We have now published an updated version of Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment.
This guidance helps employers, especially those in social care, early learning and childcare and social work, to meet legislative and regulatory requirements for the recruitment and selection of staff.
This joint SSSC and Care Inspectorate guidance is well used by the care sector and provides practical guidance on the different stages of recruitment from advertising vacancies to making appointments. This guidance supports employers to:
- safely recruit suitable staff to different roles involved in providing care and support
- comply with employment and equalities legislation
- ensure that unsuitable staff do not gain access to children or protected adults
- improve recruitment practice.
The SSSC and the Care Inspectorate have updated the Safer Recruitment guidance, which was last reviewed in 2016. The main changes include:
- changing the tone to make it more positive and less risk averse, with a view to supporting higher levels of recruitment and a more diverse workforce
- reflecting changes and increased expectations regarding human rights and values-based recruitment, with new sections on promoting recruitment of people with disabilities, young people and care experienced people
- updated information on changes to employment and equalities law and employer duties
- updated information and guidance on the PVG scheme and reducing discrimination against people with criminal convictions
- new section on digitally assisted recruitment
- more flexibility regarding exceptional circumstances, supporting short notice recruitment and use of application forms.
As part of reviewing this guidance, we have decided that the pre-pandemic position on background checks should be reinstated. Providers are now expected to receive satisfactory background checks before new staff are deployed, apart from in exceptional circumstances. Returning to the previous expectation that satisfactory checks are normally received before new staff start caring for people provides public assurance and reduces risk. At the same time, the Care Inspectorate recognises that there are ongoing recruitment difficulties across the care sector and we want to respond flexibly to individual services experiencing significant staffing shortfalls. Therefore, if a service is unable to provide adequate care and support without this flexibility regarding the receipt of background checks, they should contact their inspector for advice and approval.