The Step into Health Candidate Monitoring System: a user guide

1. Once you have received an invitation email, respond to it and carry out the password set-up process.
2. To access the system you can use the following link to enter your details.

1. Select 'Users' from the left-hand menu.
2. Find the user account that is no longer needed and click on it.
3. Click the 'Close User Account' button to delete the account.

1. If you are the admin contact for your organisation's system and you are changing roles, contact the Step into Health team at stepintohealth@nhsemployers.org.

2. Inform them about your role change and provide a replacement name.

3. They will update the admin account with the new contact and delete your details.

1. Log in to your account.
2. From the left-hand menu, click on 'Candidates' and select 'All candidates'.
3. Once the list of candidates appears, look for the blue bar across the top of the list and click on the 'search' button.
4. The search filter will appear. Click on the 'organisation' option and choose your organisation from the drop-down menu. Then, click on the 'search' button.
5. A list of candidates who have expressed interest in your organisation will be displayed.
6. To view the candidates in reverse date order (latest registrants at the top), click on the arrows to the right of the 'Date of registration' field multiple times.
7. Right-click on each candidate's name to open their profile in a new tab and view their details.
8. As a minimum we ask that you send a quick message to each candidate that has expressed interest in your organisation to offer support, using the information on their profile to engage with them accordingly. 

Note: If your organisation is newly pledged to Step into Health, candidates that have previously created a profile may not be aware. In this case, you can search for candidates by region. Message them to let them know that your organisation has just been added to the system and to get in touch with you if they are interested in opportunities. To do this, follow the steps above but select your region from the search filters. 

Some members of the Armed Forces community may need to relocate while on their employment pathway with your organisation.

Whether they are new candidates or already employed within your organisation, if they inform you about their need to move, they can be referred through the CMS to another pledged organisation in the following ways: 

1. They can create a profile on the portal if they haven't done so already and select the organisation they are interested in from the drop-down menu for 'Locations of interest'.
2.  If they already have a candidate profile, they can log in and update their locations of interest to include the organisation they are interested in. 
3. You can also refer them to another pledged organisation that is registered on the system.

Here's a simple process to refer them:

1. Log in to your account.
2. Click on 'All candidates' on the left-hand side.
3. Click on the 'search' button and fill in the filter fields with their details.
4. Once you find the candidate, click on their profile.
5. Above their profile details, click on the blue 'Refer' button.
6. In the referral form, select the organisation you want to refer them to from the drop-down menu.
7. Write a brief description about the referral in the 'Interaction Description' field.
8. Click 'Refer <candidate name>'.

Additionally, you may also receive referrals from other organisations. To view them:

1. Click on 'Candidates' and then 'Referrals' on the left-hand menu bar.

When you access a candidate profile, you will find the following information:

1. Personal Information

• First name
• Last name
• Date of birth
• Telephone number
• Mobile number
• Email address

2. Employment Information

• Status: Indicates if the candidate is Active, Awaiting Verification, Employed in NHS, Employed elsewhere, or No longer interested in NHS. (Note: Candidates can update their status at any time except for "Awaiting Verification".)
• Locations of Interest
• Skills: Selected from a drop-down menu offering 38 different categories such as administration, budgeting, project management, human resources, facilities management, etc.
• Roles of Interest: Selected from a drop-down menu offering 21 different categories including both non-clinical and clinical roles.
• Salary expectations: Please consider this as a flexible guide, as armed forces candidates may have varying expectations due to factors such as pension benefits or previous salary levels. Guidance on the benefits of working in the NHS can help manage expectations.
• Referral source: How the candidate heard about the program.
• Date Available: It is essential to confirm the exact leaving date or the date they can start paid employment, particularly for Service Leavers, as they may have provided the date they begin the resettlement process or work placements.

3. Forces Information

• Community Description: Indicates if the candidate is a Service Leaver, Veteran, Reservist, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer or Military partner/child. Although 'child' is listed, all candidates are of working age.
• Military Service: Specifies the branch of military service, including Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, and Royal Marines.
• Rank: Provides a full list of related ranks.

These details will give you a comprehensive understanding of the candidate's background and qualifications however, the forces information is to help in terms of statistics. It is much more about what the individual can bring to your workforce in terms of their skills and values and should not be based on the rank they held in a specific service.

Within the candidate's profile, you will find a second tab called 'History' located next to the 'Profile' tab. Clicking on the 'History' tab allows you to access an audit trail that captures all the interactions between the candidate and all registered organisations on the system.

The history tab provides a brief record of engagement activities involving the candidate and participating organisations. 

When a new candidate creates a profile and chooses your organisation, the system automatically sends an email notification to all user account holders. This ensures that you are promptly informed about potential candidates.

However, please note that certain organisations' email security systems may block these notifications. To ensure you don't miss out on new candidates, we highly recommend regularly logging into the system and performing a candidate search by organisation. This proactive approach allows you to actively check for and review new candidate profiles.

By logging in and conducting candidate searches, you can stay up to date with the latest profiles, even if email notifications are blocked. This practice ensures that you remain informed and able to engage with potential candidates effectively.

If you are organising an online or any other type of event, we strongly advise you to promote the creation of Step into Health profiles among eligible attendees during the registration process. You can provide them with the following link to facilitate profile creation.

Creating a profile before the event enables a seamless connection between attendees and your organisation. It allows you to view their profiles and maintain contact after the event. Encouraging attendees to create profiles beforehand enhances networking opportunities and engagement.

In cases where it is not feasible to create profiles prior to the event, we recommend encouraging attendees to create profiles after the event and select your organisation during the process. This way, you can still establish a connection, access their profiles, and stay in contact for future collaborations.

By promoting the creation of Step into Health profiles, you maximise the potential for meaningful engagement and ongoing communication with event attendees, strengthening your organisation's network and fostering valuable connections with members of the Armed Forces community.

The Step into Health team regularly conducts spot checks on candidate profiles. However, if you suspect a candidate is not from the Armed Forces community, please contact us immediately at the provided email address. Your vigilance helps us ensure profile accuracy through thorough investigations.

When you receive a notification that a candidate is interested in your organisation, it's crucial to reach out to them promptly. Here's a simple guide on how to message candidates:

1. Accessing messages:
   • Log in to the system.
   • Click on the 'Messages' option from the left-hand menu.
   • This will display all message threads between your organisation and specific individuals.
2. Sending an initial message:
   • To send a message for the first time, click the 'New Message' button.
   • In the recipient field, select the candidate's name from the drop-down menu or start typing their name, and available options will appear. Choose the correct name.
   • Insert the subject of the message.
   • Write your message in the provided space.
   • An example first message:

     • Hi <name>, 

       Thank you for creating a profile on Step into Health and for your interest in our trust. I would be more than happy to discuss your interest in potential roles at <oranisation’s name> and to offer guidance on any applications you may be considering.  As a means of insight, there is the possibility of arranging a work placement should this be of interest to you. This can be tailored depending on the kind of roles you are interested in and to your availability and could be one or two day, or more, up to a 4 week period.   

       For your information, the link below takes you directly to our current vacancies. 

       <insert link to your trust’s current vacancies> 

       Kind regards, 

       <your name and position>” 

   • If desired, you can attach up to three files.
   • Click 'Send' to send the message.
3. Receiving replies:
   • When the candidate replies, you should receive an automatic notification from the system. However, it's advisable to regularly log in to check for messages, as some organisations' email security systems may block notifications.
4. Continuing a message thread:
   • To continue a conversation with an individual, locate the last message sent to them in the message thread.
   • Write your message in the bottom section of the thread.
   • Click 'Send' to send the message.

If a message is sent through the system, the interaction should automatically populate onto the candidates history tab. If for any reason this has not happened please add the interaction manually following the steps below and inform the Step into Health team. 

All interactions other than messages sent through the CMS need to be added in the following way:

1. Accessing interaction logging:
   • Go to the candidate's profile.
   • Click the 'Add Interaction' button.
2. Adding interaction details:
   • Enter the date of the interaction.
   • Select the type of interaction from options such as communication, event, or work placement.
   • The 'logged by' information should be automatically populated.
3. Writing the interaction description:
   • In the interaction description, adhere to the basic communication guidelines for logging interactions outlined below.
   • Ensure the description offers a brief overview of the interaction without including any personal or sensitive details. "Telephone conversation held or "Candidate attended work placement" is sufficient.
   • Remember that all users from different organisations can access these descriptions.
   • Click 'Add this Interaction' to save. The interaction should then appear on the candidates history tab and also be listed in the organisations interactions log. This can be viewed by clicking on ‘Candidates’ on the left-hand menu and then ‘Interactions’

If a candidate provides you with their email contact during an event or contacts you via email, you can send them an invitation directly from the CMS, given that they have consented to receiving one. Follow these steps:

1. Logging into your account:
   • Log into your account on the CMS.
2. Accessing quick invite option:
   • On your employers dashboard, you will immediately see the 'Quick Invite Candidate' option.
3. Completing invitation details:
   • Fill in the required fields with the candidate's first name, last name, and email address.
   • Ensure that the candidate has explicitly agreed to receive the invitation.
   • Double-check the accuracy of the provided email address.
4. Sending the invitation:
   • Click the 'Submit' button to send the invitation.
   • The CMS will automatically send an invitation to the candidate's email address, prompting them to create a profile.

By utilising this feature, you can easily send invitations to candidates who have expressed interest or provided their email contact. Ensure that you have obtained their consent to receive the invitation, and the CMS will handle the process of sending the invitation for you.

It is crucial to maintain polite and diplomatic communication while treating personal information with utmost confidentiality, aligning with GDPR regulations and the Data Sharing Agreement made between your organiation and the Step into Health programme. Candidates have the right to request access to their information at any time. Follow these guidelines for effective communication:

1. Polite and diplomatic communication:
   • Ensure all messages and interactions with candidates are conducted in a courteous and diplomatic manner.
   • Respect privacy and maintain confidentiality when handling personal information.
   • Adhere to GDPR regulations and handle candidate data responsibly.
2. Candidate access to information:
   • Candidates have the right to request access to any information held about them.
   • Exercise caution and professionalism in all communications, as candidates can request to review all communication records pertaining to them.
3. Logging interactions:
   • After any form of communication with a candidate, navigate to their profile.
   • Confirm an interaction has been added to their history tab if you have messaged them through the system or for any other form of interaction click the 'Add Interaction' option to record the interaction manually. 

      

• To access the reports section, click on 'Home' in the left-hand menu, which will take you to your employer's dashboard.
• Below the 'Quick candidate invite' form, you will find the 'Reports (last 30 days)' section.
• This provides a concise summary of important statistics for your organisation over the past 30 days, including:
  • Total candidate registrations
  • Total jobs filled
  • Total interactions between your organization and candidates
  • Total number of work placements (recorded as a 'type' in the interaction form).