Hi
Can anyone clarify something for me please? I recently applied for HCA position at minimum wage for live in care. After sending in cv etc was asked to provide every job I’d done since I was 18 to get clearance to join the CGC then SSSC according to the form I was applying to this was compulsory. Took me a week to try and remember 42 years worth of jobs… I am 63. Quite stressful too as in some cases bought up where I was at in my personal life during periods in the past. Is this absolutely necessary for a HCA position? Is this a new thing? Job centre recommendations also say cv should only be 2 pages at most and only need go back max 10 years and if you have an enhanced PVG (!I do and belong to the online scheme) not necessary to go back any further. With the shortage of carers I did not find this an encouraging development. Thoughts? Comments? A similar experience? I’ve NEVER even when I needed security clearance for the MOD had to go back so far for basically a job that has absolutely NOTHING to do with me working in a tea room 42 years ago! Flabbergasted. Not only that but they emailed my referees AND then phoned them! Did I accidentally apply for MI5?? Minimum wage remember not an executive position.
Hi Johanne
I bet they want complete employment history as some people try to hide things they dont want to disclose. For instance time in one of Her Majesties Secure Establishments… Gaps can raise questions about what WERE you doing from xxx to yyy?
While I understand the reason behind it, this creates a terrible burden for the person like you, who has to go back for so many years and bring to mind matters which you hoped were dealt with. I bet they are simply trying to cover their a**es in case something ever came to light.
My sister worked for a while teaching at NATO in Brussels and she had to provide a referee who knew the family well. Poor guy ended up being quizzed for FOUR hours and asked all sorts of things about our family trying to see if what she put on her application matched with what he said! At the end of it he rang my Dad and said ‘blimey that was worse than any security interview I had when I was in RAF’ (he was a retired Wing Commander) It wasn’t as if she was even in one of their High Security posts or building - just teaching English as a Second Language to staff!! That level seems to have reached Care Workers now!!!
Thanks Chris. I was civil service and have just returned from 2 years working as a x carer in the Falklands where I even got a nice clearance back with me from the Falklands police! As it happens they aren’t providing Public liability insurance which I find very odd and also managed to p off one of my senior referees ( he’s a Professor at Ninewells hospital!) by as your Wing Commander said quizzing for ages also late with the phone appt.
I don’t want to work for this shower and seriously if they want older more experienced carers who do their jobs sometimes a little more willingly then I suggest they review the criteria. If there’s no police record and 10 years of checkable references it should be enough. Even if someone has been fired for whatever reason they deserve a second chance surely? What about complete change of career for some? With the desperate need for carers it’s rather ironic that the hotel trade which was notorious for massive turnover of staff and poor wages is now becoming more appealing than care. Carer £10.50 ph
Kitchen Porter £14 ph
I rest my case. Thank you for replying though.
Jo
The problem is everyone wants to cover their a***s these days. Its all about damage limitation which means you have to assume someone is a bad 'un until they prove different. I know there are always rotten apples but for goodness sake!
I agree with you over wages - I despair! I bet KPs wouldn’t clean up after someone who has continence problems - even at their rate of pay! Yet Carers - and us unpaid ones do it!!)