Onboarding process

Starting a new role is an important step. We’ll guide you through every stage, so you know what to expect and what you’ll need to do before your first day. From the moment you accept your offer, we’ll stay in touch and support you through each step. Completing everything quickly helps you get started sooner, and we’re here if you need help at any point.

What happens next

Once you’ve received your offer, there are a few key steps to complete before your start date can be confirmed.

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1 - Pre-employment form

You’ll receive a pre-employment form to complete, where you’ll share your personal details, your full history of work, study or other activities, and any relevant health information. It’s important that this is completed in full, including explanations for any gaps, as this helps your application move forward without delays.

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2 - References

We’ll then begin collecting your references to confirm your recent experience. You’ll be asked to provide contact details for recent roles, as well as references for roles where your work has involved supporting vulnerable people, regardless of when this employment took place. All references are handled carefully and treated as confidential throughout the process.

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3 - Right to work and ID checks

As part of onboarding, we’ll need to confirm your right to work in the UK by verifying your ID documents. This may be completed online or in person depending on your circumstances, and if your documents are in a different name, you’ll be asked to provide supporting evidence so everything matches correctly. If your role requires specific qualifications or documents, we’ll ask you to provide copies at this stage.

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4 - Criminal records check

To help keep the people we support and our teams safe, we’ll carry out a criminal records check. The level of check depends on the role you’ve been offered, and you’ll receive a link to complete your application online (in England, this is a DBS check and in Scotland it's a PVG check). In some cases, if you’ve lived outside the UK, we may also need to complete an overseas check, and we’ll guide you through this and reimburse the cost.

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5 - Confirming your start date

Once all checks are complete and everything is in place, we’ll confirm your start date. Your new manager will be in touch to arrange your induction and share details about your first day, and your contract will follow shortly afterwards so you have everything you need before you begin.

Your first day and beyond

On your first day, you’ll be introduced to your role, the people around you and how things work day to day, with the support, guidance and time you need to build confidence as you settle in.

We know starting something new can feel like a lot, but you won’t be doing it alone. If you have any questions, need help with a step, or require adjustments during onboarding, just let us know and we’ll make sure you feel supported throughout.