DS NHS job; worried re DBS and occupational health. MH related.

[Mindgoinground12]

Sorry if this is completely the wrong place but had no idea were to put it!

So DS recently applied for a job as a HCA in a general hospital and was over the moon when he got offered the job!! He is also in the process of applying for children's nursing in 2020 and has received 4 offers of interview. Is currently going through the pre employment checks; enhanced DBS check, references, occupational health ect references are fine. But very worried about OH review and DBS check, he has never been in trouble with the police but have been sectioned under a 136 (more than once) while under 18 this included restraints, handcuffs ect because he really was not well, no direct violence against the public or others, never arrested. He has had a psychiatric admission again under 18 that included being on a section 2/3. He is doing so well at the moment and i am so proud, given where we were last year he is engaging with MH teams, only sees them once a month or less is complying with medication ect. He did disclose MH problems on the OH form, but not the full extent- he didn't lie though and all his diagnoses. I/he am just worried about what will show up on DBS check as its enhanced (it includes information held by local police force) and OH health, although they haven't got permission to access his health records yet. They have offered him an appointment in two weeks time so it hasn't been a straight no.
I believe and so does his CPN that his MH will not impact his ability to practice as he has a lot to cope with at home and non of this has made his MH decline.
Anyone been in similar?

The Section 136's will not show on a DBS but I would be more concerned that he has not fully disclosed on his OH. OH cannot access his health records without permission but it is very much in his interests to be 100% honest when he goes for his appointment. Should his employers find out he has not been honest it can be grounds for dismissal. being detaiend under the MHA is not an automatic reason to withdraw a job offer but his employers need to know so they can support him adequately.

Its not that he wasn't fully honest the online form said 'do you have any MH conditions that may need reasonable adjustments.' I believe he put something on the lines of 'i have a diagnoses of PTSD, I am taking medications (he did list them), I am under MH teams engaging well and have had hospital treatment in the past' it wasn't a big box and didn't ask specific questions so he didnt lie nor not be honest. He said he will have a fully frank conversation at his occupational health assessment face to face. Will him saying he has been sectioned be a problem.

I think that's fair enough then. I would not have thought that disclosing a detention would be a problem - the NHS after all should be an understanding employer! (I'm an NHS Manager...)The main thing is that he is getting treatment. It's more that employers need to be aware so they can support him if necessary.
Good Luck to him

My husband is a senior NHS manager (Im a nurse whos been through OH many times!) & deals with this all the time, please dont worry, everyone has a history. They can not and will not discriminate on the basis of mental health and diagnosis such asa his will come under the disability discrimination act which OH will be very aware of. Their bread and butter is assessing people with existing and new diagnosis in mental health and how they can support them at work. Tell your son to be totally honest, the OH assessment is not there to catch you out, it is there to ensure that you can work together to create a positive and supportive environment for employees. It has to be mutual and he is far better off just explaining everything, they will have heard it all before and then some. Once in post its wise to have a chat with his line manager too, just so they are a ware. Please dont get wound up about it x

It won’t be a problem at all. I’m a student children’s nurse and have cPTSD and anxiety. It’s never been an issue with occupational health as I have always engaged well with services, been honest and sought support from Uni when needed. Never a problem during the application process for Uni or a bank HCA position either. I know several student nurses and qualifieds who have long-standing MH illnesses including history of s136s and section 2/3s. Good luck to him! Nothing to worry about at all , and fab because we need more males in children’s nursing!

Thank you all so much! You have put my mind at rest. The pre employment checks take so long, so i believe thats not helping as its very drawn out. May i ask is there a point they would turn round and say no? And hes always wanted to be a childrens' nurse he loves medcine and working with children so that couldn't be more perfect, he's hoping being a man will play in his favour at interview, isn't it something like 4% of children's nurses are men?

I am a mental health nurse and I have several colleagues who have mental health disorders, and at least two who have been sectioned before.

I would very strongly hope that this isn't held against him. I don't think it will be.

I also don't think the MH info will come back from a DBS check. I've never seen anything except cautions and convictions come back from these.

I do think he will be better being totally honest, both with OH and his manager. They are there to support him. I used to work with a fantastic nurse who had bipolar disorder, but if the manager hadn't been able to suggest she tool some time off on a couple of occasions when she was at the early side of being unwell things could have been more tricky.

The 136s May show up if it’s an enhanced DBS check, if it’s deemed relevant to the job. This won’t automatically mean he doesn’t get the job though.

By relevant I mean if he was violent during the incident, posed a risk to anyone else (including officers) etc. From what you’ve said, I’d say there is a reasonable chance it will be (I’ve detained many many people and handcuffs are rarely necessary). It will not stop him getting the job but he does need to be honest about it when/if he is asked.

@Mindgoinground12 If they determined that he is currently not well enough to practice safely and effectively - therefore he’s a danger to himself or others because of his mental illness and therefore you’re not meeting the NMC code. You have to be pretty unwell to be at that point, so at the stage of voluntary hospitalisation or sectioning. He sounds like he’s got a lot of self-awareness and management of his conditions and that will reassure them that he’s in recovery rather than actively acutely unwell.

It will play in his favour, being a man. I help facilitate interview days for student children’s nurses and we always remember the male applicants. There’s around 180 student children’s nurses at my university and 3 are male, so do the maths!

Thanks again, yes hes been in handcuffs and leg restraints not for being violent as such, restraints made him a lot worse (flashbacks and disassociation) and made him run away constantly and freak out so they always put them on if anything it made them back of more, hes never been told of/cautioned/arrested for being violent, although once he did hold knife he was using to self harm again not told of for this and he didnt use it against anyone. If it did come up which i understand it might would he be told before it went to his employers? What would it say?

a bump for my previous question...

So his DBS came back clear yesterday he actually cried when it happened hes going to OH soon got letter through today.

Excellent, so pleased for him. It is honestly nothing at all to be concerned about, he will be just fine x

Argh, I don't know if anyone's about.
So DS went to OH today and they need to get a report from gp but it looks like he won't get the job as apprently his problems are to soon and a few years should have gone by. He's been so stable recently hasn't SH in ages, goes out all the time is in part time education. But because he was in hospital recently that's writes him of. He's crying know and saying he's a failure and I don't know what to say for the best. He's a wonderful boy and would have made a wonderful HCA. The said the wait for the gp report could be a few weeks so he's gonna be worried. He said he wished he'd lied and said he had no problems as then he would have been cleared today, what kind of a world do we live in when you feel lying about MH and illness is the best way to go.