References NHS | Mumsnet

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 2021-09-03T16:49:49+00:00

Anyone have any experience of trac.jobs? I have an offer for an NHS role, they are insisting on references for the last three years of employment, 2 of my previous employers have ignored all requests, won’t answer my emails or the phone to me. I provided a personal reference as an alternative, which trac initially said was fine, and now have changed their minds and said it has to be all employers within the last 3 years. Help!!!! I could get the offer withdrawn, but I can’t force them to give me references can I? They are companies with no HR departments.

moderndayslavery · 23/09/2023 23:10

I will do that on monday

Waitingaround · 23/09/2023 20:37

If no concerns have been raised up till now. I would contact HR and raise my concerns

moderndayslavery · 23/09/2023 13:31

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 14/09/2021 17:20

[quote Bakewellisntjustacake]@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills I'm dealing with trac and they're so useless. I've got a phone number for the recruitment team that definitely shouldn't have been given to me, but if it's a big hospital trust in the north west I can message you and give you that number? Keep on at the recruitment team, all you need is a character reference to cover 3 years.

The agency you worked for, is that nhs professionals? I've got a contact for the email address to request a reference from
Them if that's good? [/quote]
Thanks, but it’s the London Ambulance Service.

No, it’s a small ambulance agency based in Hertfordshire that I need to get the reference from.

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Bakewellisntjustacake · 14/09/2021 16:24

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills I'm dealing with trac and they're so useless. I've got a phone number for the recruitment team that definitely shouldn't have been given to me, but if it's a big hospital trust in the north west I can message you and give you that number? Keep on at the recruitment team, all you need is a character reference to cover 3 years.

The agency you worked for, is that nhs professionals? I've got a contact for the email address to request a reference from
Them if that's good?

Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 14/09/2021 15:28

FUCK!!!!!!

I’ve been told today that they are delaying my start date until January, because of ‘incomplete employment checks’

It’s not my fault! And I quit my job in the meantime.

I can’t force the agency I worked for to give me a reference. No HR department. I’ve already contacted them over 50 times.

Any more and I’ll probably get done for harrassment!

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aintnousernamelikenousername · 07/09/2021 21:38

I am having the EXACT same issue. Funnily enough I have applied for jobs at 3 different trusts through trac jobs. One didn't even ask for references and now one they won't accept personal email addresses. They would not budge on this at all and absolutely would withdraw my offer. Luckily I found a way around it with a different reference. So it's unlucky as it varies quite significantly but seems like they probably will withdraw the offer if they can't get any references. They usually require at least one employment and one character reference if they can't get two employment ones.

They can be really bad at replying. A few times they have asked me for information I have already given them or not responded and I have had to chase them. Again this varies a lot based on which trust.

Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 07/09/2021 11:00

[quote Toddlerteaplease]@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills they wouldn't accept my former colleagues personal
Email so I had to find another referee. Fortunately my manger has retired earlier than expected. But that was weeks ago and I'm
Still waiting for a start date. The person I'm
Covering will be back before I get to take her role on!
I've applied for a permanent band 6. I'm considering withdrawing the application, because this is ridiculous.[/quote]
Don’t give up!

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Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 06/09/2021 10:55

@Londonnight

I can't help, but I recently started working with the NHS and found the whole TRAC system really difficult. It has certainly been the most stressful application for a job that I have come across. You are dealing with faceless people, and if you have any problems there seems to be no one person to contact as each TRAC email has a different name.

Agreed.

They don’t read the emails that you send.

It’s almost like a computer sending replies to you.

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Londonnight · 06/09/2021 10:09

I can't help, but I recently started working with the NHS and found the whole TRAC system really difficult. It has certainly been the most stressful application for a job that I have come across. You are dealing with faceless people, and if you have any problems there seems to be no one person to contact as each TRAC email has a different name.

Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 06/09/2021 09:56

[quote Toddlerteaplease]@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills they wouldn't accept my former colleagues personal
Email so I had to find another referee. Fortunately my manger has retired earlier than expected. But that was weeks ago and I'm
Still waiting for a start date. The person I'm
Covering will be back before I get to take her role on!
I've applied for a permanent band 6. I'm considering withdrawing the application, because this is ridiculous.[/quote]
I know, I don’t know how the NHS expect to get staff when they make it so difficult

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HarrysChild · 06/09/2021 08:47

Have you still got the job advert link? Usually on the advert there’s a person to call for a chat about the role before you apply, and that won’t be someone from Trac that will be someone from the department you’re going to. Might be worth a try.

Toddlerteaplease · 05/09/2021 22:02

*returned not retired.

Toddlerteaplease · 05/09/2021 22:00

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills they wouldn't accept my former colleagues personal
Email so I had to find another referee. Fortunately my manger has retired earlier than expected. But that was weeks ago and I'm
Still waiting for a start date. The person I'm
Covering will be back before I get to take her role on!
I've applied for a permanent band 6. I'm considering withdrawing the application, because this is ridiculous.

OnGoldenPond · 05/09/2021 16:10

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills no she had also left the company years ago but she had the company listed on her Linked In profile and they accepted that. Could actually have been a complete randomer with a fake profile but I think the HR dept knew it was a ridiculous request but themz the rules

Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 05/09/2021 12:50

Booksnooks- I’m just saying that I wouldn’t normally have had that many jobs; but it was because of Covid.

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Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 05/09/2021 12:49

@OnGoldenPond

Not NHS but public sector. Had job offer from a schools academy trust. They wanted references from my last 5 employers which meant going back 20 years! The earliest one came back and said they didn't have the employment records from that far back so couldn't even confirm I had worked for them. In the end I managed to find the woman I had job shared with all that time ago on Linked In and she kindly confirmed my dates and role. Luckily she did as they were insistent that I had to get some kind of confirmation for that job. Ridiculous!

That’s good. Did that woman still work for the company?

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Booknooks · 05/09/2021 12:15

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

Booknooks-

I was with the same employer from 2015-2019

Then 2019-20- made redundant due to Covid

Got a new job November 2020- did it for 3 weeks then got lockedown

As a temporary job, I worked for an agency, during the last lockdown ( because my actual job was closed!!!! And got no furlough!)

Then lockdown ended and I went back to actual job and stopped doing agency shifts

I was not fired from any of the jobs!

I didn't say you were, but that is what they require the references for, to confirm this wasn't the case amongst other things, it is a lot of jobs in a relatively short space of time. They have said what they require, this sounds harsh but just saying the reality, you don't have skills or experience that they can't readily find elsewhere if its a training post, it's unlikely they will accept less than they have asked for. You have to find a way to gain references even if they're just confirmations of dates worked if you want the job.

Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 05/09/2021 12:09

Booknooks-

I was with the same employer from 2015-2019

Then 2019-20- made redundant due to Covid

Got a new job November 2020- did it for 3 weeks then got lockedown

As a temporary job, I worked for an agency, during the last lockdown ( because my actual job was closed!!!! And got no furlough!)

Then lockdown ended and I went back to actual job and stopped doing agency shifts

I was not fired from any of the jobs!

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OnGoldenPond · 05/09/2021 10:34

Not NHS but public sector. Had job offer from a schools academy trust. They wanted references from my last 5 employers which meant going back 20 years! The earliest one came back and said they didn't have the employment records from that far back so couldn't even confirm I had worked for them. In the end I managed to find the woman I had job shared with all that time ago on Linked In and she kindly confirmed my dates and role. Luckily she did as they were insistent that I had to get some kind of confirmation for that job. Ridiculous!

CurzonDax · 05/09/2021 08:06

Just wanted to add something to those saying you can't give bad reference. As others have stated, you can say whatever you want in a reference, as long as it is truthful.

Around 6-7 years ago, I was in a job which I hated, mostly because I did not get on with my line manager at all. However, I did mt job as best as I could, was never put on any disciplinary or anything - we just didn't on.

I was then offered another job, but the offer was withdrawn, which I suspected was due to the reference. I therefore requested to see my references (think it may have been under the Freedom if Information Act, but I'm not too sure now), which confirmed my suspicions that I had received a bad reference. I arranged a meeting with my line manager's manager and took a copy of the reference with me. I also took a copy if my last appraisal, and a couple other bits I had (emails, etc), and highlighted passages in them which directly contradicted the negative reference (he was actually quite shocked to see the reference).

I make it very clear that I did not wish to make an official complaint/take anything further (it would have been far too much hassle), but instead I was was going to continue looking for a new job, and would put him down as a reference in future, not my line manager - he agreed to this. Two weeks later, I got offered another job, and no further issues arose.

OP - sorry, I can't help with your specific issue, but think others here have instead. Good luck with it - the role itself seems great!

Booknooks · 05/09/2021 07:20

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

Booknooks-

My most recent job gave me a glowing reference, so did my job before the other two. In addition, I supplied a personal reference.

The agency job was only a temporary one during the last lockdown, they have loads of people coming and going and they hardly knew me at all.

All trac require is confirmation that you did the role you said you did for the time you said you did. Have you contacted the general contact at the agency and asked them to provide this if a manager won't? It's a lot of jobs in 3 years which of course, life happens, but that's probably also why they're keen to get them to see why you have moved so much ie were you fired etc basically.

Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 05/09/2021 07:12

Booknooks-

My most recent job gave me a glowing reference, so did my job before the other two. In addition, I supplied a personal reference.

The agency job was only a temporary one during the last lockdown, they have loads of people coming and going and they hardly knew me at all.

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Booknooks · 05/09/2021 00:43

@daisypond

Can people give a negative reference?

Absolutely, as long as it’s true. That’s the whole point of references.

There has been a rumour around for a while that places cannot give bad references, in reality they can, but most don't unless there's 'evidence' such as disciplinary procedures in case someone comes back as they didn't get a job and the reference was seen as subjective. Most have a policy now of only confirming very basic details from HR such as x worked here in y role for z dates.

OP to be honest it sounds like the job is a great opportunity and that they wouldn't have been short of applicants, unfortunately this will affect the amount of effort and risk of deviating from policy that they take. For me red flags would be waving is both of a candidates previous jobs weren't responding or willing/able to provide references. I know you say you have emailed them, but the onus really is on you to get them to respond; is there any other way of contacting them?

Original poster

BluebelllsRosesDaffodills · 05/09/2021 00:38

@Toddlerteaplease

I've only had to provide two references. However one of mine didn't tell me she was retiring early. Then my manger went on emergency leave. I applied for the job in June and still haven't got a start date. Arghh!!

What did you do in the end?

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