If you’re a procurement officer, contract manager, or commissioner, you may be evaluating HHS Group as a vetted staffing provider for a hostel, supported housing, or homelessness service. These are the practical questions we’re asked most often during due diligence and tender processes.
Procurement FAQs: Working with a Vetted Staffing Provider
What contract options do you offer, and how flexible are they?
We offer two core models. Our Contract Cover service is a fully outsourced arrangement. We take ongoing responsibility for a site’s entire day and night rota and resolve any cancellations internally. Our Agency Cover service provides temporary staffing on a reactive basis. We supply vetted staff for specific shifts or short-term gaps with no ongoing commitment. Many clients start with Agency Cover and move to Contract Cover once they want the rota managed for them. We agree specific contract terms, including notice periods, individually with each client — contact us to discuss terms tailored to your service.
What insurance and liability cover do you carry?
As an employer supplying staff into client premises, we hold the insurance cover appropriate to that responsibility, including employers’ and public liability insurance. We provide certificates and policy documentation as part of our standard onboarding and tender pack — contact us to request current certificates for your due diligence process.
How are staff vetted, and what compliance checks do they undergo?
As a vetted staffing provider, every member of staff we place undergoes Enhanced DBS checks (in line with Disclosure and Barring Service guidance) and right-to-work verification before starting on site. They also complete CPD-accredited training covering safeguarding, professional boundaries, and de-escalation for supported housing environments. Security staff also hold SIA licences. Our Applicant Vetting Privacy Notice sets out our full applicant vetting process, including the legal bases we rely on and how we store vetting data.
How quickly can you onboard a new contract or site?
Onboarding timelines depend on the size of the contract, the roles required, and how quickly we can arrange site-specific inductions. Because our staff bank is already Enhanced DBS checked and trained, we can typically resource a new site faster than starting recruitment from scratch. Contact us with your site’s cover requirements and we’ll confirm a realistic timeline as part of your quote.
How does emergency or short-notice cover work?
Our Agency Cover service exists specifically for this — a staff member off sick, an unexpected vacancy, or a short-notice request. Our control room responds quickly to these requests, including same-day emergency cover when a rota falls through, so sites stay compliant and staffed. Response times depend on the role and location, so contact us with the specific shift and we’ll confirm availability.
How does invoicing and payment work?
Our Accounts and Operations lead manages invoicing directly and is also your point of contact for shift cover requests — not a shared inbox or call centre. We agree invoicing frequency and payment terms as part of onboarding to fit your organisation’s own procurement and payment run processes; contact us to discuss what works for your finance team.
Which areas of the UK do you cover?
We cover England, Scotland, and Wales. We have an established presence in London, Manchester, Gloucestershire, and Cardiff, alongside Bristol, Oxford, Swindon, Bath, Stroud, and Cheltenham. That combination of national reach and local knowledge means we can resource a project quickly, wherever it is.
How do you handle data protection and GDPR?
We’re the data controller for the information we hold, including applicant vetting data such as identity documents, right-to-work checks, and DBS certificates. We process this data under UK GDPR on legal obligation and substantial public interest (safeguarding) grounds. We store it securely within Microsoft 365 on servers in the UK and EEA, and we never share it with clients without the applicant’s knowledge or use it for marketing. Our Privacy Policy and Applicant Vetting Privacy Notice set out full details, including retention periods and individual rights.
How do I get references or request a quote?
As a vetted staffing provider, references and case studies from our existing local authority and housing association clients are available on request. See who we support for the organisations we already work with. To start the process, contact us with your site’s cover requirements and we’ll put together a quote tailored to your service. You may also want to read why hostel and supported housing managers choose HHS Group.