Recruitment process

All of our advertised vacancies link directly to the Trac Recruitment System, where you can fill out an application. Simply log in if you are a registered user or create an account if you are a new user. Once you have created an account on Trac, it saves time on future applications; you can stay updated on the latest vacancies and view previous applications and messages from hiring managers.

Shortlisting decisions are made by the recruiting managers at Sussex Partnership. After the online application process is closed, the recruiting manager will create a list of potential candidates to interview. The candidates selected will be those who best match the job requirements.

If you are shortlisted for the job, you will be invited to an interview. If you are unsuccessful at this stage, you will receive an email from our recruitment team to let you know.

Your invitation to interview will include information about who you will be interviewed by, additional tests that you may be required to do as part of the selection process and the date and location of the interview. To increase your chances of success, it's important to prepare thoroughly and convey why you're the ideal candidate for the job. During the interview, it's common to be interviewed by two or more people. 

After all the interviews have been completed and the interview panel has had time to review the candidates, you will be contacted about the outcome. We always aim to provide candidates with helpful feedback, even those who have been unsuccessful.

Well done on receiving a job offer! You're almost ready to join our team but there are still a few steps left to complete. Once you accept a job offer from us, we will send you a conditional offer of employment via email. This offer will include information about references and other necessary documents required for pre-employment checks.

We aim to ensure our onboarding process for new recruits is seamless. As part of our pre-employment protocol, we'll check your references prior to your start date. Depending on the nature of your role, additional checks such as a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) may be necessary, especially if you are likely to come into contact with vulnerable adults or children. Once a conditional offer is made, we will provide detailed information about the required documents and steps to take.

Once you have passed all pre-employment checks, you will receive an unconditional offer letter. This letter will contain information about your start date and signing your contract of employment.

Our goal is to make your first few weeks and months with us as smooth as possible, allowing you to focus on what you do best while we track your progress and development. Your line manager will contact you a week before your start date to confirm your arrival time and where to go on your first day. They will also create a plan for your first day, including introducing you to colleagues in your team, familiarising you with your workplace and providing all necessary job-related information. Our mandatory induction programme is designed to introduce you to Sussex Partnership and our work, as well as provide vital employment-related information.

Absolutely! We encourage flexible working where we can. We know that a positive work/life balance brings about huge health-related benefits, which positively impacts the care we provide. Please speak to us about flexible working, for example, part-time hours or certain shift preferences. If it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.

In a virtual interview, it's expected that you'll be at home. There's no pressure to have a picture-perfect home environment because we understand that everyone's living situation is different and that's okay. You don't need to stress about having a plain wall behind you or making sure your children or pets are out of sight. 

You will need to submit a new application. However, you can store your personal information, qualifications, employment history, references, and supporting information on the Trac Recruitment System to avoid duplicating it during each application. You can also make edits to your profile as needed.

Guaranteed Interview Schemes aim to alleviate the disadvantage we know that some underrepresented groups face within the recruitment process. We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled candidates and members of the Armed Forces community, in line with our commitments as a Disability Confident Employer and member of the Armed Forces Covenant. This means that candidates who declare this in their application and meet the minimum essential criteria will automatically qualify for an interview.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) plays a crucial role in aiding employers to make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable individuals from working with vulnerable groups such as children. For further details on the DBS, including its history and current initiatives, please visit the gov.uk website.

Unfortunately, we can't accept DBS certificates from other organisations as we are required to conduct the new DBS check ourselves. However, if you have a previously obtained certificate, it may speed up the process since the new check will encompass the period between your last certificate and the present day. If you are registered with the DBS update service, we can compare your latest certificate with it.

Typically, you can expect to receive a copy of your DBS check within four weeks. However, during certain times of the year, the DBS may have a backlog of applications to process, which could cause a delay in their response. Keep in mind that enhanced checks usually take longer to process than standard ones.

We require references from the past three years. External applicants must provide at least two references. If the references are from current or previous employers, they must be from your manager or line manager. For educational references, it must be from someone who taught you or was a mentor. Personal references are acceptable, but they must be from someone in a professional setting whom you have known for at least two years. Note that we only accept professional email addresses, not personal ones like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.

If you have any queries on this please contact your Recruitment Advisor.

To comply with mandatory employment clearances, you will need to provide identification for both identity and DBS checks. It's important that the names and addresses on your application form match the information on your ID.

We can't promise an alternative date/time for the interview but please get in touch with your Recruitment Advisor as soon as possible to discuss further.

If you are disabled and require reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process (i.e. an alternative application form, questions in advance or wheelchair-accessible interview venues) please contact the hiring manager who will do everything they can to adapt the process to suit your needs.

If you are successful in your application and require reasonable adjustments to support you in post, you will be prompted to discuss this with your hiring manager and raise it during your Occupational Health Screening.

To meet NHS Standards and Employment Law, clearances may be necessary when records are not current. If the job role requires a different level of DBS, a new one and identification may be necessary. Similarly, a change in job role or department may require a new occupational health clearance. We only request new checks if they are necessary, and this is to ensure the safety of both employees and patients in the hospital.

Once all clearances have been obtained, you will receive an unconditional offer letter from the recruitment team, which will confirm your eligibility to begin employment. It's important to note that you should not start working at the Trust until you have acceptable clearances, unless you have discussed this with a member of the recruitment team beforehand. If you are unsure about your clearance status, please contact the recruitment team to confirm before arranging a start date at recruitment@spft.nhs.uk.

Please visit GOV UK - Skilled Worker Visa for information on visas.

Equality monitoring is an optional part of the recruitment process, however the data provided helps us to fulfil our legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010. This data enables us to monitor the demographics of our applicants and workforce so that we can operate an inclusive recruitment process that delivers a diverse workforce, regardless of age, disability, transgender status, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity status, race, religion or belief, sex and/or sexual orientation. The information you provide here is completely confidential and will in no way impact your chances in the selection process.

We have been committed to reducing our impact on the environment at Sussex Partnership for several years, and building on our progress to date. We are proud to commit to meeting the new targets set out by NHS England & Improvement to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2040. To ensure we get there, at Sussex Partnership we have set an interim target to reduce emissions by 57% by 2025.

Read about our commitment to delivering care that is lower in carbon and less impactful on our environment in the Sussex Partnership Green Plan.