Updates to employment history checks standard
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has removed the statutory requirement for a full employment history with respect to volunteers in health and care settings.
This amendment to legislation follows the conclusion of a consultation last year and means that employers are no longer required to request this information from volunteer applicants if deemed unnecessary.
This will help to streamline volunteer recruitment processes, remove barriers for applicants, and reduce administrative burden for service providers.
Employers can still request a full employment history should they deem it appropriate when appointing a volunteer. However, it will no longer be a statutory requirement. This change has been reflected in section 2.3 of the employment history and reference checks standard.
The government has committed to reviewing the impact of the change within two years.
Employers are still required to ensure that volunteer recruitment processes remain robust, safe and effective and should always refer to the six NHS employment check standards.
