised that there will be circumstances where there will be a delay in receiving references or a satisfactory DBS disclosure for an applicant. Where there is a delay, it may be considered appropriate following a risk assessment to allow a candidate to start working for Coast Medic. This will be undertaken by the applicants proposed Line Manager and approved by the Human Resources Manager.
Process for Unsatisfactory Checks
Where an applicant fails to meet the standard checks, they will not be appointed.
It will be the responsibility of the Human Resources Manager to write to the applicant to inform them of this and the rationale for the checks being unsatisfactory.
Appeals should be made in writing to the Human Resources Manager.
Management of Recruitment Records
All administrative paperwork in relation to the recruitment of an employee should be retained in the employee’s personnel file. This includes the application form, job description, person specification and any correspondence and a copy of all pre-employment checks.
Documents should be retained for a period of twelve months following a candidate being unsuccessful at application.
Raising Concerns
Any concerns surrounding the recruitment and selection process should be raised within five working days of the selection process. It is therefore paramount that the process to all matters of recruitment and selection is applied fairly and consistently.
Any complaint made regarding the application of the Recruitment and Selection Policy or Procedures, whether this is made verbally or in written format, must be reported to the Human Resources Manager.
Any concerns which are raised will be managed through the Grievance Procedure.