If you are successful at your interview, we will carry out some background checks before formally offering you the job.
This helps us to make sure that you are a suitable candidate for the job, and the job is suitable for you.
Types of check we carry out:
You must be medically fit to carry out the duties of the job, so we ask you to complete a questionnaire about your health. Our occupational health service will look at the details you provide; they will also check if we need to make any adjustments in order for you to do your new job. In some cases a medical examination may be necessary.
We must receive satisfactory references for you before we formally offer you the job.
You must provide the details of at least two people that can give you references to cover the last five years of your employment; these may be a combination of employer and academic referees.
At least one reference must be from your current or most recent employer, or an academic referee if you have not recently been employed. We will only accept personal references will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Your appointment will not be confirmed until satisfactory references have been received, so it is important that you provide accurate contact details for your referees. If we are unable to get references for you, we may not be able to employ you.
Wherever possible please provide email addresses for all referees as this will speed our employment checking process.
Qualifications and certificates
We will ask you to show us proof of any qualifications you hold that are essential to perform the duties of the job, unless you already provided them when you came to your interview.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
Posts that are covered under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
We will not automatically refuse to employ someone just because they have a previous criminal conviction.
As part of the provisional offer stage, we will ask you to disclose any unspent convictions. We will not ask questions about, or expect you to disclose details of, any spent convictions.
Posts that are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
If the post you are applying for has been identified as requiring a criminal records check, this will be indicated on the job advert. You will be required to disclose all convictions, whether spent or unspent (other than where protected cautions and protected convictions do not need to be disclosed).
Even in these circumstances, however, we will not refuse to employ someone unless the nature of the conviction has some relevance to the job they have applied for.
Further information can be found in our staff vetting policy.
Right to work in the United Kingdom
Under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, it is a criminal offence to employ a person who is not entitled to live or work in the United Kingdom. We must make certain basic checks before a new employee begins work.
We will need to check your original identification documents (such as your passport, birth certificate etc), check that the documents relate to you, and ensure that they are genuine.
All formal offers of appointment are subject to the council being satisfied that you are entitled to live and work in the United Kingdom.
Need any help?
If you have any questions about the pre-employment checks that we carry out please get in touch.