However quickly you need to place a candidate, though, complying with the CQC and the NHS Employers Employment Checks Standards is a must. The standards include checks that are required by law, to protect vulnerable patients, and apply to permanent staff, staff on fixed-term contracts, temporary staff, volunteers, students, trainees, contractors and highly mobile staff employed through an agency.
The checks include:
- Verification of identity
- Right to Work
- Registration and qualification
- Employment history and reference
- Criminal record checks & Model Declaration
- Occupational Health Checks
Whilst most checks are reasonably straightforward, those relating to Occupational Health (OH) can seem a minefield - but they don’t need to be.
What are Occupational Health Checks?
An occupational health check is a number of screening processes undertaken by an appropriate or appointed OH Screening nurse to assess whether candidates are capable of and fit for a particular role with or without reasonable adjustments.
Occupational health checks let employers identify any candidates early on that may be considered high or low risk, helping them make reasonable adjustments where necessary.
If a candidate is supplied by an agency or external contractor, under a framework agreement, the OH screening may be undertaken by a Safe Effective Quality Occupational Health Service (SEQOHS) accredited occupational health provider.
Read frequently asked questions about Occupational Health checks
How to manage bulk candidate applications, stay compliant, and speed up time to hire
If you’re dealing with a high volume of checks through your care organisation or recruitment agency, you may want to consider Access Screening. This fast, cloud-based, and automated candidate screening software covers all the necessary healthcare checks required by the CQC and NHS Standards – including OH checks – to give you peace of mind that you’re placing the right candidates, meeting compliance and protecting your business from reputational damage or fines.
Processing your candidates through Access Screening also means you can evidence your compliance – with a single PDF document detailing everything you need, including OH fit to work certificates.
Let us support you now
As care worker absences and demand for care are both set to increase dramatically in the coming weeks due to the effects of COVID-19, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to respond to your urgent staffing needs and screen unlimited numbers of health and social care staff fast. So we have engaged with a number of expert partners to make it easier for you to get set up to screen new workers within hours. Get in touch to find out more.
