Client SLA reference checking — meeting turnaround and documentation requirements

What client SLAs typically require for references

Client SLA requirements for reference checking vary by sector and client type. Corporate HR departments typically require written references obtained within 5 to 10 working days of offer. Regulated sector clients — NHS trusts, care providers, schools — require references that meet their regulatory compliance standards as well as turnaround requirements. Financial services and professional services clients increasingly require references with specific content — professional conduct questions, regulatory history, character assessment — alongside standard employment verification. RefAssure satisfies all of these through a combination of automated speed and custom template flexibility.

Providing clients with reference compliance evidence

Many client SLAs now require agencies to provide evidence that reference requirements were met — not just the reference itself, but documentation that the reference was obtained correctly, within the agreed timescale, with appropriate consent and documentation. RefAssure's PDF contains all of this evidence in one document — timestamp of when the reference was requested, when consent was obtained, when it was returned, and whether this was within the agreed timescale. Agencies can provide clients with this PDF as their SLA compliance evidence for every placement.

For agencies with multiple clients, each with different SLA requirements, RefAssure's custom template library allows client-specific reference forms to be saved and applied to every placement for that client. Client A requires professional conduct questions and a 5-day turnaround — their template is configured accordingly. Client B requires safeguarding suitability and specific CQC-relevant fields — their template captures all of this. From 99p per reference.