New starter process
1. Offer letter
Once you have interviewed and appointed the successful candidate, you will need to submit an offer letter to them detailing their start date, hours, grade, job title, working pattern, base and any other relevant information.
This should be accompanied by the relevant day one statement of terms which may be found via the following link:
The offer letter should be accepted and signed by the employee and kept on their school file.
2. Evidence and DBS check
You should arrange a date as soon as possible for the successful candidate to come into school prior to starting, the purpose of this visit will be to provide evidence and initiate the DBS process, and bring in bank details (see point 7 regarding completing the bank details form) and any other personal data e.g. Certificates.
If you have not already obtained the employees evidence that they have the right to work in the UK, you should also do this. The Right to Work documents should be kept on the employees school file (clear quality colour photocopies) as should qualification certificates.
The DBS needs to be initiated online once you have the required evidence and information. At the end of this process you will receive confirmation from the Safe Staffing Team as to whether the employee has been granted DBS Clearance.
You should make every effort to gain this clearance before the employee commences their role.
If this process has not been started at the time of the Payroll team in HCC receiving the new starter paperwork, the employee will not be added to payroll for payment that month. To enable the employee to be added to payroll, the DBS check will need to be at the very least in progress (meaning the applicant has completed their section, and it has been sent to the DBS)
For further guidance on DBS checks, you can contact the Safe Staffing Team on 01992 555000 and then option 2 followed by option 1.
3. Occupational health
You will need to initiate the Occupational Health Clearance with your provider.
You should make every effort to gain this clearance before the employee commences their role.
For further guidance on medical checks, you should contact your Occupational Health provider directly.
4. References
If two references were not already sort at interview stage, they should be applied for prior to the employee starting their post, one of which must be the most recent/current employer.
You should also consider verifying any valid continuous service which may count toward the employee’s service/contractual entitlements.
Completed references should be kept on the employees school file.
5. Teaching qualifications and sanctions
If the new employee is a teacher, you should check their qualifications and whether there are any sanctions held against them via the Secure Access Website, this should be carried out before they take up their post. You will also be presented with the option to “own” this teacher within your school structure.
For further guidance on using Secure Access, you can contact employer.access@education.gov.uk
6. Emergency contact details
You should obtain the employee’s emergency contact details prior to appointment or on their first day of employment.
You should also take this opportunity to obtain any other details which you may need for operational purposes.
These should be held on their school file.
7. New starter form
You should complete the appropriate new starter form which can be found at:
HR payroll forms: Maintained schools
Once completed the form should be sent to the HR Payroll Team at HCC either via courier, royal mail or email (hrpayrollqueries@hertfordshire.gov.uk)
This form must be sent with the “personal and bank details” part b section.
You also need to attach the employee’s P45 or starter checklist.
You should take a copy of all the above documents and place on the employees school file.
The starter form and bank details must be sent to HCC's HR and Payroll team no later than the paperwork deadline date in order for the employee to be paid that month, payroll deadline dates can be found on:
- the forms should be completed in full and must be signed by an authorised signatory (in most cases the Headteacher) failure to do so could result in the employees not being set up onto the payroll system and paid.
- failure to send the 2 forms (new starter and Bank details) together could result in the new employee not being set up onto the payroll system and paid.
- if the forms arrived after the paperwork deadline date, the employee will not be paid until the end of the next month, the payment will be backdated.
For further guidance, you can contact the HR Payroll Team in HCC on 01992 556500 and option 5.
8. Contract of employment
Once the employee has been placed on the payroll system you will receive the employees contract of employment from the HR Payroll team at HCC, you should take this opportunity to check all the details are correct.
You should also check that the employee is appearing on the Nominal Roll and any other relevant reports and that their details are correct.
The employee should sign and accept their contract of employment and this should be retained on the employee's school file.
If you have any queries on the employees contract of employment, you can contact the HR Payroll Team in HCC on 01992 556500 and option 5.