All organisations engaging people in 'Regulated Activities' must have robust and transparent recruitment procedures in place to ensure children, young people and vulnerable adults are safeguarded and they should be familiar with the Local Safeguarding Children Board policies and procedures.
Other relevant information can be found in the Working Together to Safeguard Children publication.
Before recruiting staff and volunteers (whether paid or unpaid), the following must be considered:
You can read more about safer recruitment on the South West Child Protection Procedures (SWCPP) website
Safer recruitment in education is a crucial process designed to ensure that staff, students, and volunteers working with children are suitable for their roles.
Statutory Guidance: The UK Department for Education provides statutory guidance called "Keeping Children Safe in Education". This document outlines the legal duties schools and colleges must follow to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
Safer Recruitment Practices: These include thorough background checks, such as DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, verifying professional qualifications, and obtaining references. The aim is to prevent unsuitable individuals from working with children.
Training and Policies: Schools and organizations should have clear policies and provide training on safer recruitment. This helps ensure that everyone involved in the hiring process understands their responsibilities and the importance of safeguarding.
Continuous Improvement: Safer recruitment is an ongoing process. Regular reviews and updates to policies and practices help maintain a safe environment for children.
“These organisations and agencies should have in place arrangements that reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including safe recruitment practices and ongoing safe working practices for individuals whom the organisation or agency permit to work regularly with children, including policies on when to obtain a criminal record check” (Working together to safeguard children 2023)
Safer recruitment guidance can be found in Keeping children safe in Education 2024 - Keeping children safe in education 2024
The Disclosure and Barring service (DBS) aims to provide employers with a quick and effective vetting and barring service. All disclosures about potential employees for working with children and vulnerable persons must be at an enhanced level.
Legislation sets out the foundation for the DBS. This Service has an Independent Barring Board (IBB) with responsibility for taking barring decisions on new referrals and the management of two barred lists which replaced List 99, Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA)Lists.
The DBS combines a criminal records checking and barring function:
The DBS website provides a range of advice, guidance and relevant forms.
Regulated activity providers (employers, volunteer managers and personnel suppliers) have a legal duty to refer any person who has:
The following groups have a power to make a referral to the DBS:
Further information and guidance, including factsheets and instructions can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Although the guidance is for Schools and colleges it is good practice for all Partners to have a single central record.
The Single Central Record (SCR) is a key component of safer recruitment in education. It is a comprehensive record of all pre-appointment checks that have been carried out on staff and volunteers in schools and colleges. Here are some important points about the SCR:
Purpose: The SCR ensures that all necessary background checks, such as DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, identity verification, and professional qualifications, have been completed for everyone working in the school or education setting.
Who is Included: The SCR must include all staff employed by the school or education setting, including teachers or practitioners, administrative staff, and cleaners. It also covers trainee teachers, supply staff, student, volunteers, governors, and contractors who work regularly or intensively with children.
Legal Requirement: Maintaining an up-to-date SCR is a legal requirement under the "Keeping Children Safe in Education" (KCSIE) statutory guidance. Schools and education settings must be able to present this record during inspections by Ofsted or other regulatory bodies.
Format: The SCR can be maintained either electronically or in paper form. It should be easily accessible and regularly updated to reflect any changes in staff or their roles.
Inspection: During inspections, the SCR is reviewed to ensure compliance with safeguarding requirements. It is essential that all fields are completed accurately and consistently
The single central record should state the staff member’s full name, job title and start date. You must include whether the required checks have been carried out or certificates obtained, including the date each check was completed or certificate received. Information on the following checks and certificates must be included in the single central record:
Individuals who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the same checks as all other staff, students and volunteers. Where this information is not available education settings should seek alternative methods of checking suitability and or undertake a risk assessment that supports informed decision making on whether to proceed with the appointment.
The application process for criminal records checks or ‘Certificates of Good Character’ for someone from overseas varies from country to country. You’ll have to apply in the country or to the relevant embassy in the UK using the link - Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK
Not all countries provide criminal record information, and where they do, the nature and detail of the information provided varies from country to country. Schools and colleges should also be mindful that the criteria for disclosing offences in other countries often have a different threshold than those in the UK.
If you have any questions on applying for a criminal record check in the UK, contact the Disclosure and Barring Service.
