Recruitment Practice in the Care Sector

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Recruitment Practice in the Care Sector
14th September 2006 The Grange Centre Bookham
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Recruitment Practice in the Care Sector
Outline Programme
10.00 Welcome and Intro Safe and Sound
overview of CSCI bulletin Discussion and
Questions 11.00 Coffee 11.15 Charles Kelly
Are you employing people illegally? Plenary
session 12.30 Close
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Info for providers/publications Enter safe and
sound in search box
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• Safe and Sound
• June 2006
• Described as capturing the Commissions current
  understanding of recruitment check processes in
  regulated social care services
• How was it developed?
• Identified key themes in literature best
  practice principles
• Analysed providers meeting the standard by
  service type
• - Nationally, across the board
• Detailed look at random sample of 150 poorest
  (scoring 1)
• Consultation internal and external
  stakeholders

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Key Issues

• Recruitment and vetting of care staff is one of
  the poorest areas of
• performance against national minimum standards in
  regulated social care
• services in England
• Employers responsibility
• verifying safety, competence, integrity skill
  of candidates
• once employed ensuring staff are well trained
• supported to deliver good quality care

• The Context
• Why so important?
• Protection of service user
• Staff are suitable and treat service users with
  dignity respect
• Protection of the rights of applicants - EO

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Bichard Inquiry 2004 Government driven review
of recruitment/vetting of staff
Vetting and barring scheme Only one
component refers to interrelationship
with Ongoing supervision/training of staff Open
culture safety to challenge poor care practice
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Key Findings from Adult Services
Domiciliary Care Agencies As at 31st March 2005
overall poorest performing 53 meeting
standard Voluntary 61 Private
53 Councils 49
Adult Care Homes Older Peoples Care Homes
(overall) 59 Younger Adults Care Homes
(overall) 61
Physical/Sensory Impairment 58 People with
Learning Disability 57 Younger Adults with
mental Ill Health 49
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How does that compare to Childrens Services?
Childrens Homes 57 Fostering Agencies
64 Adoption Agencies 35
In both Adult and Childrens Services the
Voluntary Sector out performed Both Private and
Council providers!
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Reasons for failing to meet the standard

• 1. Verifying suitability of staff
  pre-employment checks
• personnel file does not contain evidence re
  appropriate CRB disclosure
• and two written references.
• Robust, written recruitment policies and
  procedure
• Insufficient and not adequately followed.
• Application and Interview process
• Insufficient evidence of fairness
• Employment History
• Personnel file not containing employment
  history and reasons for gaps

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(No Transcript)
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What should be done?

• Verifying the suitability of new care staff
• Application for CRB disclosure 2 levels,
  standard enhanced
• Standard Police National Computer,
  convictions/cautions/reprimands/warnings
• when requested will also include
  POVA/POCA/List 99
• Enhanced As above, also local police
  information considered relevant by Police
• Enhanced should be obtained for those regularly
  caring for, supervising, training
• or being in sole charge of people in their role

Who should be vetted? Employers need to assess
the risk of any individual who provides a
service, not just those with a direct
responsibility to deliver care May apply to
those not directly employed Employers need to
use judgement re CRB for Time limited tasks e.g.
decorator Visitors e.g. hairdressers Volunteers
transport, entertainment, support
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• Key Points re CRB
• Repeat CRB disclosures
• Transferability
• Employers responsibility for agency staff
  disclosures
• - written confirmation required from agency
• International Staff
• Employers responsibility when conviction or
  other info revealed
• An employer may not employ anyone on
  POVA/POCA list

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2. Robust, written policies and procedures
Provide a transparent code of conduct to which
managers and staff must abide
Staff Files
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3. The Application and Interview Process
Employers must record evidence that they have
adopted sound recruitment principles Promotion
of equal opportunities all treated fairly and
openly, transparent Recruitment methods. All
candidates need same process and checks
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4. Employment History
Must be explored to satisfy employer that the
staff member has correct skill set and approach.
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Involving Service Users in Recruitment
NMS Younger Adults but principles can be
applied elsewhere?
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The New Vetting and Barring Scheme
Aimed at tightening procedures to prevent
unsuitable people accessing Children/Vulnerable
adults through their work whether paid or
unpaid. Builds on existing CRB and barring
schemes drawing on wider sources The
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill currently
with House of Lords
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Key Steps in Meeting the Standard
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Recommended Best Practice
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