5.9        RECRUITMENT

 

DATED:             December, 2005

SOURCED:        Donald H. Weiss, 1991, Fair Square and Legal: Safe Hiring & Firing Practices to Keep You and Your Company Out of Court

 

SOURCED:        Scott Lucas, Getting It Right: Guidelines for People Management, Miles Witt Partnership (Industrial Relations Manual - Membership subscription continuously updated)

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POLICY

 

Bayside Family Day Care will provide a fair, ethical and transparent process for the recruitment and selection of staff.

 

PROCEDURE

 

  • Review position description & selection criteria  - include information that prior to commencement, all staff, Carers and adult occupants of the Carers home must have a positive notice to work with children
  • Prepare employment contract
  • Prepare interview questions based on selection criteria
  • Maintain confidentiality at all stages of the process
  • Advertise the position through the job network, employment agency and/or media
    • Include equal opportunity & non-discrimination statement encouraging suitably qualified and experienced people from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply
    • Avoid discriminatory language, eg reference to age marital status, children, health
    • Refer all applicants to www.baysidefamilydaycare.com website for further information about the scheme

 

SPECIFIC RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE FOR STAFF

  • Consider speculative applications currently on file
  • Send Position Description and Selection Criteria to all potential applicants
  • All applicants to write to the selection criteria
  • Manager and President to shortlist applicants based on PD and selection criteria
  • Manager and President decide who to interview from the shortlist
  • Arrange panel participants, time and venue for interviews
  • Manager to contact interviewees to arrange a time for the interview
  • Positively reflect the service in the eyes of all applicants – whether successful or not

 

INTERVIEWING FOR STAFF

  • Panel to be no more than three
  • Allow a time for completing assessment at the end of the interview
  • Interview all applicants on the same day where possible
  • Provide the same information to all applicants
  • Use the same set of questions for each applicant. Further questions can be asked to clarify the selection criteria
  • Do not use any discriminatory written statements or those related to personal attributes (e.g. - age, weight, race, etc)
  • Do not make any false, misleading or potentially defamatory comments about the job, the facility any past or present employees
  • The following points may be covered
    • Work history
    • Qualifications
    • Skills/experience
    • Teamwork/leadership
    • Communication/presentation
    • Commitment to service
    • Commitment to self-development
    • Attitude/aptitude
    • Motivation/drive
  • Seek permission to confidentially contact referees
  • Close the interview

 

SELECTION FOR STAFF

  • After all interviews, discuss and compare and select
  • If unable to select, then
    • Interview the best candidates again, or
    • Readvertise
  • Check referees. This step is to be carried out before an offer of employment being made
  • Contact all applicants who have not been successful and inform them that they have been unsuccessful. If any information can be passed onto the person about their interview that may assist them then ask them if they want feedback, if so, then give them the information.
  • Make a verbal offer of employment
  • Arrange a start date
  • Prepare letter of offer of employment and contract of employment and forward to the successful applicant
  • Successful applicant to return signed letter of offer agreeing to position description and signed contract of employment

 

ORIENTATION FOR STAFF

  • New employee to begin orientation consisting of:
    • Within the first week on the job, a full day orientation programme to fully inform the new worker of the structure of FDC, accountability structures, OH&S, culture, etc
    • Provision of:
      • A Staff Handbook
      • State legislation (Child Care Act and Regulation)
      • Federal legislation (Funding Guidelines)
      • Scheme Philosophy, Mission, Values, & Goals for Activities
      • Job Description
      • Conditions of Employment
      • Policy & Procedures Manual including information about the Grievance & Complaints Policy & Procedures
      • Introduction to Quality Assurance Guidelines

 

    • Sign a document to say they have read the P&P Book and agree to its contents and to abide by all legislative requirements
    • Provide other documents necessary for the worker to carry out their duties
    • Introduce to all others in the organisation
    • All coordination team members to assist in the on-the-job learning process of the new employee so that they are fully supported in learning the job
    • New coordination team member will be teamed with an experienced staff person to provide support and to mentor their interactions with children, families and carers. Where this is not available within the service, mentoring may be sought outside the service

 

PROBATIONARY PERIOD

There is an initial three monthly probationary period in place to assess the capacity of the staff member to carry out the duties of the job. At the completion of the three month period the Manager will either terminate the employment contract of the employee, if unsuitable, or recommend the employee for permanent employment.

  

SUPERVISION AND SUPPORT OF STAFF

There is an annual performance appraisal system in place for all staff members, which includes a six monthly review of goals. This process is used to support workers to identify goals and to address any difficulties they may be having with their jobs. Training needs are identified through this process and planning put in place. This service supports the professional development of all staff within budgetary constraints.

 

The Manager undertakes the performance appraisal of other members of the Coordination Unit and the President of the Sponsor undertakes the performance appraisal of the Manager.

  

SPECIFIC RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE FOR CARERS

The first phase of the recruitment process is selection, which is conducted over a series of interviews where the applicant, staff and existing Carer/s exchange information about the job of Care Provider and the applicants capacity to succeed in that role.

 

At any stage of the process where it emerges that the applicant can not fulfil the selection criteria for the role of Care Provider, the Coordination team can reject the application. The unsuccessful applicant will be informed in writing where their application has been declined

 

The approval of the applicant to become a Care Provider will not proceed without the agreement of all parties, including the support of all adult occupants within the home.

 

Following selection, the second phase of the recruitment process is an orientation program providing information to prepare the Carer for the administrative aspect of the job of Care Provider.

 

The final stage of the recruitment process is the orientation training program where the coordination unit informs the Carer of the most essential aspects of the role of Care Provider.

 

PART ONE:       SELECTION PROCESS FOR CARERS

 

  • Initial Telephone Enquiry - document the applicant’s contact details and previous experience; make a time for the first visit
  • First Visit – Manager or delegate to take an Information Pack to the prospective Carer which includes a role description, selection criteria, information about the roles and responsibilities of the Carers family, Partner’s Information Booklet that describes the impact of providing care in a family home
  • Carer Visit - Offer the prospective Carer a visit with an existing Carer. Gather feedback from Carer
  • Second Visit -- Coordinator to conduct the second visit to prospective Carer reviewing and discussing application forms and legislative requirements.
  • Family/adult occupants Visit - A Coordinator will meet the partner/adult occupants in the home to discuss aspects of providing care in a family home
  • Third Visit  - Coordinator to conduct the third visit to prospective Carer to discuss programming and planning the environment         
  • Fourth Visit  - The Coordinator provides the Carer with all the relevant information required to undertake the job
    • A Carer Handbook
    • State legislation Child Care Act and Regulation
    • Scheme Philosophy, Mission, Values, & Goals for Activities
    • Role Description for Carers
    • Policy & Procedures Manual including information about the Grievance & Complaints Policy & Procedures
    • Introduction to Quality Assurance Guidelines

 

PART TWO:       ORIENTATION PROCESS FOR CARERS - PREPARATION                                                                                 

Step One -       Administration Interview          - contract is signed

Step Two   -      Home Safety Checklist

Step Three -      Office & Home Profiles            

Step Four -       Harmony/Timesheets

Step Four -       Home Office Email Access

Step Five –       Ensure all steps have been completed in the approval process

 

PART THREE:     ORIENTATION PROCESS FOR CARERS - TRAINING

 

Session One – Occupational Health & Safety                                   

Session Two –   Guiding Children’s Behaviour & Wellbeing, and

Child Protection information for the Carer and for family members

Session Three – Programming & Inclusion

Session Four -               Management Committee 

 

When reviewing the Recruitment Policy and procedures, and evaluating the effectiveness of the orientation process, the views of Carers and staff will be sought through the Advisory Committee mechanism.

 

CARER REAPPROVAL PROCESS

 

The Manager and Carer undertake an initial three monthly review of the Carers performance, and, where a re-approval Certificate is issued, the re-approval process is conducted on an annual basis.