NHS character reference

[conxove]

I've recently been offered a job within fhe NHS. I put down 4 references in my original application and they've contacted all 4 for a reference. They have now asked me for 2 additional character references to cover the gap between now and when I graduated this summer. They said that the character references have to be from people I have known for at least 3 years and have to be "someone of some standing in the community". They sent me a list of professions that can be used (same as the one used for passport applications) but I honestly don't know anyone with a job on that list. Will they withdraw my job offer if I can't give them references from the list?

Could you use lecturers from the course you qualified from?

Could you find someone from-
Family friends, friends of your parents / siblings etc. with a qualification of some sort.
Or Anyone with a professionally recognised qualification - City & Guilds, a degree or diploma, NVQ, a governor, magistrate, teacher, nurse, therapist, beautician, hairdresser, dentist, manager etc - doesn't have to be only from the supplied list.

Thanks. I've emailed one of my lecturers to ask if I could put them down, just waiting to hear back. I've already used 2 other lecturers as references in my original application so I'm hoping she says yes as I wouldn't have anyone else to ask at the university.

I gave them the details of 2 of my friends last week. They both have a degree and one works at a law firm while the other is a biologist at a pretty well-known company. But they emailed me today saying I needed to specify which profession on the list they fall under and that if they didn't, then I needed to provided alternative referees that did.

My guess would be this is about confirming what you were doing in the 5 or 6 months between graduation and now. In essence, they're wanting to check you weren't in prison or anything else that might raise safeguarding concerns for the patients you may be in contact with. Or that you haven't badly crashed out of a job that you haven't told them about, in a way which might be a worry.

If you haven't got anyone, I'd suggest going back to HR, saying that, and asking then what the concern is and what they want to clarify. If you have, for example, been doing temp work in that period then it may be a reference from that might suffice.

(I agree they're being unneccessarily pedantic in the circumstances!)

If you really don't have anyone they will do a risk assessment and ask the recruiting manager if they're happy to accept character references from a person not of standing.

Hi,

I'm currently in the same sort of situation. I haven't worked for 5 years, being a SAHM and caring for my mum. I have however been studying with the OU so they are providing me with a reference. My problem is the character professional reference. All the teachers and nurses I know are either family or retired so I can't use them. I'm at a complete loss.
I called the NHS recruitment today and they advised to use my gp (which the list said do not to use) after speaking to the GP they said this couldn't be done (as I thought, my Gp obviously doesn't know me! Now they are saying to use my children's teachers, again they don't know me, I'm, just a mum to them.

I honestly feel very deflated and ashamed that I have become so isolated.

Any advice would be appreciated. x

Did you work or study before having your children? Could you ask someone from then?

Surely no reason why a University lecturer could not do both academic and character reference. I'd ask if they could.

Hi,

I'm not sure if you were given the same list of suitable references as I was, but on mine it said that they accept references from retired individuals too. I guess the issue then would be that they might not have a professional email address.

I ended up asking one of my seminar tutors from university to give a character reference (I already put my personal tutor down as a professional reference). I'm not sure how the OU works but if you had more than one lecturer/tutor maybe you could ask some of them if they would be willing to provide a reference?

It might also be worth checking out the list of professional bodies. I did psychology at uni and the British Psychological Society is on the list. Managed to find someone on my course who was a member and therefore "qualified" to provide a reference.

Don't let this make you feel bad. I'm sure we're not the only ones who have struggled to find suitable references.

P.S. Congrats on getting the job offer!