Safer Recruitment in Education: Getting It Right

The Importance of Safer Recruitment in Education

Safer recruitment is one of the most crucial components in safeguarding children and young people. It acts as the first line of defence against potential harm and plays a vital role in building a safe, trusted educational environment.

Safer recruitment and robust vetting procedures are essential for protecting children by deterring unsuitable candidates, identifying potential risks, and rejecting those who pose threats. Adherence to safer recruitment procedures under Keeping Children Safe in Education and the Early Years Statutory Framework is not only a legal obligation but, as safeguarding professionals, a moral one too. However, the process is not ‘black and white’ and sometimes requires careful judgment and thorough assessment!

We know safer recruitment contributes to the creation of a culture of vigilance and safety within schools. This sends a clear message that the welfare of students is of paramount importance and that all adults working for and on behalf of the school are expected to uphold these values. This culture is critical in fostering an environment where children and young people can learn, develop and thrive without fear of abuse or neglect.

Safer recruitment practices should be seen as part of your broader safeguarding strategy which includes ongoing training for staff, regular policy reviews, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This holistic approach ensures that safeguarding remains a dynamic and integral part of the educational experience, adapting to new challenges and evolving risks.

Safer recruitment is vital in education to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a secure environment, because it:

Protects children.
Upholds the integrity of the profession.
Reinforces a culture of safety that permeates every aspect of school life.
Is a practice that demands attention, diligence, and a proactive stance from all educational stakeholders.

Understanding your role within Safer Recruitment

It is a requirement that at least one member of a school recruitment panel should have undertaken safer recruitment training, and all those involved with recruitment, employment, and management of the single central record (SCR), should also receive appropriate training.

Safer recruitment should be a continuing process of improvement for every setting. Therefore, it is good practice to refresh training regularly to upskill, learn from legislation changes and recent serious case reviews.

Top 5 queries received (and answered!) in relation to Safer Recruitment

1. What is the difference between an online search and a social media search?

In the context of safer recruitment, an online search and a social media search are both methods used to gather additional information about a candidate’s online presence. They are part of the due diligence process during recruitment.

Here’s a brief explanation of each:

Online Search

This typically involves using a recognised search engine (e.g., Google) to search for the applicant’s name(s). The aim is to identify any publicly available information or incidents that might be relevant to the applicant’s suitability for the role. This could include news articles, blog posts, forum discussions, and more.

Social Media Search

This involves reviewing the applicant’s presence on social media and video networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube). The goal is similar to an online search, but the outcome will only focus on the applicant’s behaviour and interactions in these social platforms.

KCSiE 2024 (point 226) states: ‘as part of the shortlisting process schools should consider carrying out an online search as part of their due diligence on the shortlisted candidates. This may help identify any incidents or issues that have happened, which the school might want to explore with the applicant at interview.’

Please remember you should inform shortlisted candidates that online searches may be done as part of due diligence checks.

2. What are prohibition orders for those in ‘teaching work’?

Teacher prohibition and interim prohibition orders are serious measures taken against individuals in the teaching profession, not just qualified teachers. Teaching professionals who have been found guilty of serious misconduct, are prevented from carrying out teaching work as defined in the Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012 in schools, sixth form colleges, 16-19 academies, relevant youth accommodation and children’s homes in England.

What is teaching work?

Each of the following activities is teaching work for the purposes of The Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012:

planned and preparing lessons and courses for pupils
delivering lessons to pupils
assessing the development, progress and attainment of pupils; and
reporting on the development, progress and attainment of pupils.

You should consider whether the duties in your setting for those in teaching assistant/higher level teaching assistant positions meet the criteria above.

Here’s what you need to know and do:

All schools must check that an applicant to be employed to carry out ‘teaching work’ is not subject to a prohibition order, or any sanction or restriction imposed (that remains current) by the General Teaching Council for England GTCE through GOV.UK, before they start working for you (England).

To check the record of a single applicant, you’ll need:

their last name and date of birth (you do not need to know their TRN)
to confirm their identity
a DfE Sign-in account

The latest GOV.UK’s Check a Teacher’s Record Service will also tell you whether the individual have:

qualified teacher status (QTS) or early years teacher status (EYTS)
passed their induction
national professional qualifications (NPQ) or mandatory qualifications for teaching pupils with sensory impairments
been found guilty of serious misconduct but not prohibited from teaching

3. Should we obtain an enhanced DBS check (with or without barred list information)?

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) conducts checks for individuals working in certain roles, especially those involving children.

Here’s what you need to know and do:

Regulated Activity (Children): This refers to certain roles that individuals carry out in relation to children which, by their nature, would entitle an individual to an Enhanced DBS Check with barred list.

In summary, a person will be engaging in regulated activity with children if, as a result of their work, they:

will be responsible, on a regular basis in a school, for teaching, training instructing, caring for or supervising children
will be working on a regular basis in a specified establishment, such as a school, or in connection with the purposes of the establishment, where the work gives opportunity for contact with children, or
engage in intimate or personal care or healthcare or any overnight activity, even if this happens only once.

Unregulated Activity (Children): If someone is working with children but not in a capacity that falls under regulated activity, they may still require an Enhanced DBS check. However, this check would not include a check of the barred list.

Most staff in a school will be engaging in regulated activity relating to children, in which case an enhanced DBS check which includes children’s barred list information, will be required.

Please be advised: barred list information must not be requested on any person who is not engaging in or seeking to engage in regulated activity. Barred list information must not be requested on any supervised volunteers

4. What are the requirements for agencies and third-party supply staff?

Third-party agencies play a crucial role in ensuring that suitable individuals are hired to work with children.

Here are what you need to know and do:

schools must obtain written notification from any agency/third-party organisation, that they have carried out the same checks as the school would otherwise perform and ensure that the written notification confirms that an enhanced DBS with barred list information, where relevant, certificate has been obtained by either the employment business or another such business
the agency/third-party organisation must obtain an enhanced DBS certificate before the person is due to begin work at the school. If the certificate discloses any matter or information, or any information was provided to the employment business, the school must obtain a copy of the certificate from the agency/third party
The school should also check that the person presenting themselves for work is the same person on whom the checks have been made

For more information on industry standards for schools working with supply chains – please refer to the Better Hiring Institute

5. Which roles fall under the Childcare Disqualification Arrangements?

Childcare Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 refers to the statutory guidance that outlines the circumstances under which individuals are disqualified from providing childcare. Please note – this is a completely separate check to the DBS barred list check!

Here’s what you need to know and do:

Staff are covered by this legislation if they are employed or engaged to:

provide early years childcare (this covers the age range from birth until 1 September following a child’s fifth birthday i.e. up to and including reception age).
provide education in nursery and reception classes and/or supervised activity (such as breakfast clubs, lunchtime supervision and after school care provided by the school) both during and outside of school hours for children in the early years age range.
provide later years childcare (this covers children above reception age but who have not attained the age of 8) in nursery, primary or secondary school) outside school hours such as breakfast clubs and after school provision. This does not include education or supervised activity for children above reception age during school hours.

Staff who are not directly providing childcare or are only occasionally engaged in childcare are generally not covered by the disqualification legislation. Schools should use their judgment to determine if such staff fall within the scope, considering risks and consulting with HR or safeguarding officers as needed.

Please be advised: arrangements must only be applied if an individual meets the criteria and should not be used in a ‘just in case’ scenario or where an individual will not be undertaking a relevant childcare provision under the 2018 regulations.

Roles typically excluded from the legislation include:

Caretakers
Cleaners
Drivers
Transport escorts
Catering staff
Office staff

School governors and proprietors are also excluded unless they regularly volunteer in childcare or manage such provisions.

Upskill Your Safer Recruitment Knowledge: Training Options

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if we can be of any assistance with your Safeguarding needs.

Call 01274 752299 or email admin@safeguardingsupport.com