Compliance that gives clients confidence

At Val Wade Recruitment, compliance isn’t an afterthought.

It’s built into every placement we make.

Finding the right person is only part of our job. Making sure they have the right to work legally in the UK is just as important.

For more than five years, Val Wade Recruitment has operated a structured Right to Work checking process for every worker we place.

Before an assignment starts, we carry out the appropriate Right to Work check using the prescribed route for that individual. This may include digital identity verification, a Home Office online check or the relevant documentary process.

We retain the appropriate evidence to provide a clear audit trail. We also monitor time-limited permissions and work visas, carrying out follow-up checks where required.

Our processes are designed to be consistent, fair and regularly reviewed against current Home Office guidance.

The rules are changing

From 1st October, revised Right to Work requirements extend the framework beyond traditional employees to a wider range of working arrangements.

This includes individuals working under worker contracts, individual subcontractors and certain online matching arrangements. The changes also introduce potential civil penalty liability in certain contractual supply chains.

The changes reflect the way the modern workforce has evolved. Organisations increasingly use temporary workers, contractors, subcontractors and other flexible working models rather than relying solely on traditional employment arrangements.

That makes understanding who is responsible for Right to Work compliance increasingly important.

The updated framework also introduces revised requirements for digital Right to Work verification, including requirements concerning the Digital Verification Services employers can use to obtain a statutory excuse.

Why does this matter to employers?

Employers have a legal responsibility to prevent illegal working.

A Right to Work check needs to be completed correctly before the individual starts work.

Where the prescribed checks have been carried out correctly, an employer can establish what is known as a statutory excuse. This provides a defence against liability for a civil penalty if that individual is subsequently found not to have the appropriate right to work.

It is therefore not enough simply to ask whether somebody has the right to work.

The right check needs to be carried out in the right way. The evidence needs to be retained correctly. Where permission is time limited, the appropriate follow-up checks also need to take place.

What this means when you recruit through Val Wade

For PAYE temporary workers engaged and supplied by Val Wade Recruitment to work within a client’s organisation, Val Wade is responsible for carrying out the prescribed Right to Work check. The changes from 1 October do not mean that clients are automatically required to duplicate this check simply because they are the hirer or end-user.

We carry out the appropriate Right to Work and identity verification checks before a temporary worker commences an assignment and retain the required evidence. Where an individual’s permission to work is time limited, we also monitor this and undertake the necessary follow-up checks

Our process includes:

• Right to Work checks completed before an assignment begins
• The appropriate verification method used for each individual
• Relevant documentation and evidence securely retained
• Time-limited permissions monitored
• Follow-up checks carried out where required
• Clear compliance records and audit trails
• Processes regularly reviewed against current Home Office guidance

This gives our clients greater confidence that the people we supply have been through a structured compliance process before arriving in their organisation.

Reducing risk through good recruitment

Compliance can sometimes be viewed as paperwork sitting behind the recruitment process.

We see it differently.

Good compliance protects the client. It protects the worker. It also protects the integrity of the recruitment process.

As working arrangements become more complex and legislation continues to evolve, having a recruitment partner with established compliance procedures becomes increasingly valuable.

At Val Wade Recruitment, we have been carrying out structured Right to Work checks for more than five years. As the rules evolve, our processes evolve with them.

Good recruitment isn’t just about finding the right person. It’s about making sure they’re right to work too.