References required for a candidate will differ dependent on their current employer.
There is no required number of references; instead, the required reference period must be covered.
Please be aware there is specific information detailed for Public Health England (PHE) candidates below.
Internal candidates
Employee's moving internally within the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) require no references.
External Candidates (not employed by any NHS organisation)
An external candidate, who is not currently employed by another NHS organisation, is required to provide references that cover the previous three years from when the Offer letter is issued.
If the candidate is or has been employed by a recruitment agency, HR Shared Services (HRSS) will require the reference to be provided directly from the agency the candidate is / has been employed through. Any gaps in employment will also need to be covered by a personal statement.
If the candidate is unable to provide a reference, for example due to a previous company no longer existing, the Recruiting Manager (RM) must speak with the Corporate HR team for approval for HRSS to request a character reference to cover the period.
If a referee advises they cannot provide a reference because it’s against company policy or, the company has ceased trading, Corporate HR approval is not required for HRSS to request a character referee to cover the period. Character referee details should only be provided for a ‘person of some standing in the community’.
If the candidate is currently on secondment from their original organisation, HRSS will require the reference to be provided by the substantive employer not where they are currently on secondment.
External candidates (currently employed by another NHS organisation, excluding Public Health England (PHE))
An external candidate, who is currently employed by another NHS organisation, is required to provide references that cover the previous six months from when the Offer letter is issued.
If the candidate has been in their current NHS employment for less than six months, they are required to provide references to cover the previous three years, even if the candidate was employed by an NHS organisation prior to their current employment.
Public Health England (PHE) candidates
PHE is not classed as an NHS arm's length body and therefore any PHE candidates will be subject to the standard three years of previous employment history.
If the candidate is currently seconded into an NHS arm's length body from PHE, six months' worth of references will be required.
If the candidate has provided a reference with a '@nhs.net' email address, HRSS will assume the reference is PHE and not NHS unless specifically stated otherwise.
GP Practice Candidates
Where a candidate has previous service with a GP practice, they will need to contact their Corporate HR lead to request whether this can be taken into account. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.