Safer Recruitment Policy

Grow Your Potential

Safer Recruitment Policy

INTRODUCTION

This policy has been developed to embed safer recruitment practices and procedures throughoutGYP and to support the creation of a safer culture by reinforcing the safeguarding and well-being of children and young people in our care. This policy complies with guidance outlined in ‘Keeping children safe in education September 2022’ and has been ratified by the Directors on 1st September 2022 and will be reviewed in October 2023.

This policy reinforces the conduct outlined in the Government Office ‘Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults who Work with Children and Young People’ as well as the Centre’s whistle blowing policy all staff are expected to be familiar with. All successful candidates for paid or volunteer employment will be made aware of these documents. All employees must read ‘Keeping children safe in education: for school and college staff (part 1)’ and sign an undertaking of agreeing to adhere to it.

This policy is an essential element in creating and maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all learner, staff and others within the provision and aims to ensure both safe and fair recruitment and selection of all staff and volunteers by:

  • attracting the best possible candidates/volunteers to vacancies based on their merit’s abilities and suitability to the position and are considered equitably and consistently
  • deterring prospective candidates/volunteers who are unsuitable from applying for vacancies
  • identifying and rejecting those candidates/volunteers who are unsuitable to work with children and young people

The level of DBS check required, and whether a prohibition check is required, will depend on the role and duties of an applicant to work in the school, as outlined in this guidance.

For most appointments, an enhanced DBS check with barred list information will be      appropriate as the majority of staff will be engaging in regulated activity. A person will be considered to be in ‘regulated activity’ if as a result of their work they:

  • Will be responsible, on a regular basis, in any setting for the care or supervision of children;
  • Will regularly work in the provision at times when pupils are on school premises (where the person’s work requires interaction with pupils), whether or not the work is paid (unless they are a supervised volunteer), or whether the person is directly employed or employed by a contractor).

In addition to the DBS checks described, anyone who is appointed to carry of teaching work will require an additional check to ensure they are not prohibited from teaching or managing. See the pre-appointments section which follows.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Directors of GYP will:

  • ensure the provision has effective policies and procedures in place for the safe and fair recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers in accordance with Department for Education guidance and legal requirements monitor the school’s compliance with them
  • ensure that appropriate staff and Management have completed safer recruitment training

The Head of Curriculum will:

  • ensure that the provision operates safe and fair recruitment and selection procedures which are regularly reviewed and up-dated to reflect any changes to legislation and statutory guidance
  • ensure that all appropriate checks have been carried out on staff and volunteers in the Centre
  • monitor any contractors and agencies compliance with this document
  • promote the safety and well-being of children and young people at every stage of this process

INVITING APPLICATIONS

All advertisements for posts of regulated activity, paid or unpaid, will include the following statement;

“GYP is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced check”.

All applicants will receive information containing the following when applying for a post:

  • Job description and person specification
  • The school’s Safeguarding Policy
  • The school’s Safer Recruitment Policy
  • An application form
  • Equal Opportunities monitoring form

Prospective applicants must complete, in full, and return a signed application form. Incomplete application forms will be returned to the applicant where the deadline for completed forms has not passed.

Candidates submitting an application form completed on line will be asked to sign the form if called for interview. A curriculum vitae will not be accepted in place of a completed application form.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE RECRUITMENT PANEL

At least one member of the Selection and Recruitment Panel will have successfully completed training in safer recruitment and one member must be from Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) team.

SHORT LISTING AND REFERENCES

Candidates will be short listed against the personnel specification for the post.

Two references, one of which must be from the applicant’s current/most recent employer, will be taken up before the selection stage so that any discrepancies may be probed during this stage of the procedure.

References will be sought directly from the referee, and where necessary, will be contacted to clarify any anomalies or discrepancies. Detailed written records will be kept of such exchanges.

Where necessary, previous employers who have not been named as referees may be contacted in order to clarify any such anomalies or discrepancies. Detailed written records will be kept of such exchanges.

Referees will be asked specific questions about the following:

  • The candidate’s suitability to work with children and young people
  • Any disciplinary warnings, including time-expired warnings, relating to the safeguarding of children and young people
  • The candidate’s suitability for the post

Reference requests will include the following:

  • Applicants current post and salary
  • Sickness record
  • Attendance record
  • Disciplinary record

All appointments are subject to satisfactory references, vetting procedures and DBS clearance.

INVITATION TO INTERVIEW

Candidates called to interview will receive:

  • A letter confirming the interview and any other selection techniques
  • Details of the interview day including details of the panel members
  • Further copy of the person specification
  • Details of any tasks to be undertaken as part of the interview process
  • The opportunity to discuss the process prior to the interview

THE SELECTION PROCESS

Selection techniques will be determined by the nature and duties of the post but all vacancies will require an interview of short-listed candidates. Interviews will always be face-to-face.

Candidates will be required to:

  • Explain any gaps in employment
  • Explain satisfactorily any anomalies or discrepancies in the information available to the panel
  • Declare any information that is likely to appear on the DBS disclosure
  • Demonstrate their ability to safeguard and protect the welfare of children and young people.

PRE-APPOINTMENT CHECKS

An offer of appointment to a successful candidate, including one who has lived or worked abroad, must be conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

When appointing new staff, schools and colleges must:

  • verify a candidate’s identity, preferably from current photographic ID and proof of address except where, for exceptional reasons, none is available;
  • Obtain a certificate for an enhanced DBS check with a barred list information where the person will be engaging in regulated activity;
  • Obtain a separate barred list check if an individual will start work in regulated activity before the DBS certificate is available;
  • Verify the candidate’s mental and physical fitness to carry out their work responsibilities. The job applicant will be asking relevant questions about disability and health in order to establish whether they have the physical and mental capacity for the specific role;
  • Verify the person’s right to work in the UK. If there is uncertainty about whether an individual needs permission to work in the UK, then prospective employers, or volunteer managers, should follow advice on the GOV.UK website
  • If the person has lived or worked outside the UK, the school will make further checks

Where it considers appropriate and verify professional qualifications, as appropriate.

A DBS certificate must be obtained from the candidate before or as soon as practicable after appointment. Alternatively, if the applicant has subscribed to it and gives permission, the school will undertake an online update check through the DBS Update Service. Individuals can join the DBS Update Service when applying for a new DBS check; this will allow them to re-use this check when applying for similar jobs. With the individual’s consent, the school can go online and carry out an instant check to see if a new certificate is required.

POLICY ON RECRUITMENT OF EX-OFFENDERS

GYP will not unfairly discriminate against any applicant for employment on the basis of conviction or other details revealed.  

In view of the fact that all positions within the provision will amount to “regulated positions” within the meaning of the Protection of Children Act 1999 (as amended by the Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000), all applicants for employment must declare all previous convictions (including those which would normally be considered “spent” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974).  A failure to disclose a previous conviction may lead to an application being rejected or, if the failure is discovered after employment has started, may lead to summary dismissal on the grounds of gross misconduct.  A failure to disclose a previous conviction may also amount to a criminal offence. 

Under the relevant legislation, it is unlawful for the Centre to employ anyone who is included on the lists maintained by the DfES and the Department of Health of individuals who are considered unsuitable to work with children.  In addition, it will also be unlawful for the Centre to employ anyone who is the subject of a disqualifying order made on being convicted or charged with the following offences against children: murder, manslaughter, rape, other serious sexual offences, grievous bodily harm or other serious acts of violence.

The school considers it to be a high risk to employ anyone who has a conviction for serious class A drug related offences, robbery, burglary, theft, deception or fraud, or, if the post involves some driving responsibility, anyone who has been convicted of drunk driving within the last ten years.

It is a criminal offence for any person who is disqualified from working with children to attempt to apply for a position within the Centre If:

  • the School receives an application from a disqualified person;
  • is provided with false information in, or in support of an applicant’s application;
  • The School has serious concerns about an applicant’s suitability to work with children; it will report the matter to the Police, DBS and/or the DfES Children’s Safeguarding Operations Unit (formerly the Teacher’s Misconduct Team).

AGENCY AND THIRD PARY STAFF

The provision will obtain written notification from any agency, or third-party organisation, they use that the organisation has carried out the checks on an individual who will be working at the Centre. This would include, as necessary, a barred list check, prior to appointing that individual. Check will also have carried out on that the person presenting themselves for work is the same person on whom the checks have been made.

TRAINEE/STUDENT TEACHERS

Where applicants for initial teacher training are salaried by the provision, the provision will ensure that all necessary checks are carried out. As trainee teachers can undertake regulated activity, sometimes unsupervised, an enhanced DBS certificate and barred list check must be obtained. Where trainee teachers are fee-funded. It is the responsibility of the initial teacher training provider to carry out the necessary checks.

EXISTING STAFF

If the Centre has concerns about an existing staff member’s suitability to work with children, the Centre will carry out all relevant checks as if the person were a new member of staff. Similarly, if a person working at the Centre moves from a post that was not regulated activity, into work which is regulated activity, the relevant checks for the regulated activity will be carried out. Apart from these circumstances, the provision is not required to request a DBS check or barred list check.

VOLUNTEERS

Under no circumstances should a volunteer in respect of whom no checks have been obtained be left unsupervised or allowed to work in regulated activity.

SUPPLY STAFF

  • Wewill only use those agencies which operate a Safer Recruitment Policy and supply written confirmation that all relevant checks have been satisfactorily completed.  Any information disclosed as part of the DBS check will be treated confidentially.
  • Creative Educationwill carry out identity checks when the individual arrives at school.

PERIPATETIC STAFF

Wewill require that all necessary checks and DBS requirements have been satisfactorily completed for peripatetic staff.

RETENTION OF RECORDS

If an applicant is appointed, the Centre will retain any relevant information provided on their application form (together with any attachments) on their personnel file in a single central record. The information will include:

  • Identity check;
  • Barred list check;
  • Enhanced DBS check/certificate;
  • Prohibition from teaching check;
  • Check of professional qualifications;
  • Check to establish the person’s right to work in the United Kingdom;
  • Evidence of induction training with written confirmation of understanding.

To comply with the Data Protection Act, copies of DBS certificates will not be held for longer than 6 months. All information will be stored safely and securely.

If the application is unsuccessful, all documentation relating to the application will normally be confidentially destroyed after six months unless the applicant specifically requests the Centre to keep their details on file.

INDUCTION

All staff and volunteers will receive information on the GYP’s safeguarding policy and procedures and guidance on safe working practices as part of their induction training.

All successful candidates will undergo a period of monitoring and will:

  • Meet regularly with their induction tutor/mentor
  • Meet regularly with their line manager
  • Attend any appropriate training

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