A wnaiff y Gweinidog ddisgrifio'r broses a ddilynir wrth recriwtio gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol ar ran byrddau iechyd gan Bartneriaeth Cydwasanaethau GIG Cymru gan gynnwys pa wiriadau a wneir, os o gwbl, cyn penodi, a pha sefydliad sydd â chyfrifoldeb am gynnal y gwiriadau?
Following the implementation of the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) in June 2012 responsibility for recruitment of general staff groups (but excluding medical recruitment which is managed by health boards and trusts) is undertaken by NWSSP on behalf of NHS Wales organisations.
In 2012, NWSSP and representatives of health boards and trusts worked in partnership to develop an All Wales Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). The development of the Recruitment SOP was intended to streamline, standardise and harmonise the variable recruitment processes that were formally in place across NHS Wales and ensure a recruitment process that was lean, compliant with legislative and safe recruitment principles, and consistently applied.
The process can be broken down into four principal stages:
- Stage 1: Notice period to vacancy submission for approval
- Stage 2: Vacancy approval – this stage is the responsibility of individual health boards and trusts and will vary by organisation
- Stage 3: Vacancy approval complete to Conditional Offer letter issued
- Stage 4: Conditional to Unconditional Offer Letter
The components of the Recruitment SOP are aligned to the NHS Employers Employment Check Standards which apply to applications for NHS positions. This includes permanent staff, staff on fixed-term, volunteers, students, trainees, contractors, highly mobile staff, temporary workers (including locum doctors), those working on a health board/trust bank.
The Recruitment SOP applies to Agenda for Change recruitment processed by NWSSP. NWSSP Recruitment Service also undertakes the Medical Recruitment Processing for Velindre NHS Trust and Public Health Wales. Bank Recruitment is processed for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and for external bank recruitment for Swansea Bay University Health Board.
Volunteer, medical and dental and bank recruitment is undertaken within the health boards and trusts for all other organisations including pre-employment checks.
The set of six documents below make up the NHS Employers Check Standards which are processed by NWSSP, covering:
- Identity checks
- Right to work checks
- Professional registration and qualification checks
- Employment history and reference checks
- Criminal record and barring checks (DBS)
- Work health assessments/Occupational Health Check
The fit and proper person test is also undertaken for Executive Directors that are processed by NWSSP.
Pre-Employment ID Checking Interview
NHS Standards and Safer Recruitment require that all documents are checked on a face to face basis as part of the recruitment process. To facilitate this, NWSSP arranges an appointment with successful applicants. These are conducted either at one of the main recruitment offices or, if more convenient to the applicant at an alternative hospital location.
Each of the main hospital sites has regular ID document checking interview slots to undertake this requirement. There are seven sites across NHS Wales where NWSSP offer Pre-employment Check meetings to candidates. These are arranged based on demand and these services are available on a daily basis. This service is flexible and candidates can access the locations that are most convenient to them across Wales.
These types of face to face checks are mandated by the Border Agency, HMRC and NHS Counter Fraud. NHS Employers recommend as part of the NHS Recruitment Standards that this work is carried out by a specialist centralised function such as a recruitment team rather than by Appointing Managers to ensure a consistent, auditable approach.
NWSSP recruitment process management is subject to compliance audit by NHS Wales Internal Auditors and has also been assessed by Home Office illegal immigration Officers as being fully compliant.