All Questions
Appointment and recruitment – new requirements
For new staff (employees)
The council will be required to ensure that employees have been provided with their written statement of employment particulars before they start or at the latest on day 1. With Unit4 ERP, these documents will also be attached to their personnel record in readiness for when they start.
For new staff (casual workers)
The same will apply as for employees (above). The engagement letter will set out the offer of casual engagement.
What do managers need to do?
Managers will be required to ensure that the following are in place in advance of the actual start date in order to enable Employment Services to issue the offer of appointment letter and written statement of employment particulars before, or at the latest on, the start date. This should be a minimum of seven working days prior to the confirmed start date:
- All online recruitment processes are completed
- Pre-employment checks are complete
- Details of working hours, working days and working patterns are confirmed in writing
- A start date has been confirmed and notified in writing
HR business partners are advising managers of the appropriate changes. Please speak to your business partner if you require clarification or have any concerns regarding these changes.
How do I find out about council vacancies?
All council vacancies are listed on our e-recruitment site.
How do I handle requests for work experience placements?
Note: the term ‘student’ is used throughout these FAQs and refers to anyone who applies for work experience.
What is work experience?
Offering work experience to younger students can help them understand how the workplace operates and more importantly give them an insight into the career that they may be considering in the future. It may also help them expand their insights into other roles that they may not have previously considered. It may also provide older students with an insight if they are considering a career change.
Who is eligible to apply for a work experience placement?
Anyone - it may be a school student or it may be someone looking for a career change.
Do we accept placements?
Yes, we'll consider all applications received. Individual service areas are responsible for managing these requests and no corporate approval is required as long as the service can commit the time to hosting the placement.
For queries regarding work experience placements please contact: Upskill@shropshire.gov.uk
What’s the process for students who want to apply for a placement?
Students will need to complete an application form and submit their request to Upskill@shropshire.gov.uk
A member of the Upskill team will pass on the application to the appropriate service area for review.
I've received an application, what do I do?
You will need to consider whether this placement can be offered and then write to the student accepting or declining the application, giving appropriate reasons for decline if it can't be supported at this time.
If the opportunity can be offered, you'll need to consider what needs to be put in place for the student.
What do I need to consider?
Ensure that you've delegated appropriate preparation time to provide the student with the required information. Plan activities, provide learning resources and offer regular feedback. You may find the employee day 1 induction checklist useful, which can be found under Appendix 1 in the Young people and work experience policy.
In terms of health and safety, a work experience student should be treated the same as an employee.
If you're taking on a student, the appropriate risk assessment will need to be completed to ensure that any potential risks are identified and managed appropriately. You can find a template risk assessment under appendix B in the Young people and work experience policy.
If you want the student to have access to any internal systems such as email/network folders or other systems then they need to sign an ‘access to information or systems by third parties/individuals’ agreement'.
You would then need to complete the appropriate form to enable them to be granted access to the relevant IT systems.
Do I need to arrange any additional employer liability insurance?
No. Our existing insurance policy covers work experience students.
Do I need to provide any information to the school that the student attends?
You may be asked to provide proof of our employers’ liability insurance. If this is requested, you can find it using the above link.You may be required to provide evidence of completed risk assessments. At the end of the placement, you may be contacted to provide feedback on the students’ experience.
Will the student require a DBS?
Work experience students will require a DBS if they're aged 16 years and over and if the nature of the service area will require one. For further guidance around DBS requirements please contact resourcing@shropshire.gov.uk
What other information is available to me?
Please refer to the Shropshire Council Young people and work experience guidance for more information.
You may find the following information useful when hosting a placement:
Manager guidance on agency workers
Guidance for Shropshire Council staff on using Opus for agency staff recruitment
As part of our commitment to streamlining processes and ensuring consistency in agency staff recruitment, Shropshire Council is now exclusively partnering with Opus People Solutions for the recruitment of all agency staff. The site is accessed through the Matrix platform Matrix-CR - Welcome
What this means for staff
- Centralised recruitment: All agency staff recruitment must now be processed through Opus People Solutions
- No exceptions: This applies to all departments and services within Shropshire Council
- Approval required: All appointments and extensions to placements must be approved by the Workforce Board before any arrangements are made
Benefits of using Opus
- Cost-effective solutions: Competitive rates and transparent processes
- Quality candidates: Access to a broad network of qualified professionals
- Streamlined process: A single point of contact for all recruitment needs, saving time and resources
- Compliance: Assurance that recruitment aligns with employment regulations and council policies
Actions required
- Cease using alternative providers: Any arrangements with other agencies must be concluded. All new requirements should be directed to Opus People Solutions
- Seek Workforce Board approval: Before making any appointments or extending placements, ensure the proposal has been reviewed and approved by the Workforce Board
- Contact Opus for recruitment needs: Visit their website here for more information and to submit recruitment requests
- Update internal processes: Ensure that all team members responsible for recruitment are aware of this change and follow the new procedures
- Feedback and support: Direct any questions or feedback about the transition to your departmental HR contact or the central HR team
Implementation timeline
This policy is effective immediately. All recruitment requests and placement extensions must adhere to this new process.
By partnering with Opus People Solutions and centralising approvals through the Workforce Board, we are confident in delivering a more efficient and effective recruitment process that supports the needs of our teams and the council as a whole.
As a manager, what are my responsibilities when an agency worker is recruited?
An induction should be carried out with the agency worker and ensure that day one rights are discussed.
The agency may contact you to ensure the required standards are being met by the agency worker during their employment with you. You can also contact the Agency at any time to discuss their performance or any other issues.
Who is responsible for managing sickness absence of agency workers?
The agency are responsible for managing sickness absence and will notify the manager of any absences. Agency workers are not entitled to receive occupational sick pay however will receive statutory sick pay through the agency, as applicable.
Are agency workers entitled to annual leave?
Agency workers are eligible to receive annual leave through the agency who will notify the manager of the details and to make arrangements for a replacement, if necessary.
What should a job description include?
When compiling the job description you should focus on the functional or operational side of the position in question. There is some simple information to be included, but it is important that you are clear about what the role entails so as not to give a false impression of the job to prospective candidates.
Think of a job description as providing a “snapshot” of the job; it needs to communicate clearly and concisely what responsibilities and tasks the job entails, including the conditions of service, which form part of an employee contract.
It is important to make a job description practical by keeping it functional and current. Don't get stuck with an inflexible job description as it will you keep your employees from trying anything new and learning how to perform their job more productively. A well-written job description will help you avoid hearing a refusal to carry out a relevant assignment because "it isn't in my job description."
Realistically speaking, many jobs are subject to change, due either to personal growth, organisational development and/or the evolution of new technologies. Flexible job descriptions will encourage your employees to grow within their positions and learn new things.
Job descriptions should be appealing and attractive to potential candidates.
Using our template, you will need to include the following:
- Job title, post number and grade of the post (this can be found on your establishment list)
- Service area and team: You need to insert what team the post is based in and what the main activity is - detailing how it ties into the our corporate vision
- Level and purpose of the post: This is the opportunity to provide an overview of the service area and the objectives of the role, giving applicants a good feel of the service
- Key responsibilities: This should indicate who the post-holder would be reporting to and any other members of staff that might report to them. For higher level posts you can give an indication of the budget, assets or projects they might oversee
- Main duties: This should be the bulk of the job description, providing a list of the main duties and tasks of the post, eg, maintaining files and records
- Conditions of service: This section should detail the work location, the hours and status of the post. There are some helpful prompts included regarding leave and notice periods, but if you are unsure of any of the service conditions then do contact us
The key thing to remember when writing a job description is that it will serve as a major basis for outlining job training and conducting future job evaluations.