Introduction

The safe recruitment of staff in schools is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in education. Highfields Primary 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 statement sets out the minimum requirements of the recruitment process that aims to:

• Attract the best possible applicants to vacancies
• Deter prospective applicants who are unsuitable for work with children, young people, and vulnerable adults
• Identify and reject applicants who are unsuitable for work with children, young people and vulnerable adults.

At least one interview panel member will have completed the statutory Safer Recruitment Training within the last 12 months.

Inviting Applications

All recruitment advertisements will include the statement

‘Highfields Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.’

Prospective applicants will be supplied, as a minimum, with the following:

• Job description
• Application Form
• Equal Opportunities Statement

All prospective applicants must complete, in full, an application form accounting for any gaps in their education or employment history CVs will not be accepted.

Short Listing and References

Short-listing of candidates will be against the Job Description and Person Specification (if there is one) for the post.

Where requested and where possible, references will be taken up before the selection stage, so that any discrepancies can be probed during the selection stage.

References will be sought directly from the referee. References or testimonials provided by the candidate will never be accepted.

All referees will be contacted by telephone in order to clarify any anomalies or discrepancies and to verify the identity of the referee. A reference verification form will be completed and placed in the employee’s personnel file.

Referees will always be asked specific questions regarding:

• The candidate’s suitability for working with children, young people, and vulnerable adults;
• Any disciplinary warnings, including time-expired warnings, that relate to the safeguarding of children, young people, and vulnerable adults;
• The candidate’s suitability for this post.

The Selection Process

Selection techniques will be determined by the nature and duties of the vacant post, but all vacancies will require an interview of short-listed candidates.

Interviews will always be face-to-face.

Candidates will always be required to:

• Explain satisfactorily 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 a DBS;
• Demonstrate their capacity to safeguard and protect the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

We will always:

• Confirm the outcome of the interview to the applicant within one week
• Give detailed feedback on the interview if requested by the applicant

Employment Checks

All successful applicants are required to, but not limited to:

• Provide proof of identity
• Complete a DBS application and receive enhanced clearance
• Provide actual certificates of qualifications
• Complete a confidential health questionnaire
• Provide proof of eligibility to live and work in the UK

Induction and Probation

All staff who are new to Highfields Primary School will receive an Induction that includes Safeguarding policies and guidance on safe working practices.

School staff will be given a copy of the Staff Code of Conduct, Safeguarding and Child Protection, Keeping Children Safe in Education and asked to sign a declaration that they have read and understood the document and will follow the guidelines required to maintain professional boundaries at all time.

All new staff will be subject to a six-month probation period. Following this meeting the Line Manager may decide that the probationary period may be extended for a further period of time to be agreed at the meeting. Checks will be put in place during the probationary period to ensure safeguarding has been covered.

In line with DFE requirements, the school will keep and maintain a single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. The central list will record all staff who are employed at the school, including casual staff, supply agency staff whether employed directly or through an agency, volunteers, governors who also work as volunteers, and those who provide additional teaching or instruction for pupils but who are not staff members, e.g. a specialist sports coach.

The school will retain all interview notes on all applicants for a six-month period. After this period, these records will be confidentially disposed of.