Where can I find out if qualifications are required for the role?
If qualifications are required for a role it will be stated within the ‘Qualifications’ section of the Person Specification (PS). The PS can be found in the 'Documents' section of the Trac vacancy.
Please be aware that the PS is often within the 'Job Description' (JD) document.
Qualifications stated as essential criteria
Where qualifications are stated as essential criteria, HR Shared Services (HRSS) will request copies of the relevant qualification via the Amiqus Digital pre-employment checking (DPEC) system during the pre-employment checking stage of a recruitment.
Qualifications stated as desirable criteria
If qualifications are set as ‘desirable’ criteria, no qualifications will be requested as part of the pre-employment checking stage.
How are Qualifications submitted?
Once the candidate receives their offer letter, HRSS will review the vacancy to understand if Qualifications are essential criteria. If qualifications are an essential requirement, HRSS will include a request for qualification on the candidate’s Digital Pre-employment Checking (DPEC) request. The candidate will then be required to provide copies of the qualifications via the secure system.
Accepting equivalent experience
RM’s or their Delegate can authorise accepting equivalent experience, even where this is not specified on the Job Description or Person Specification.
HRSS will continue to request the qualifications from the candidate until the RM or their delegate confirm, qualifications are not required.
Waiving Qualifications
RM’s or their Delegate have the authority to request qualifications be waived, even if they are stated as essential on the Person Specification.
This request would need to be made in writing by contacting the HR Shared Services (HRSS) Query team or by replying to a Trac communication received into your outlook relating to the vacancy.
Qualification replacement documentation
If a candidate cannot provide the original qualification certificates, they can provide a letter from their place of study instead. The letter will need to detail the dates and title of the course taken.
Approval is not required to accept this document providing it is on official letterhead from the learning institution.
If a replacement letter is provided where it has not been printed using an official letterhead, HRSS will need to send the letter to the NHS BSA Corporate HR team to ask for approval.