Best Practice Guide on Whistleblowing – Guidance for MPs as Employers

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Following the recent publication of the Best Practice Guide on Whistleblowing (guidance for MPs as employers). The Members’ HR Team would like to invite you to join them for one of the upcoming familiarisation sessions that will provide information that sets out the way in which employees may raise a whistleblowing concern and how those concerns should be addressed.

The session will cover:

  • What is considered as a whistleblowing concern
  • How a whistleblowing disclosure is raised
  • The legal protection and requirements under whistleblowing law
  • The practical steps that should be taken to ensure a fair and thorough investigation

30 June, 9.30am https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=5192

28 July, 9.30am https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=5193

Best Practice Guide to Grievances

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The House of Commons Members’ HR Service has produced a Best Practice Guide to Grievances.

This best practice guide aims to enable Members and their HR proxies to respond to and investigate grievances fairly, consistently and effectively.

You can find the guide here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/images/intranet/Employment/Best%20Practice%20Guide%20-%20Grievance%20v1.pdf

This is one of a series of guides, and you can find the other guides here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/employment/house-of-commons-members/members-hr-advice-service/employing-new-staff/advice-on-employing-new-staff/

Members’ Services Team

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The Members’ Services Team supports MPs and their staff in various matters, including HR, engagement and pastoral support to MPs’ staff, regular all-staff Q&A sessions on various topics raised by staff, and also a weekly drop-in session on Teams for those responsible for managing MPs’ offices.

The Members’ Services team has produced a series of Best Practice Guides which you can find here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/employment/house-of-commons-members/members-hr-advice-service/employing-new-staff/advice-on-employing-new-staff/

For further information, please see here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/people-offices/offices-departments/commons-departments/member-services-team-mst/

Best Practice Guide to Recruitment and Selection

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The House of Commons Members’ HR Service has produced a Best Practice Guide to Recruitment and Selection.

It provides practical advice on efficient and effective recruitment practices. The guide aims to support Members (and their Office Managers) with the tools to attract and recruit people with diverse backgrounds, skills and abilities.

Even if you’re not currently recruiting, w4mp recommends that MPs and Office Manager take the time to read this very useful document.

Please see here for further information: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/support-in-your-job/recruitment-and-selection-best-practice-guide/

Recruitment and Selection – Best Practice Guide

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The House of Commons Members’ HR Service has produced a Best Practice Guide to Recruitment and Selection.

It provides practical advice on efficient and effective recruitment practices.  The guide aims to support Members (and their Office Managers) with the tools to attract and recruit people with diverse backgrounds, skills and abilities.

Recruiting staff can be a rewarding experience, unfortunately, there are some common pitfalls if the process is rushed or not well thought through.  There is also a legal requirement placed on all employers to ensure that recruitment practices meet the requirements of the Equality Act (2010).  It is therefore important to ensure that your recruitment practices are not only deemed to be fair, consistent and transparent but that this is also the experience of the individuals going through your recruitment process.

The guide looks at the different stages of a recruitment process, which would normally include:

  • Identifying the role you need and how it will support the function of your office.
  • How to write a job description in line with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) requirements.
  • Guidance on writing a person specification.
  • Putting an advert together and exploring various options to advertise your vacancy.
  • Best practice on selection methods.
  • Making the job offer, and the following checks that need to be carried out e.g. security vetting, employment references etc.

Although this is a guide to recruitment and selection, it is well worth reading it even if you’re not currently in the process of seeking a new employee.  It contains a wealth of valuable information which could also be used to help you to carry out appraisals and self-assessments.

You can find the guide here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/Documents/Best%20Practice%20Guide%20-%20Recruitment%20and%20Selection.pdf

You can find an index of best practice guides here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/employment/house-of-commons-members/members-hr-advice-service/employing-new-staff/advice-on-employing-new-staff/

Security

For information about security clearance for people on work experience: https://intranet.parliament.uk/Documents/Security/Pass%20Office/Members-Staff-Work-Experience-FAQs.pdf