| Recruitment & Selection process |
Safer Recruitment Step |
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| Refer to your Recruitment Policies & Procedures |
- Check your own Recruitment Policies & Procedures to ensure you are following a consistent and safe process, relating to roles working with children, young people and families.
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| Define Your Requirements |
- Define your requirement – what is the post?
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| Preparing the Job Description: |
Safeguarding Responsibilities clearly identified on:
- Job description
- Person Specification (Essential and Desirable skills, experience, knowledge and qualifications).
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| Advertising the Vacancy: |
Insert safeguarding message to deter unsuitable applicants:
- “(Our organisation) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.”
Include:
- application forms will be used (do not accept CVs)
- DBS disclosure is required (if applicable)
- information packs will be sent to all applicants
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| Preparing the Applicant Pack: |
Insert safeguarding message to deter unsuitable applicants:
- “(Our organisation) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.”
- Enclose full Job Description and Person Specification.
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| Short-listing Applications: |
- Devise short-listing criteria based on Essential criteria.
- Reject all applications which do not meet your essential criteria e.g. Qualifications, experience, skills.
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| References: |
- Invite successfully short-listed applicants to attend an interview.
- Take up all available references on short-listed applicants – ideally covering a 5 year period to date.
- Telephone to confirm reference receipt and follow up any queries.
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| Interviews & Assessment: |
Plan a range of assessment methods including:
- Interview questions which probe attitude towards safeguarding, and motivation to work with children, young people and/or families
- Request applicants to complete a relevant task, e.g. With the children if possible, or planning and delivering a presentation relating to the role
- Involving children and young people in the interview process – if applicable
Question any gaps exposed on application form. |
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| Recruitment Decision made: |
- Issue verbal offer of employment to the candidate who best demonstrated their suitability for the role.
- Inform candidate that the offer is subject to thorough checks and further references (where applicable).
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| Pre-Employment Checks: |
Confirm:
- Identity using photo ID – where available
- Name, address, date of birth
- Validity of qualification certificates
- Right to work in the UK
- All references including current employer received and followed up (where needed)
- Health Declaration Form
Submit:
NOTE: Safer recruitment practice is about preventing risk of harm to your children. Therefore, your new worker should not begin work within your setting until the DBS check has been returned and you are satisfied with its outcome. |
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| Plan Induction Period: |
Highlight safeguarding responsibilities and process for reporting concerns about colleagues within the setting.
Ensure appropriate Safeguarding training is taken up by the new worker, if not already achieved.
Ensure staff feel able to report concerns about colleagues’ behaviour or conduct around children and young people. |
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