Is this discriminatory

[mackerel]

I posted y'day because I was feeling sorry for myself for not being shortlisted for a social work post even though I thought I met the essential criteria. I spoke to the head of HR today and the 1st thing she said was, "am i right in thinking you had a 6 year career break". I said yes and she said that although most of myexperience was in adult mental health they recognised my skills were transferable but a six year career break from service meant I wouldn't be interviewed. I am incandescent. There is no formal framework for returning to work in social services unlike teaching, so they are saying that even though I have managed to register as a social worker with the General Social Care Council I am not eligible for interview because I may not be - and I quote "FIT FOR PURPOSE". Actually maybe they should just turn me into glue. This feels very discriminatory to me. What do you think?

Yep on the face of it - it is. Particularly as more women than men are likely to have these break to raise children and therefore teh criteria applies to one sex more tahn another. Am surprised that someone in the field of social work/HR would do this - you'd think they'd know better!

Possibly explains what a shambles childrens social services are in.

I think you need to ask her to tell you in writing why a 6 year career break means you do not meet the essential criteria. Are you applying for Social Work posts or more senior posts?

I would also suggest you speak to the training and development team in Social Services and ask where your CV might need updating, or whether there are relevant training courses you could attend to bring your practice up to date.

In my experience Social Services aren't overwhelmed with applications from qualified Social Workers, so this is fairly surprising.

I've just been through my application against the list of essential criteria - again- and truly can't see what I've missed. It asks for direct experience of working with children, young people, their families and carers, which I have demonstrated, albeit in a mental health setting. This is for a basic childcare social worker. I'm fully registered. I worked as an Approved s.w., which indicates a level of experience esp. with complex work. My career break doesn't mean I no longer have skills. It says at the top of the form that they work within E. Opps and are only interested in whether or not you demonstrate that you have the skills to perform the job.

What about the desirable criteria? It is possible that they so many applicants that they used the desirable criteria to further sift out candidates.

I've had quite a few conversations with applicants who are positive that they meet the essential criteria and on further discussion with them it is clear that they do. Trouble is, they don't always make it absolutely clear on the form, which means they don't get shortlisted. They assume that listing their past roles will be enough for the shortlister to assume they have the skills. Do you think that this is where you might have fallen down?

Could you indicate, fairly generally, where you are in the country? No need for specifics! I do have some experience of recruiting social workers and if I can be sure that there is no conflict of interest I would be happy to an independent look at your application form?

Are you a member of a union? This sounds like just the sort of thing that they might be able to give you good advice about.

The south west. I'd be happy if you do want to look. Would welcome any comments.

Just had feedback from panel member. She left a message on my answering machine. She said there was nothing wrong with my application, in fact it was" very good, very strong". But my career break means they won't interview me. I have actually been doing related out of hours work for the last year and a bit. Now, the top of the form states that they shortlist in the spirit of equal opps and are only interested in your ability to do this job and I meet all the criteria, but am not shortlisted because I have had a career break. not very equal opps I think.

I'm sorry, I'd forgotten about my offer, but sounds like you did meet the criteria.

It is very odd about the career break and the point blank refusal to interview you because of it. Most local authorities have a Career Break policy. Additionally, the terms and conditions of local government state that if you have left your employment for the purposes of caring for children, the duration of your time out will count towards length of service for things like annual leave. So if you have accrued 10 years service, leave for 5 years, then come back, they'll recognise the previous 10 years service.

So, I do find this all a bit odd, frankly. Social Services depts are struggling to recruit and retain good quality Social Work applicants.

Where do you want to go from here? In your shoes I'd be inclined to contact the Director of Social Services with a reasoned, polite account of your experience of the recruitment process with a request for reasons why your career break is preventing you from being interviewed. It is very odd.

Hmm. Could I have said odd more times in that post?

I'm applying for jobs at the moment after effectively a 7 year gap - I've done things on a self-employed basis and a huge amount of voluntary work, but it's a long time since I sat in a proper office, IYSWIM. And I'm getting absolutely nowhere - despite knowing I'm well qualified for the jobs I'm going for.

So you have all my sympathy - like you I feel discrimininated aganist although legally we're probably not; they'd have the same attitude if we were men with long career breaks. The best of luck.

Odd indeed. DH and I are puzzled as is every other person I know and I know a couple of SWs in the C and F team here. I'm going to write to the Director of Childrens Services and outline what's happened. I can understand that I haven't practised for 6 yrs but that doesn't mean that I have lost my skills. Also the person spec doesn't specify that your experience has to be within x amount of years. Surely if you were recruiting you'd think laterally and look at what you would need to invest in someone and whether or not the returns would be worthwhile. I've talked to someone my parents know who happened to be head of equal opps in a county council and she wasn't impressed either. Other councils have a much more robust equal opps policy with specific reference to people returning from career breaks. What also galls me is that I looked at the Return to Social Work Training modules and there is nothing, bar the law section, that would enable me to do the job more than I currently could and some of it is downright demeaning - objectives such as 'learn to fill in a form to register with the GSCC' and 'learn to send an email'.

You mentioned that you spoke to the Head of HR earlier. Was this the real Head of HR or one of the HR Officers? I just wonder as it seems odd that the Head of HR in a County Council would be involved in a recruitment decision unless something has gone very wrong and they are on the defence. If one of the HR Officers I would also cc the letter to the Head of HR.

As others have said this is potentially discriminatory, but it is indirect discrimination. This means that they are using a rule which is likely to be statistically harder for women to fulful (unbroken service). This type of claim can be defended if there is a legitimate and proportionate business reason for the rule, so to echo what others have said, it will be important to get them to explain why the career break is a problem if you are going to kick up a stink.

If it's a blanket rule it doesn't sound like it's been properly thought through, but those types of rules can be legal in some circumstances.

Thanks Ribena. I'm hoping to talk to one of the panel today to see what she would say I need to do and demonstrate to get an interview and then maybe just send an outline of what has happened to the director of the service. all very polite and restrained. I don't want to make a huge storm, just query their recruitment practice.

why not work for an agency to improve social services, be better than social services -
Catholic Home Educating family - local LEA came round asked for entry, which legally they're not entitled to, so family said no, officer reported them to SS, said kids were in danger, they weren't, now they've had to flea the country with the SS in hot persuit threatening to take the kids away. Please help by signing the petition.

www.ipetitions.com/petition/ukssleaveourkidsalone/