Ridgefield Primary School is committed to the principles of safer recruitment and, as part of that, adopts recruitment procedures that help deter, reject and/or identify people who might abuse children. Safe recruitment processes are followed and all staff recruited to the school will be subject to appropriate identity, qualification and health checks.
The safe recruitment of staff in schools is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in education. The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. It is recognised that this can only be achieved through sound procedures, good inter-agency cooperation and the recruitment and retention of competent, motivated employees who are suited to, and fulfilled in the roles they undertake.
This school recognises the value of, and seeks to achieve a diverse workforce which includes people from different backgrounds, with different skills and abilities. The school is committed to ensuring that the recruitment and selection of all who work within the school is conducted in a manner that is systematic, efficient and effective and promotes equality of opportunity. The school will uphold its obligations under law and national collective agreements to not discriminate against applicants for employment on the grounds of age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or creed.
This document provides a good practice framework to comply with the principles set down in the schools Equal Opportunities Policy. The practices described in this document are designed to ensure a fair and objective process.
All posts within the school are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all applicants for paid work and relevant volunteers will be required to declare all unfiltered convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as spent and to have a Children’s Barred List and an Enhanced Criminal Records Disclosure check. A previously issued Disclosure and Barring Service Disclosure Certificate will only be accepted if the individual is registered with the DBS Update Service. Workers and volunteers will also be required to complete the other appropriate safer recruitment checks as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education.
The School is committed to ensuring that people who have been convicted are treated fairly and given every opportunity to establish their suitability for positions. Having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position. This will depend on the background, nature and circumstances of the offence(s).
The Disclosure and Barring Service has published a Code of Practice and accompanying explanatory guide. This school is committed to ensuring that it meets the requirements of the Disclosure and Barring Service in relation to the processing, handling and security of Disclosure information.
Relevant members of staff and governors who are involved in recruitment will undertake safer recruitment training. The school will ensure that at least one person on any appointment panel has undertaken safer recruitment training in line with staffing regulations.
The school will:
1. Implement robust recruitment procedures and checks for appointing staff and volunteers to ensure that reasonable steps are taken not to appoint a person who is unsuitable to work with children, or who is disqualified from working with children, or does not have the suitable skills and experience for the intended role.
2. The following pre-employment checks will be undertaken:
• Receipt of at least two satisfactory references
• Verification of the candidate’s identity
• A Children’s Barred List check (when undertaking regulated activity)
• A satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure
• A prohibition from teaching check (teachers only)
• Verification of the candidate’s medical fitness
• Verification of qualifications
• Verification of professional status where required e.g. QTS status
• The production of evidence of the right to work in the UK
• (For teaching posts) verification of successful completion of statutory induction period (applies to those who obtained QTS after 7 May 1999)
• If the person has lived or worked outside the UK, make any further checks the school or college consider appropriate
• Keep and maintain a single central record of recruitment and vetting checks, in line with DfE requirements.
3. Ensure that the terms of any contract with a contractor or agency requires them to adopt and implement measures described in this procedure. The school will monitor the compliance with these measures.
4. Require staff who are convicted or cautioned for any offence during their employment with the school to notify the School, in writing of the offence and penalty.
5. The School will refer to the Local Authorities internal registers of individuals whose previous employment history may give cause for concern and will refer individuals to the Disclosure and Barring Service as required for possible inclusion on the Children’s Barred List.
Once employed, staff will undergo a robust induction programme. A key aspect of this will be the safeguarding of children to ensure:
This is to ensure that they have the appropriate opportunity to carry out their role appropriately.
New members of staff will also undergo a probation period, usually of 21 weeks to help judge if they are appropriate to work with children and carry out their role effectively.
Existing members of staff may undergo both induction and probation if they are changing roles, particularly to one that requires regulated activity.
The school adheres to a strict whistle blowing policy which applies to all staff members, Governors and volunteers in school. It outlines who and where report concerns about staff conduct relating to the safeguarding of children to.