Student Awards Agency Scotland recruitment policy and procedure: FOI release

Information requested

Do you have a recruitment policy which relates to permanent and short term contracts for those employed by SAS? Specifically, how are positions advertised, who oversees the recruitment process and how are candidates assessed?

Are family members of senior management, including Board members, prohibited from employment within the SAS? If not, what safeguards are in place to avoid criticism of nepotism during the recruitment process?

How many times in the last 12 months has a familial relationship been appointed into a role within SAS? What role(s) have been filled?

Response

Do you have a recruitment policy which relates to permanent and short term contracts for those employed by SAAS? Specifically, how are positions advertised, who oversees the recruitment process and how are candidates assessed?

All recruitment in SAAS is inline with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles under our legal requirement as a Civil Servant Department, this outlines our obligations for both permanent and short term contracts. Details of this can be found here Recruitment Principles - Civil Service Commission

SAAS is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and receive a Shared service from Scottish Government for recruitment activity, Information on the selection process can be found here How to apply - Scottish Government Jobs

Are family members of senior management, including Board members, prohibited from employment within the SAAS? If not, what safeguards are in place to avoid criticism of nepotism during the recruitment process?

All Civil servants are appointed on the basis of Merit through fair and open competition in line with our obligations under the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, unless it falls into one of the exceptions outlined within the Civil Service recruitment principles. SAAS abide by our responsibilities as Civil Servants under the civil service code Civil Service Code - gov.scot . This means we must uphold the core values at all times of :

• integrity - putting the obligations of public service above your own personal interests
• honesty - being truthful and open
• objectivity - basing your advice on rigorous analysis of evidence
• impartiality - acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions

SAAS staff must declare any conflicts of interests or perceived conflicts of interest under the declaration of outside interests Policy.

SAAS Board Members are appointed in line with our obligations for Management Advisory Board On Board: a guide for members of management advisory boards - gov.scot Conflicts of interests or perceived conflicts of interests for Non Executive Board Members are manged through the registration of interest process Registration of Interests - On Board: a guide for members of management advisory boards - gov.scot

How many times in the last 12 months has a familial relationship been appointed into a role within SAAS? What role(s) have been filled?

Whilst our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) does not record this information, therefore this is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Student Awards Agency Scotland does not have the information you have requested.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.