Shoreside Services

UKSA are fully committed to an effective and consistent recruitment practice and acknowledge that a defined process for recruitment into UKSA is essential to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly, and meets the UKSA Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Inclusion Policy so that all applicants are treated equally.

UKSA Responsibilities

To ensure that all recruitment activities are undertaken in line with the policy, we will:

• Ensure the recruitment of staff into UKSA results in the selection of the most suitable candidate for the role in respect of skills, experience and qualifications to meet the criteria of the role job description regardless of race, sex, age, ethnicity, disability, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, relationship status, pregnancy and maternity, and religion or belief.
• Facilitate reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure no applicant is disadvantaged because of a disability or additional need.
• Production of job descriptions, job advertisements, shortlisting, interview and assessment, selection decisions and offers of employment are made in line with the UKSA Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and UKSA’s committement to safer recruitment practices.
• Ensure this policy is applied consistently.
• Collate applicant Equal Opportunities and Equality Monitoring Forms to be able to effectively monitor inclusion and diversity metrics within UKSA in line with GDPR regulations.
• review this policy bi-annually or more frequently if significant changes occur.

Safer Recruitment

UKSA is committed to Safeguarding and protecting the children, young people and vulnerable adults that we work with. As such, ALL posts are subject to our safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records.

All roles require a satisfactory Basic or Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (‘DBS’) check. The level of check required will be included in the candidate information pack and any offer of employment made will be conditional on the receipt of a completed Criminal Convictions Disclosure Form, satisfactory DBS clearance and satisfactory employment references that cover a minimum period of 3 years of employment history.

Recruitment Process

The following process will be followed for end-to-end recruitment:

1. Vacancy Review Form

When a vacancy arises, a Vacancy Review Form must be completed and submitted to HR with the relevant authorisation signatures. No role will be processed for advertising without the Vacancy Review Form being completed and with the necessary authorisations being in place.

2. Job Description and Person Specification

As part of the Vacancy Review Form, the hiring manager must produce a reviewed and updated job description and person specification that provides a fair and accurate representation of the role, detailing the role duties, responsibilities, seniority of the post, any line management responsibility, and the skills, qualifications and expeiernce criterion required.

3. Advertising

All roles must be advertised internally by emailing the ALL UKSA Staff email address advising the role is vacanct and open to internal applications, and externally, to ensure all candidates have equal and fair opportunity to apply. External advertisement may include agencies, social media, the UKSA website and relevant industry publications.

All advert wording is to be authorised by HR to ensure there is no intention, directly or indirectly, to show discrimination or any kind.

4. Shortlisting

All roles will be subjected to shortlisting, which will be against specific job-related criteria derived from the job description, and used against each application, and this information will be used to select which candidates will be progressed to interview and assessment.

All candidates will be advised of their shortlisting outcome as soon as reasonably practical post the role closing date.

5. Interview and Assessment

UKSA uses a combination of competence and value based interview questions, and other methods of

assessment such as presentations, practical exercises and written exercises to ensure we meet our

commitment to safer recruitment practices and to successfully appoint the best candidate into the role.

A panel of at least two managers will conduct recruitment interviews, with at least one member of the panel having successfully completed Safer Recruitment Awareness training. Interview notes will be taken and are available to a candidate to view if requested, and will be retained in line with the UKSA retention schedule.

6. Right to Work

As a result of BREXIT, the process of right to work checks changed. Until the 30^th June 2021, right to work checks can continue to be made by checking applicants passports/identity cards and VISAs/ immigration status documents manually.

It remains against the law to employ a person who does not have permission to live and work in the UK. UKSA could be prosecuted and fined under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 for employing someone who does not have the necessary permissions and clearance to work in the UK.

Applicants from anywhere outside of the UK, exclusing Irish citizens, will need to apply for a VISA to be eligible to work in the UK.

This new system will NOT apply to EEA or Swiss citizens already in employment in the UK and that have successfully been granted settlement status.

UKSA require a VISA Sponsorship Licence to hire workers from outside of the UK.

From the 1^st January 2021, a new immigration system applies to people arriving in the UK, and EU citizens moving to the UK for work need to have their VISA in advance, therefore all applicants invited to interview must provide evidence of their identity and immigration status for verification by HR.

Applicants from outside the UK will need to be registered with the Home Office and provide UKSA a share code for HR to complete the required right to work checks online at https://www.gov.uk/view-right-to-work

and confirm evidence of settled, pre-settled or VISA status.

Failure to meet or provide the necessary documents or immigration status will result in any offer of employment to be placed on hold for a reasonable period of time whilst the applicant contacts the relevant agencies for advice or until the required evidence can be produced, and if not provided in a reasonable period of time, the offer of employment will be withdrawn.

7. Outcomes

All candidates will be advised of their interview and assessment outcome as soon as reasonably practical post the interview and assessments being concluded.

All candidates that are not successful are to be offered the opportunity for constructive feedback.

8. Offer of Employment

Once the most appropriate candidate has been selected, this appointment needs to be approved by the relevant Director and HR advised. An email is acceptable.

For an offer to be made, the terms and condition of the offer of employment must be confirmed by the hiring manager and Director of Finance and Business Services, by the completion of a New Start Form. Once completed and with the relevant authorisations, the New Starter Form must be forwarded to HR for processing.

An offer can be made verbally or via email to the candidate initially, followed by an Offer of Employment letter. Once the offer has been accepted in writing, the Contract of Employment will be generated.

9. References

All employment offers are conditional upon receipt of satisfactory references that cover a three year period of employment history. One reference must be the candidates current or previous employer, although in the case of a college or school leaver, an academic reference is acceptable. References will not be sought without the applicant’s permission.

References will be sought in writing and require that a standard reference form be completed.  If a response to a written request for a reference has not been received, then the Company will telephone the referee where the details have been provided and may request that the candidate also make contact to request the reference is responded to. If full referencing is not received within the designated probationary period, then UKSA may consider terminating the contract of employment within the probationary period.

If references received are not deemed to be satisfactory, it may be necessary to withdraw the offer of employment or UKSA may consider terminating the contract of employment within the probationary period.

10. DBS Checks

All roles must have a suitable level of DBS clearance in place, ideally prior to starting with UKSA, but must be received and in place no later than by the 3 month probationary review.

Please refer to the Disclosure and Barring Service Policy Statement and DBS Checks at UKSA for full details.

11. Qualifications

Applicants may be required to provide evidence of qualifications either in the form of original certificates which will be verified/ copied and then returned, or confirmation from the relevant Examination Board if certificates cannot be produced. The employment offer may be conditional upon valid evidence of qualification and the offer may be withdrawn if this is not supplied within a reasonable timescale.

If an applicant falsifies certificates or evidence of qualifications and this subsequently comes to the attention of UKSA at any stage during employment, then the individual may be subject to disciplinary action and liable to dismissal.

Bribery Act

When recruiting for roles that may be vulnerable to bribery risks, and subject to the requirements of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, UKSA may need to carry out additional checks during the recruitment process, which may include bankruptcy and credit reference checks and/or taking up additional references.

Complaints Procedure

Any applicant who may consider that they have been unfairly treated or discriminated against during the recruitment process should write to the HR Manager stating the grounds of the complaint. Any employee who wishes to raise a complaint about their experience of the recruitment process should do so by means of the UKSA Grievance Procedure.

GDPR

Information and documentation resulting from this policy will be held and processed in line with GDPR guidelines.

Training Requirements

All Managers that have interviewing responsibilities will be required to successfully complete a Safer Recruitment Awareness course, supplied by NSPCC, with the cost of the course being funded by UKSA.

UKSA is committed to encouraging equality, inclusion and diversity among our staff and eliminating unlawful discrimination and inequality.

The aim is for UKSA to be true representative of all sections of society and for all employees to feel respected and that they  are treated with equality, dignity and respect. UKSA is fully committed to eliminating  unlawful discrimination against  our customers and stakeholders.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure equality, fairness and respect for all in UKSA employment, whether on a permanent, temporary, fixed term, full-time or part-time basis, or as part of an Apprenticeship scheme.

This policy is fully supported by the UKSA Executive and Leadership Team.

Definitions

Equal Opportunities – The right to be treated without discrimination. This applies during recruitment processes, whilst in employment and during any leaver process.

Inclusion – Inclusion means creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. An inclusive environment can only be created once we are more aware and accepting of our unconscious biases, and have learned how to manage them.

Equality – At its core, equality means fairness: we must ensure that individuals, or groups of individuals, are not treated less favourably because of their protected characteristics (see below).

Equality also means equality of opportunity: we must also ensure that those who may be disadvantaged can get the tools they need to access the same, fair opportunities as their peers.

Diversity – Diversity ois recognising, respecting and celebvrating each other’s differences. A diverse envireonment is one with a wide range of backgrounds and mindsets, with allows for an equal and empowered culture.

Unconscious Bias – Unconscious bias is when people favour others who look like them and/or share their values. For example, a person may be drawn to someone with a similar educational background, from the same area, or who is the same colour or ethnicity as them.

UKSA Responsibilities

UKSA commits to:

• not unlawfully discriminate in respect of any of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics :
  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender
  • Reassignment
  • Marriage or Civil Partnership
  • Pregnancy or Maternity
  • Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)
  • Religion or Religious Beliefs
  • Sex or Sexual Orientation

• oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination in all areas, including:
  • Pay and Benefits
  • Terms and Conditions of Employment
  • Dealing with Discipline and Grievances
  • Dismissal
  • Redundancy
  • Parental Leave
  • Flexible Working
  • Recruitment and Selection
  • Promotion
  • Training and Development Opportunities

• encourage equality, inclusion and diversity in the workplace as good practice
• create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination
• actively promote dignity and respect as part of our values and culture

Implementation

UKSA will provide training to managers and all other employees regarding their rights and responsibilities under the Equal Opportunities Policy, including staff conduct, promotion of equal opportunities and a zero tolerance of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination.

UKSA recognises that individuals, as well as UKSA as the employer, can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination in the course of their employment in delivering UKSA’s organisational activities and will train all staff accordingly. Any  acts of this nature will be dealt with under the UKSA Disciplinary and Dismissal Procedure QPR-138, where appropriate action will be taken.

UKSA equal opportunities training will also inform that instances of sexual harassment may amount to both an employment rights matter and a criminal matter. UKSA recognises the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and notes that harassment under this legislation, which is not limited to circumstances where harassment relates to a protected characteristic, is a criminal offence.

Recruitment

UKSA recruitment processes will ensure fairness in the advertising, selection and appointment of vacancies, and are subject to regular review to ensure they are up to date with relevant legislative changes.

The HR Manager will monitor the make-up of the UKSA workforce regarding information such as age, ethnicity, disability and gender in line with GDPR regulations.

UKSA recognises the overall demographic make-up of the Isle of Wight can be a barrier to recruiting a diverse workforce and commits to promoting ourselves as a fully inclusive employer and encourage applications from all areas of diversity.

Inclusion

UKSA is committed to being an inclusive employer and ensure that all employees feel safe in speaking up, providing feedback and ideas, suggesting change, and raising issues or concerns to management, knowing that this is encouraged and welcomed.

An inclusive workplace can help to lower the risk of bullying, harassment and discrimination.

Dignity and Respect

All employees have the right to be treated with consideration, dignity and respect, and UKSA recognises that all employees have a responsibility to set a positive example by treating others with respect and to act in a way which is in line with our values, code of conduct and policies and procedures.

UKSA is committed to providing an environment free from harassment, bullying, discrimination or abuse from colleagues or stakeholders, that would breech the right to be treated with dignity and respect. UKSA will not tolerate bullying, harassment or discrimination in any form.

The UKSA Code of Conduct sets out the types of behaviour we expect to see, and what behaviours are not acceptable.

If you ever feel that you have not been treated fairly, with equality, inclusiveness or with dignity and respect, do not delay in raising your concerns with your line manager, director or HR who will provide support, discuss next steps and outline what processes are open to you.

Unconscious Bias

UKSA acknowledges that influences such as our background, experiences and environmental conditions can all play a part in shaping our choices, whether we realise it or not, and that we can all display unconscious bias when we favour or discriminate against people because of these influences without even realising it.

We know that unconscious bias can have a big impact on people-related decisions at work, especially when it comes to recruitment, promotion, performance management and idea generation. When bias is prevalent, we know that organisations, such as UKSA, can struggle to hire diverse teams and efforts to improve inclusion are usually met with limited success.

UKSA commits to providing training to all staff to help recognise and mitigate unconscious bias.

Unconscious bias can manifest in different ways. Below are eight (8) types of bias, and how they might affect decision-making and interactions at work.

• Affinity bias: This is when we show a preference for people we are similar to in some way, because we find them familiar and easier to relate to. This could be because of shared characteristics – such as class, ethnicity, or shared interests or hobbies. At work, this could lead us to feel that someone is not talented, or not right for a role, because we don’t have the same characteristics or experiences in common.
• Attribution bias: This refers to how we perceive our actions and those of others. We tend to attribute our own successes to our skills, and our failures to factors outside our control. However, we tend to see the successes of others as down to luck and attribute their failures to a lack of ability. This can cause unfairness during recruitment and appraisals, for example.
• Beauty bias: This type of bias is when we base our opinion too heavily on someone’s looks and we may unconsciously favour attractive people for a job – despite the fact that this has no bearing on their ability to carry out the role well.
• Confirmation bias: This refers to our tendency to look for evidence that backs up our initial opinion of someone, while overlooking information that contradicts our view.
• Conformity bias: This refers to our tendency to take cues from others to arrive at a decision, rather than exercise our own, independent judgement. Having a diverse team – and encouraging them to voice their views openly – means a broader range of knowledge and experiences are brought to the table, ultimately helping more creative and well-considered ideas to emerge, so it’s important that people don’t feel pressured into agreeing with others’ views.
• Contrast effect: We compare and contrast people and things all the time to help us put them in context. But comparing employees against each other – favourably or unfavourably – instead of assessing them on their own merits is the contrast effect. For example, the last candidate you interview for a role might seem better than all the others you have already interviewed – but if you had interviewed the same candidate first, you might not have reached the same conclusion.
• Gender bias: Gender bias is exactly that, bias based on gender. Ways that gender bias can manifest itself at work can include, for example, a male candidate being hired for a physically demanding role, or senior women being routinely asked to take minutes in meetings instead of men in more junior roles.
• Halo and horns effects: This describes our tendency to focus on a particularly good aspect of someone and let the ‘halo’ glow of that one thing affect our opinion of everything else about them. This can result in us overlooking negative aspects about someone and ultimately lead to us making unbalanced decisions, such as failing to address performance issues or problematic behaviours. Its opposite is the ‘horns effect’, where we concentrate on a person’s failings and overlook their positive attributes or achievements.

GDPR

Information and documentation will be held and processed in line with GDPR guidelines.

Training Requirements

All employees will receive equal opportunities awareness training, diversity and unconscious bias training.

Review

This policy will be subject to regular review.

Key information

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are critical to ensure we maintain our Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding commitments. As such, DBS checks are required for all employees, freelancers or volunteers of UKSA. We carry out DBS checks at least every 2 years. By registering for Annual Renewal Service, UKSA will be able to, with your consent, check your DBS status on an annual basis.

Getting your DBS check

If you are required to have a valid standard or enhanced DBS check, this must be provided on or before your first day at work otherwise you may be unable to start work or be very limited with what you can do until your DBS check is received. The process of applying for a DBS check can be initiated during the recruitment process, once you have accepted an offer of employment that has been made to you.

If you have a valid DBS check, or you are not sure if a current check is valid, please check with the HR Department who can ratify your existing check or confirm if a new check is required. New applications are processed by ‘uCheck’ who are our current umbrella organisation for processing DBS requests. There is a fee for DBS checks and the cost of this is met by UKSA as part of our Safer Recruitment commitment.

For volunteers, DBS checks are free of charge. As of the 1^st July 2018, uCheck charge £54.40 for an enhanced DBS, which includes their administration fee of £10.40.

How does the uCheck process work?

Step 1	Applicant	Provide UKSA with your legal name and preferred email address
Step 2	HR at UKSA	Set up the applicant’s profile on uCheck
Step 3	Applicant	Receive uCheck link and complete the online form (approx. 5 minutes)
Step 4	Applicant	By prior arrangement, supply x3 original ID docs from the groups listed to HR at UKSA for verification. Check the list carefully as if your ID is incorrect, the delay may prevent you from starting work
Step 5	HR at UKSA	Check and verify the correct original ID documents and approve the online form
Step 6	uCheck	Countersign and progress with the DBS check (takes approx. 48 hours)
Step 7	uCheck	Notify HR at UKSA of the status of the DBS check
Step 8	DBS	Post the DBS certificate to the applicant, giving information about the annual DBS update service (there is a 19-day deadline if you wish to sign-up)
Step 9	Applicant	Receive DBS certificate. Keep it safe. Provide sight to HR at UKSA for certification. Decide whether to register for the annual update service. This is optional yet is cost and time effective at £13 per year (self-funded but reimbursement will be considered on a case-by-case basis) which helps you, UKSA and potentially other organisations check your DBS status more efficiently

ID checking – what do I need?

Three original documents in total must be verified:

• One document must come from Group 1
• Two documents from Group 1, 2a or 2b.
• One document must verify the applicant’s current address.

The DBS have requested that if an Applicant indicates they have a Passport and/or Driving Licence, then the information must be provided.

Group 1 – Primary Trusted Identity Credentials

• Current valid Passport
• Biometric Residence Permit (UK)
• Current Photocard Driving Licence (UK, EU, Isle of Man / Channel Islands) (Full or Provisional)
• Birth Certificate (UK and Channel Islands) – issued at the time of birth; or short form acceptable including those issued by UK authorities overseas, such as Embassies, High Commissions and HM Forces. (Photocopies are not acceptable)
• Adoption Certificate (UK and Channel Islands)

Group 2a – Trusted Government/State Issued Documents

• Current UK Driving licence (old style paper version)
• Birth Certificate (UK and Channel Islands) – (issued after the time of birth by the General Register Office/relevant authority i.e. Registrars – Photocopies are not acceptable)
• Marriage/Civil Partnership Certificate (UK and Channel Islands)
• HM Forces ID Card (UK)
• Fire Arms Licence (UK and Channel Islands)

Group 2b – Financial/Social History Documents

• Mortgage Statement (UK or EEA)** (Non-EEA statements must not be accepted)
• Bank/Building Society Statement (UK or EEA)* (Non-EEA statements must not be accepted)
• Bank/Building Society Account Opening Confirmation Letter (UK) *
• Credit Card Statement (UK or EEA)* (Non-EEA statements must not be accepted)
• Financial Statement (UK) ** – e.g. pension, endowment, ISA (UK).
• P45/P60 Statement **(UK & Channel Islands)
• Council Tax Statement (UK & Channel Islands) **
• Work Permit/Visa (UK Residence Permit)(valid up to expiry date) **
• Utility Bill (UK)* – Gas
• Utility Bill (UK)* – Electricity
• Utility Bill (UK)* – Water
• Utility Bill (UK)* – Phone (landline only)
• Benefit Statement (UK)* – e.g. Child Allowance, Pension
• A document from Central/ Local Government/ Government Agency/ Local Authority giving entitlement (UK & Channel Islands)*- e.g. from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Employment Service , Customs & Revenue, Job Centre, Job Centre Plus, Social Security
• EU National ID Card
• Cards carrying the PASS accreditation logo (UK and Channel Islands)
• Letter from Head Teacher or College Principal (16-19 year olds in full time education in the UK (only used in exceptional circumstances when all other documents have been exhausted))
• Letter of sponsorship from future employment provider – NON-UK/NON-EEA Only

Please note if a document in the List of Valid Identity Documents is:

Denoted with * it should be less than three months old

Denoted with ** it should be issued within the past 12 months

Not denoted it can be more than 12 months old

Introduction

As an organisation using the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure service to assess applicants’ suitability for positions within the company, UKSA complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly and equally. It undertakes not to discriminate against any subject of a disclosure on the basis of a conviction or other information received.

UKSA is an Equal Opportunities employer and aims to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on grounds not relevant to good employment practice.

Policy statement

2.1  UKSA is a charity providing residential activities, education and training in a safe and positive environment.  A large proportion of our beneficiaries are children, youths and vulnerable adults. A thorough risk assessment and UKSA commitment to safer recruitment practices has identified that all staff are required to provide a satisfactory disclosure.

2.2  The policy covers employees, volunteers, and self-employed instructional staff.

Code of practice

As an employer committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, the company will adhere to the following procedure for recruiting and selecting individuals for all positions:

3.1  Advertising
All job adverts will contain a statement that a Disclosure and Barring check will be requested in the event of the individual being offered the position.

3.2 Application forms
Application for Employment forms will require candidates to state if they have any criminal convictions or are currently undergoing any criminal investigation. The form carries the following statement; “due to the nature of this employment, it is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. You are therefore required to declare any convictions or cautions you may have, even if they would otherwise be regarded as ‘spent’ under the Act. The information you give will be taken in confidence and will only be taken into account in relation to an application where exemption applies. Disclosure of a criminal record will not automatically debar you from an appointment. Failure to declare the conviction may, however, disqualify you from appointment, or result in summary dismissal when the discrepancy comes to light. If your application is successful, you will be asked to apply for a suitable level of DBS disclosure.”

Candidates who apply for a position with a CV will also be required to fill out the relevant sections of the application form.

3.3 Interviews
The staff responsible for short-listing, interviewing and making or recommending an appointment will be trained to brief applicants on disclosure requirements.

3.4 Process for DBS disclosure
UKSA will encourage all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record at an early stage in the application process.  The Disclosure form, together with a copy of the policy for the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders, and the DBS code of practice, will be sent to the successful applicant prior to the commencement of employment if requested. UKSA undertakes to carry out identity checks on or before commencement of employment.

3.5 UKSA HR and confidentiality
UKSA undertakes to treat all information, whether given verbally at interview, written on the application form, or provided with the disclosure information, with the utmost confidentiality. The disclosure form will be verified by the HR Manager. All information is kept in a secure office with access only by authorised members of staff, and UKSA undertakes that relevant information will only be seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.  Where an applicant discloses a criminal record, the HR Manager will be responsible for informing the Director of Finance & Business Services in the first instance.

3.6 Disclosures of criminal convictions

Unless the nature of the position allows UKSA to ask questions about an individual’s entire criminal record, we will only ask about ‘unspent’ convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.  UKSA ensures that all those who are involved in the recruitment process have received suitable guidance to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences.

We will inform all applicants that having a criminal record will not necessarily bar them from working for UKSA.  This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offences.

UKSA will ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matter that might be relevant to the position.  Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment. We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a disclosure with the person seeking the position before withdrawing an offer of employment.

Should information come to light following commencement of employment which affects the employees suitability for the role, the company may terminate employment.

3.7 DBS code of practice 
UKSA makes every subject of a DBS Disclosure aware of the existence of the DBS Code of Practice and makes a copy available on request.

Data controller

UKSA, Arctic Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 7PQ

As part of any recruitment process, UKSA collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. UKSA is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting GDPR regulation obligations.

Data protection principles

We will comply with data protection and GDPR legislation and regulation, which means that your data will be:

• Used lawfully, fairly and in a transparent way
• Collected only for valid purposes that we have clearly explained to you and not used in any way that is incompatible with those purposes
• Used in a manner that is relevant to the purposes we have told you about and limited only to those purposes
• Accurate and kept up to date
• Kept only as long as necessary for the purposes we have told you about
• Kept securely

Data Protection contact

UKSA has appointed Simon Hamilton, Director of Finance and Business Services as the person with responsibility for overseeing data protection compliance within UKSA. Questions about this notice, or requests for further information, should be directed to Simon Hamilton, and he can be contacted at [email protected]

What personal data does UKSA collect?

Personal data is any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where an individual cannot be identified (anonymous data).

UKSA collects a range of information about applications at different points during the recruitment process. This includes:

• Your name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone numbers
• Details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history
• Whether or not you have a disability for which UKSA would need to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process

If an offer of employment is formally made we may also collect, store and use the following “special categories” of more sensitive personal information:

• Information about your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation
• Information about your health, including any medical conditions
• Information about criminal convictions and offences

UKSA may also collect personal data about you from third parties, such as references supplied by former employers, information from employment background check providers and information from criminal records checks to ensure our commitment to safer recruitment practices. UKSA will seek information from third parties only once it has made a job offer to you; we have your express consent and will inform you that it is doing so.

Data will be stored in a range of different places, including on your application record, in HR management systems and on other IT systems (including email).

How is your personal information collected?

UKSA may collect this information in a variety of ways. For example, data might be collected through application forms or CVs; obtained from your passport or other identity documents such as your driving licence; from forms completed by you at the start of, or during, employment [such as new starter forms]; from correspondence with you; or through interviews, meetings or other assessments.  If you are asked to complete a psychometric profile, it will be generated based on your responses to the questionnaire completed online via software provided by the test designers.

In some cases, UKSA may collect personal data about you from third parties, such as CVs from recruitment agencies, references supplied by former employers, [employment background check providers, credit reference agencies and information from criminal records checks permitted by law].

Why does UKSA process personal data?

UKSA needs to process data in order to make an assessment of your qualifications, skills and experience related to the job you have applied for.

In some cases, UKSA needs to process data to ensure that it is complying with its legal obligations. For example, it is required to check a successful applicant’s eligibility to work in the UK before employment starts.

UKSA has a legitimate interest in processing personal data during the recruitment process and for keeping records of the process. Processing data from job applicants allows UKSA to manage the recruitment process, assess and confirm a candidate’s suitability for employment and decide to whom to offer a job. UKSA may also need to process data from job applicants to respond to and defend against legal claims.

UKSA may process special categories of data, such as information about ethnic origin, sexual orientation or religion or belief, to monitor recruitment statistics with a view to promoting equality of opportunity. We may also collect information about whether or not applicants are disabled so that reasonable adjustments can be made for candidates who have a disability. UKSA processes such information to carry out its obligations and exercise specific rights in relation to employment.

For all appointments, UKSA is obliged to seek information about criminal convictions and offences. Where UKSA seeks this information, it does so because it is necessary for it to carry out its obligations and exercise specific rights in relation to employment.

If your application is unsuccessful, UKSA may keep your personal data on file, for up to 6 months. UKSA will ask for your consent before it keeps your data and you are free to withdraw your consent at any time.

Who has access to your data?

Your information may be shared internally for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes members of HR and interviewers involved in the recruitment process. Our IT consultants may also have access to the data, by virtue of their access to IT systems, but would not access this data other than is necessary for the performance of their roles.

UKSA will not share your data with third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and it makes you an offer of employment. UKSA will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you, employment background check providers to obtain necessary background checks and the Disclosure and Barring Service to obtain necessary criminal records checks.

UKSA will not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.

How does UKSA protect data?

UKSA takes the security of your data seriously. It has internal policies and controls in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our employees in the proper performance of their duties. Electronically held data is restricted to HR only on a separate drive within our network. Paper copies are kept either within the HR Office (which is manned or locked when unmanned). Interviewers are only given paper copies, which are handed over and collected for shortlisting, and or on the day of the interview.

For how long does UKSA keep data?

If your application for employment is unsuccessful, UKSA may hold your data on file for 6 months after the end of the relevant recruitment process as stated above. At the end of that period or once you withdraw your consent; your data is deleted or destroyed.

If your application for employment is successful, personal data gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file and retained during your employment. The periods for which your data will be held will be provided to you in a new privacy notice.

Your rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights. You can:

• Access and obtain a copy of your data on request
• Require UKSA to change incorrect or incomplete data
• Require UKSA to delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary for the purposes of processing; and
• Object to the processing of your data where UKSA is relying on its legitimate interests as the legal ground for processing and there is no overriding legitimate interest to continue this processing

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact Simon Hamilton, Director of Finance and Business Services, using the email address [email protected]. If you believe that UKSA has not complied with your data protection rights, you can complain to the Information Commissioner.

What if you do not provide personal data?

You are under no statutory or contractual obligation to provide data to UKSA during the recruitment process. However, if you do not provide the information, UKSA will not be able to process your application properly or at all.

Automated decision-making

Recruitment processes are not based on automated decision-making.