Recruitment Policy (DRAFT)

This policy sets out our approach to recruitment at Handcrafted, ensuring that all recruitment processes are fair, consistent, inclusive, and lawful, while also reflecting our commitment to safeguarding and safer recruitment. Our aim is to appoint the most suitable individuals (whether staff, volunteers, or contractors) based on their skills, experience and alignment with our ethos and values.

This policy will be reviewed as required and at least every three years by the group or individual responsible for review and authorised by the Trustees as below:

Group or individual responsible for review	The Human Resources and Wellbeing Steering Group
Last review and approval	DRAFT PENDING APPROVAL (August 2025)

Scope

This policy applies to the recruitment of all:

• Paid staff
• Volunteers working in roles involving unsupervised work with children and/or vulnerable adults, or accessing sensitive information
• Contractors working in roles involving unsupervised work with children and/or vulnerable adults, or accessing sensitive information

We are committed to:

• Fair Recruitment – Ensuring equal access to opportunities and decisions based on objective merit.
• Safer Recruitment – Preventing the appointment of unsuitable individuals to positions involving children, vulnerable adults, or access to sensitive information.

Safer Recruitment

Safer Recruitment of Staff

All external recruitment of staff follows safer recruitment practices in line with government best practice. All stages of the recruitment involve at least one person who is trained in safer recruitment.

Job Design and Advertisement

• Every role must have a clear job description and person specification, including key responsibilities and safeguarding requirements.
• Recruitment packs must include a safeguarding statement and links to Handcrafted policies covering safeguarding and recruitment of ex-offenders.
• Job adverts should be advertised on a variety of platforms to encourage a diverse set of applicants.
• The advert should state any DBS check requirements and include links to the self-declaration form and references form.

Application Process

• All applicants should complete an application form.
• Applicants should provide a full employment history, explaining any gaps. If this is not provided in full at application, this should be provided as part of pre-employment checks as a condition of employment.
• Two referees must be provided, one of whom should be the most recent employer or manager where possible.

Shortlisting and Pre-Interview Checks

• A minimum of two staff members should review and score applications against the person specification.
• Shortlisting must be based on objective criteria and documented thoroughly.

Interviews

• Interviews should be panel-based and based around the same core set of questions for each candidate, developed in advance and aligned with the person specification. Follow-up questions may be asked to clarify answers or explore relevant points further.
• Interview questions should be used to identify candidates’ attitudes and behaviours in relation to meeting the safeguarding requirements of the role and working with children and/or vulnerable adults.
• Interview panels must consist of at least two members, including at least one person trained in safer recruitment.

Offer and Pre-Employment Checks

Job offers must be conditional and subject to completion of satisfactory pre-employment checks. For all roles involving any safeguarding duties, these will include:

• ID check
• Confirmation of right to work in the UK
• Completion of a self-declaration form
• Completion of an enhanced DBS check (with barred list check where applicable), including social media check
• Receipt of overseas criminal records checks where the candidate has spent time living or working outside of the UK, in line with government guidance
• Verification of qualifications listed as essential in the person specification
• Receipt of two references satisfactory to Handcrafted, where possible including one from the most recent employer
• Confirmation of employment history covering all gaps in employment
• References should be from previous positions of paid employment or volunteering where possible.
• At least one reference should be from the most recent position of paid employment or volunteering where possible.
• Character references should only be accepted where it is not possible to find a more appropriate work or volunteering reference, and in these cases we make efforts to ensure that the referee holds a position of good standing in the community.
• References from non-verifiable business/professional emails (i.e. traceable back to the referee organisation’s domain) must be verified via a telephone call to the referee to confirm the email address.

Induction and Probation

• Pre-employment checks for new staff should be reviewed and risk assessed by the new starter’s first day to highlight any checks which require follow-up actions.
• All new staff should receive a list of key contacts, including the designated safeguarding lead, on their first day of employment.
• All new staff must undergo a structured induction process, including:
  • Review of key policies including safeguarding policies.
  • Mandatory training in safeguarding.
• A formal probationary period must be completed, including regular reviews to monitor performance against expectations about the role and its safeguarding requirements.

Pre-Promotion Safeguarding Checks

Where current staff are promoted or change role, DBS check information on record should be reviewed to ensure that a DBS check has been taken at the appropriate level.

Safer Recruitment of Volunteers

• Volunteers should be recruited via an expression of interest form.
• An interview is not required, however an informal meeting or interview may take place to assess suitability for the role where appropriate.
• Relevant vetting checks must be carried out in line with the pre-employment checks for paid staff. Where volunteer roles involve unsupervised work with children and/or vulnerable adults, or accessing sensitive information, safeguarding standards must be applied in line with those for paid staff.
• Clear role descriptions must be given to all volunteers outlining responsibilities and safeguarding expectations.
• Volunteers must receive safeguarding training and policy induction in line with the induction process for paid staff.
• Volunteers must be subject to ongoing supervision to make sure any concerns are addressed.

Safer Recruitment of Contractors

This clause relates to contractors whose roles involve work with children and/or vulnerable adults, or accessing sensitive information.

• An interview is not required, however an informal meeting or interview may take place to assess suitability for the role where appropriate.
• Relevant vetting checks must be carried out in line with the pre-employment checks for paid staff. Where contractor roles involve unsupervised work with children and/or vulnerable adults, or accessing sensitive information, we apply safeguarding standards in line with those for paid staff.
• Clear role descriptions must be given to contractors outlining responsibilities and safeguarding expectations.
• Contractors must receive safeguarding training and policy induction in line with the induction process for paid staff.
• Contractors must be subject to ongoing supervision to make sure any concerns are addressed.
• Written contracts should include details about any safeguarding and confidentiality obligations.

Fair Recruitment Practices

Advertising

• Roles should be advertised transparently and widely.
• Clear information on the job, criteria, and application process should be provided.

Application Process

• The application form should be used to collect applications, to ensure that questions are standardised and linked to the areas of the person specification (skills and knowledge, experience, ethos and values).

Shortlisting

• Shortlisting should be conducted by at least two people.
• The following process should be used to score applications:
  • Applications are scored individually by each panel member against the essential and desirable criteria listed in the person specification for the role, using a consistent scale.
  • Scores for the essential criteria are added together to produce an overall score for each applicant. If multiple applicants receive the same score for the essential criteria, the score for the desirable criteria is used to determine which applicants are shortlisted for interview.
  • The application score guides, but does not solely determine, the shortlisting decision. Where a lower-scoring candidate is shortlisted, this must be clearly justified in the recruitment record.
• Notes and scores must be documented and stored securely in the recruitment records.
• Panel members should declare conflicts of interest and step back from the process if impartiality cannot be ensured. Conflicts of interest could include the following ties:
  • Financial
  • Familial

Interviews

• Interview panels must consist of at least two interviewers, with consideration for diversity of perspectives, lived experience and Safer Recruitment training.
• The same panel should interview all shortlisted candidates where possible.
• Candidates must be asked the same core set of questions, developed in advance and aligned with the person specification. Follow-up questions may be asked to clarify answers or explore relevant points further.
• The following process should be used to score interviews:
  • Each answer is scored individually by panel members using a consistent scale (e.g. 0 = unsatisfactory, 1 = partially satisfactory, 2 = satisfactory, 3 = excellent).
  • Scores are compared and discussed to agree on a final panel score per question and overall score for each candidate.
  • The interview score should guide, but not solely determine, the appointment decision. Other valid and documented considerations (e.g. alignment with values, unique strengths) should also inform the outcome. Where a lower-scoring candidate is preferred, this must be clearly justified in the recruitment record.
• Notes and scores must be documented and stored securely in the recruitment records.
• Interviews should normally include a practical task or assessment, except for where this is not relevant. These must be scored using pre-agreed criteria.
• Candidates must be asked in advance whether they require adjustments to fully participate in the interview process, with appropriate adjustments being made where possible.

Decision-Making and Offers

• Written job offers must be made to successful candidates.
• Offers must be subject to satisfactory completion of all pre-employment checks.

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

We adhere to government guidance on the recruitment of ex-offenders. For further details, please see our Equal Opportunities Policy, which includes our approach to fair recruitment and the handling of criminal record information.

Record Keeping and Confidentiality

• Recruitment records are stored securely and confidentially in line with our Data Privacy Notice, complying with GDPR.
• We will keep records of successful applications indefinitely.
• We will normally keep records of unsuccessful applications for a period of up to 1 year after the end of the recruitment, after which point the records will be destroyed.
• In some cases, we may put unsuccessful applicants on a waiting list for similar roles. If this is the case, we may keep the application indefinitely. We will seek approval from candidates before putting them on the waiting list.
• For some roles, we may ask candidates to complete self-declaration forms during the interview. We will destroy this information immediately if the interview is unsuccessful.