Provide an employment reference
Provide a reference for a current employee
Managers must use the Standard employment reference template (DOC, 107 KB) to provide a reference for a current employee.
You must not:
- complete any form or template the prospective employer provides
- contact the prospective employer by any other means
- provide any other information that's not included within the standard employment reference template
You can find employment history details including dates of employment and live warnings by selecting 'Document Records' in My Oracle.
Provide a reference for a former employee
If you receive a reference request for a former employee, refer this to People Services by raising a request on the Assyst portal.
Misconduct or safeguarding concerns
If we are aware an employee has any criminal convictions, live warnings or is subject to a formal process, it may be considered misleading to only provide the standard employment reference template.
Before responding to the reference request, contact People Support using the Assyst portal if there are issues which may also cause concern to another organisation. This might include concerns about risk to:
- Essex County Council (ECC)
- our service users
- colleagues
- partners
Requests for additional information
If after receiving the reference you're asked to provide more information, you should respond stating that Essex County Council only provide the standard employment reference template, and that no further information will be provided.
Exceptions
The only exception to this is where there is a safeguarding or fraud concern, or if the reference is for a role regulated by one of the following organisations:
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Social Work England (SWE)
- Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)
Before responding, contact People Support for advice using the Assyst portal.
Provide a personal reference
If you're asked to provide a personal reference for an employee, you must not respond using ECC headed paper or your ECC email address.
You must clearly state that the information you're providing is based on your personal experience and not on behalf of ECC.
Storage
Once you've completed the standard employment reference template, upload a copy to the employee’s record in My Oracle under ‘Document Records’. Then select ‘Employee Reference’.
Contact us
If you need further help or support with references, contact People Support using the Assyst portal. If you're a former employee, email people.support@essex.gov.uk.