Reference Guide
Reference Guide – Who Can I Use
Who can I use as a reference?
You are required to provide us with details of two references to contact
Ideally 2 work references
- From most recent position
- Any other position but no older than 5 years ago
Personal references
If you have not worked in a second position, we are able to accept a personal reference.
- It must be someone that you have known for at least a year
- It cannot be from a family member
It can be from a friend/acquaintance who holds a recognised profession – from the list below:
We view people from particular professions as having an upstanding reputation, and by extension, their word is considered trustful. The government accepts their word as a confirmation of identity, when it comes to things like providing passports.
- Accountant
- Airline pilot
- Bank or building society official
- Barrister
- Chairperson or director of a limited company
- Chiropodist
- Councillor, for example local or county
- Civil servant
- Dentist
- Director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
- Engineer with professional qualifications
- Financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker
- Fire service official
- Funeral director
- Insurance agent of a recognised company
- Journalist
- Justice of the Peace
- Legal secretary
- Licensee of a public house
- Local government officer
- Manager or personnel officer of a limited company
- Member, associate or fellow of a professional body
- Member of Parliament
- Merchant Navy officer
- Minister of a recognised religion
- Nurse (RGN or RMN)
- Officer of the armed services
- Optician
- Paralegal
- Person with honours, for example an OBE or MBE
- Pharmacist
- Police officer
- Post Office official
- President or secretary of a recognised organisation
- Salvation Army officer
- Social worker
- Solicitor
- Surveyor
- Teacher or lecturer
- Trade union officer
- Travel agent (qualified)
- Valuer or auctioneer
- Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers
Academic reference
If you do not have 2 work references, we can accept an academic reference from a school, college or university that you have attended
If you have work references
We can also accept references from somewhere you have volunteered such as in a charity shop, work placement or a case worker etc.
To whom it may concern references
- If you provide a reference that you already have from an employer, it must be on official headed paper.
- The referee must be contactable to confirm that the details in the reference are correct and be willing to sign and date the reference