Transgender Guidance (April 2025)

6. Recruitment

A job applicant’s gender identity status is irrelevant to the recruitment process, except in the rare circumstances where a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies to the job. We will not ask questions about gender identity status within the job application form and job applicants are not required to volunteer information about it unless an occupational requirement makes this relevant. A GOR for a specific gender is rare, however this may arise in certain caring roles, if this is the case it will be made clear at the job advertisement stage. A job applicant with a gender recognition certificate is never required to disclose their gender history.

We are committed to recruiting, retaining and developing a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve, and we will ask all applicants (separate to the job application form) to complete an equality monitoring questionnaire to support us in improving the way that we work. The questionnaire does not form part of the selection process and is completed on a voluntary basis. We do however encourage all applicants to complete this as the information provided supports our ability to assess the impact of our policies and processes.

If during the recruitment process information is disclosed about a job applicant’s gender history, i.e., because certain documents are in a previous name, e.g. right to work documentation, passport, driving licence, we will keep the applicant’s gender history confidential and will not take this into account in the selection process, unless a GOR makes this relevant. In accordance with our Recruitment and Selection policy, we will assess candidates for employment objectively against the requirements of the person specification detailed within the job profile.

If disclosure from the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) is required as part of the recruitment process, applicants must disclose any previous names and/or sex to the DBS. Trans applicants may make use of the special application procedure established by the DBS so that their previous name is not disclosed to our organisation. 

Please refer to Appendix 2 - Useful sources of information and advice.