Mosaic LGBT+ Young Persons’ Trust, Charity Number 1166676

 

Policy Owner: FRG Committee

Review Cycle: 30 Months

Next Review Date: Sept 2027 (Updated and re-approved March 2025)

 

M Mindful

O Open

S Safe

A Agile

I Inclusive

C Community

1. Introduction

 

The purpose of this policy is to set out the minimum requirements of a recruitment process for employees and volunteers of Mosaic that aims to:

• attract the best possible applicants to vacancies.
• attract a diverse range of candidates who reflect the diversity of the young persons we support, educate and inspire.
• deter prospective applicants who are unsuitable for work with young LGBT+ persons.
• identify and reject applicants who are unsuitable for work with young LGBT+ persons. 

 

2. Statutory Requirements

 

All recruitment at Mosaic will match the relevant statutory requirements and the hiring manager will be responsible for ensuring that they know what they are, and requesting guidance if they are unsure.  Guidance can be provided by the Chair and for complex issues we have an external HR advisor.

 

3. Hiring approval and initiating the process

 

Any recruitment at Mosaic, for volunteers or for staff, must have a single lead person who is the hiring manager and is responsible for ensuring this policy is adhered to. 

 

The hiring manager, working with either the Executive Director or Chair of Trustees as appropriate, will identify a panel of trustees and staff.  The diversity of that panel is key and it would not be appropriate to have, for example, a panel comprised only of cisgender, white men.   The panel will be involved at every stage of the process and should 

 

• sign off the job description and person specification
• sign off the selection procedure
• take a full part in the drawing up of a short list of candidates for interview
• take a full part in the interviews

 

It is not considered good practice to have people who are participating in only part of the process and this should be avoided whenever possible. 

 

Any hiring where the candidate will become a paid employee of Mosaic requires approval from the Trustees before any public aspects of the process are started.  The salary range must be agreed and the approval, and the salary, must be minuted.   The majority of the recruitment panel must be Trustees 

 

Inviting Applications

 

All advertisements for posts must include the statement:

“Mosaic is committed to safeguarding our young persons.   All postholders who have any access to our young persons are subject to a satisfactory DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check where appropriate.    Not all criminal convictions will deem a person unsuitable.”

 

Prospective applicants will be supplied with or given access to the following:

• job description and person specification
• The salary for the role 
• The selection procedure for the post

 

The job description and person specification must be carefully scrutinised to ensure that they do not include things which exclude candidates who would be perfectly able to fulfil the role.   

 

In planning where to advertise the post the hiring manager must consider how to attract the widest selection of suitable candidates.    The starting point of a diverse workforce is an advert, worded to attract the broadest range of candidates, and placed where it will be widely seen.   Hiring managers should take advice on this from those with experience in this area.  

 

Application process

 

The application process should be designed to remove bias wherever possible. For paid roles this should be a thorough process that anonymises applications and focuses on the key tasks.   

 

For example the application process might be a CV plus answering three questions which directly relate to the person specification and requirements for the role. 

 

The shortlisting then done by scoring the answers to the three questions. 

 

If this route is taken only one person should know which candidate, with which CV gave which answers.  Once scoring is complete, and before the final short list is drawn up the panel may see the CV and ensure that they have a representative selection of candidates.

 

For trustee roles it is acceptable to ask for a CV and a short statement on why you are applying.  This is because providing the candidate meets the minimum requirements for the role they will be short listed for interview.   Minimum requirements for the role will be a) that they are LGBT+    b) that they have some level of skill or interest in the area being recruited for.

 

Short-listing 

 

Short-listing of candidates will be against the person specification for the post.    The final short list should reflect the diverse nature of the young persons we support.   

 

At short listing the panel will:

• score the applications from candidates against the person specification
• refer to the CVs to ensure they have a diverse group of candidates
• decide who should be invited for interview
• identify if there are any gaps in employment/education on the CVs of short-listed candidates, which will need further information
• designate one of the group to investigate any gaps by speaking to the candidate
• designate one of the group to do a social media check for due diligence to ensure that the candidate is not harbouring views contrary to Mosaic’s fundamental values

 

The Selection Process

 

Selection techniques will be determined by the nature and duties of the vacant post, but all vacancies will require an interview of short-listed candidates. Wherever possible, young persons supported by Mosaic will be involved in the selection process. Ideally, there will be a young persons panel and a panel of trustees and staff. 

The panel of trustees and staff will be required to decide, a week or so before the interviews take place, what the questions are that they will ask.  They will also need to decide what questions they plan to share with candidates several days before the interview.  As a general rule unless the role has as a major requirement “thinking quickly and answering unexpected questions” then candidates should have the questions shared with them beforehand. 

 

For logistical reasons, and because it mimics reality, the young persons panel will not share questions beforehand. 

 

Interviews will always be face-to-face – though it may be via visual electronic link. Interviews for paid roles must always be with at least three adults When interviews are face to face it must be made clear to candidates beforehand that reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. 

 

Candidates will always be required:

• to explain satisfactorily any gaps in employment;
• to explain satisfactorily any anomalies or discrepancies in the information available to recruiters;
• to declare any information that is likely to appear on a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check;
• explain any issue raised through social media checks 

 

Checks prior to working/volunteering 

 

All successful applicants are required:

• to provide proof of identity;
• to complete a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check and receive satisfactory clearance as appropriate;
• to provide certificates of qualifications required for the post;
• to provide proof of eligibility to live and work in the UK.
• Candidates for paid positions must provide details of their last employment and if shorter than 1 year, then their last two employments.  The hiring manager should check with the employer that the person was not dismissed for anything that would make them unsuitable for Mosaic.   

 

Communicating the final decision 

 

Candidates who do not make the short list should receive a short note thanking them for applying, but explaining they were unsuccessful

Candidates who are interviewed but not successful should receive a short note thanking them for applying, but explaining they were unsuccessful and offering to give them constructive feedback on their performance 

 

Safer Recruitment

 

Mosaic operates a clearly defined Safer Recruitment framework embedded within our wider recruitment process. This subsection reiterates our commitment to preventing unsuitable individuals from working with young persons and ensures transparency about how safeguarding checks are undertaken.

 

1. Safeguarding Commitment

All recruitment materials state Mosaic’s commitment to safeguarding. All candidates are informed that roles involving regulated activity are subject to Enhanced DBS checks with the barred list and rigorous pre-appointment screening.

 

2. Pre-Appointment Checks

Before any staff member or volunteer commences duties, Mosaic will complete the following checks, as applicable: verification of identity; right to work in the UK; verification of qualifications; at least two references for paid roles (including the most recent employer); and satisfactory DBS clearance, where required.

References are obtained directly from referees and specifically ask about suitability to work with young persons and any safeguarding concerns.

 

3. DBS Process and Renewal

Roles involving regulated activity require an Enhanced DBS check with the barred list. No individual may begin a regulated activity until satisfactory clearance has been received.

DBS checks will be renewed every three years, or sooner if concerns arise or the role changes. The Executive Director maintains a secure central record of DBS checks and renewal dates.

 

4. Volunteers, Sessional and Part-Time Staff

Volunteer recruitment includes application, interview, reference checks where appropriate, DBS checks where required, and a safeguarding induction prior to unsupervised engagement. Sessional and part-time workers are subject to the same safer recruitment standards as permanent staff.

 

5. Induction and Ongoing Safeguarding

All new staff and volunteers complete safeguarding induction before working unsupervised with young persons. This includes safeguarding training, Code of Conduct review, reporting procedures, professional boundaries and supervision arrangements.

 

Record Keeping and Data Protection

 

Recruitment records and safeguarding checks are stored securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR as well as Mosaic’s Data Protection.  Recruitment documentation is retained for six years following the conclusion of the process.