The standards of health and fitness which are applied on Recruitment must be fully justified in relation to the work being undertaken. The employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) require employers to identify obstacles to employment and also the reasonable adjustments necessary to overcome these obstacles for a particular individual in a specific job.

This applies to all applicants, except

• Casuals not recruited through fair and open competition who do not need a medical assessment.
• Prison officers and drivers who have their own arrangements.

All other job applicants must be asked to complete a model health declaration. This is available as a general stationery item from Supply & Transport Branch under reference JG006 (F2331). The model form is a general form and aims to identify problems with a view to facilitating an assessment, which will define adjustments required under the DDA.

Normally applicants should be sent the health declaration when invited for interview. They should be asked to bring the completed declaration with them in a sealed envelope marked with their name.

Where information given on the health declaration gives any concern about an applicant's medical fitness for work recruiters must seek professional medical advice. This advice can be either be sought from

• A licenced Prison Service occupational nurse
• The Occupational Health provider to the Prison Service - Schlumberger.

Under no circumstances can an applicant be rejected on health grounds without medical advice being sought.

The purpose of the referral process is to:

• Provide advice to managers on the fitness to work of prospective employees
• Assess individual fitness in relation to job requirements and health surveillance requirements
• Provide advice on any reasonable adjustments to the work environment, where this is necessary
• Advise managers on the needs of individuals with physical and mental impairments, in keeping with the Disability Discrimination Act.

When referring a case the following paperwork must be sent: -

1. a completed health declaration which must have been completed within the last 6 months
2. any reference which suggests a health doubt
3. a Job Description with particular reference to physical/mental requirements of the post
4. a fully completed Schlumberger core referral form and referral consent form

All referrals must be sent to the following address: -
Schlumberger
Ca'd'oro Buildings
45 Gordon Street
Glasgow
G1 3XW

On receipt Schlumberger will log the case onto their internal tracking system. An initial assessment of an applicant's suitability for the job will then be completed. In the first instance, this will be undertaken by an Occupational Health Advisor (OHA). The OHA will then sequentially take the following action, escalating the case, as appropriate, at any point to an Occupational Health Physician

• contact the candidate by telephone for clarification
• obtain further reports from the candidate's GP or specialist, or
• see the candidate for a consultation.

As soon as possible within the process, a report will be produced detailing the outcome of the assessment giving advice where required on specific work adjustments as appropriate when considering the Disability Discrimination Act.

Further information about the health referral process including details of costs and lead times is given in the Procurement Bulletin covering the occupational health contract click here for details