The Disclosure and Barring Service has collaborated with The Better Hiring Institute (BHI), along with other safeguarding industry experts, to launch a free to use industry best practice ‘Better Hiring Toolkit’ for the hospitality sector.

The resource provides best practice advice and guidance on how to hire quickly, fairly, and safely, and to tackle modern slavery in the sector.

BHI has collaboratively created the toolkit, alongisde DBS and experts at the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), the Institute of Hospitality, Disclosure Scotland, and Reed Screening.

The new toolkit – which can be accessed here – provides practical, simplified guidance to support hospitality businesses with hiring new employees by utilising UK best practice.

It provides advice on vetting potential new recruits including checking and verifying their qualifications, as well as information for employers on their obligations when it comes to issues like modern slavery.

Helen Chandler, Acting Associate Director of Strategy and Business Development for the Disclosure and Barring Service, said: “The Disclosure and Barring Service helps employers make safer recruitment decisions, and our collaboration with Better Hiring Institute represents important steps forward in supporting the hospitality industry in safeguarding best practice.

“The toolkit provides guidance for employers and highlights how incorporating Basic checks into recruitment practices can be a tool to build trust, safety and reliability across the workforce.”

Keith Rosser, Chair of the Better Hiring Institute and Director of Reed Screening, said: “I am delighted to have worked collaboratively with key bodies to provide the hospitality industry with this best practice guide to help hard working organisations who are facing multiple challenges on a daily basis.

“The hospitality industry is vital to the UK economy and I hope that the toolkit will assist organisations to hire to the best possible standard. My thanks go to the Institute of Hospitality and our Hospitality subcommittee for their valuable insights and feedback to create this industry standard.”

Those responsible for recruitment within hospitality organisations are being urged to download, implement and share the toolkit within the hiring community: Access the Better Hiring Toolkit here.