NHS jobs, need GCSE certs even if taken 30 yrs ago?!

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So went for an interview within the NHS, not worked for them before so only a band 2 position and they said I'd definitely need Maths and English GCSE certificates.
It was 30 years ago! GCSE's honestly must mean bugger all after all this time.
I did look at requesting a search through one of the exam boards but the search alone cost £43 and I'm pretty sure there was more than one board.
It's quite possible they got left behind when I left a relationship quite quickly but really can't remember.
Apart from spending a fortune is there any other way to get the job without certificates?
(Didn't get the first one but have applied for another and suspect they may also ask for them)

I’m public sector in my 50s and have always had to produce my GCSE certificates in every job I’ve been for 🙄

AQA or OCR will hold certs from the majority of the old boards so hopefully you'd only need to search those two. But yes it does need to be done.
https://www.gov.uk/replacement-exam-certificate/if-your-old-exam-board-no-longer-exists

The recruiting manager (in my trust) has discretion to accept a candidate without certificates - I applied for (and was offered) a band 3 role last year, explained at interview I no longer had my exam certificates, my manager explained she could offer a role without them, and the next day she did! So you can get around it, but I’d advise waiting until interview stage to discuss it, otherwise you will get weeded out at shortlist stage.

I didn't need them for my band 2 job, but in my trust they won't take you on unless you have your NVQ Health & Social Care Level 2.

I've been working for 25 years and have only ever been asked once for GCSE evidence ( public sector) I didn't have them all and my manager made an exception at her discretion and still gave me a job

I'm not sure what it's like for younger people coming up to employment now. Do they need to provide proof?

To add public sector was the only place I was asked for evidence, worked private sector ever since and never been asked

Contact your school and ask what the exam boards were that year. As a previous poster said the records will probably be with AQA or OCR, but knowing the previous exam board will help.

NHS loves some good certificate checking. Moving roles within the same department I've had to have me certificates re certified. Just in case I conned them previously maybe. Twice.

I was asked for mine to do a PGCE. One of the exam boards didn't even exist anymore. I did my GCSE's in 1996! I had my uni degree certificate (which proved I had my sodding maths and English gcse or else I wouldnt have got in, and my A'level
Ones-just not the bloody gcse ones for some reason).

They wouldn't have it so I couldn't do the course (I would have had to go and resit my gcse first-No thanks-I would already have been leaving a career as a senior social worker and the pay involved, having more time out doing maths gcse on top -to teach secondary history-wasn't happening.

In the course of this process I did find online a erm, certificate replacement service that would have knocked me one up for £150 or so... I didn't go down that route but I imagine lots of people do!

They have to check you aren't lying. Seems fair enough to me.

Only time so have ever been asked to show any certificates in my 35 year employment history was for the NHS last year.

My nhs colleague is currently re doing her English and maths functional skills because she’s lost her GCSE certificates and needs them for her promotion.

I’m doing a senior level masters apprenticeship and had to email my certificates over to the uni last week. I’m 41. It’s fairly normal to need access to them when you change roles etc. in public sector. Private sector never asked.

Any chance you could find your original certificates? It is completely normal to be asked for them. Most people keep them safe somewhere, along with birth certificate, passport, etc. They are not going to have been thrown away, are they, so its maybe just a case of tracing back through previous homes to think where you might have left them.

What have you been doing in the intervening years? If you can provide a full work history, and explain any gaps, such as time out for caring responsibilities, they may not be necessary. It's worth an ask, especially if your job history shows that you have good maths & English.

For anyone questioning why the evidence is needed in Healthcare, it is part of the fit and proper persons employed regulations. Employers have to be able to evidence to CQC that they have completed recruitment checks.

www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/regulations/regulation-19-fit-proper-persons-employed

Its not just health care, most jobs I have had over the last 50 years have wanted to see my qualifications, including O level certificates.

Still in touch with anyone you went to school with? Ask them which boards. Once you know its quite easy

Wow, I'm in my late fifties and have worked various public sector and NHS jobs for the past 30 years and have never once been asked to show any of my certificates, including my degree. I haven't had my O level certificates for decades.

It might be easier and cheaper to find a training provider who will let you take the functional skills exams quickly. Level 2 is accepted as equivalent to grade 4 gcse.

Dussa it depends on the role requirements. If you are applying for a role in midwifery they will need to see those qualifications but not your GCSEs.

If you apply for an admin role though and the person specification identifies that candidates need to have GCSE maths and English, then they have to check that you have it.

There was a chief executive a while back who lost their job for lying about having a masters.

Are you sure? Are they not squirrelled away in a corner somewhere? You wouldn't have thrown them out, would you? I have been asked for mine regularly. Sometimes even more than once by the same employer - I've know employers suddenly take it into their heads to check everyone's qualifications all over again, years after I have started working there

I've had to prove my qualifications for every job I've applied for within the NHS. I've moved through my trust now and have only had to supply them once. It's worth the cost if they help secure your job surely.

Please don't say 'only a band 2'. A vast proportion of NHS clinical, clerical, and support services are held together by 'only' the band 2's.

I'm public sector and have worked for my employer for 34 years- when I applied for a promotion around 15 yrs ago ( within the same department!) I had to produce my O level certs from 1987 and my A levels- oh and proof I was a British national so passport/birth cert. Mental really- not sure I could find them again- I still had the originals then though . DH is private sector and never had to prove anything.
I know someone who lied about how qualified he is to get a high level job and had been doing it for some years- there was some sort of audit and he couldn't produce the non existent certs and ended up fired.

So what happens if someone is from abroad?

They would need to get their qualifications translated by an approved translator. That is the normal procedure. It can take months.

Yeah I've got a master's that was at least 50 percent statistics but lost a job because I couldn't find a GCSE maths certificate from b35 years ago