Safer Recruitment and Record Keeping Policy Honeywell Infant and Junior Schools Last Review Date: January 2016 Next Review Date: January 2018 Committee Responsibility: Human Resources Contents Contents... 1 Introduction... 2 Record Keeping... 2 Disclosure and Barring Service Checks... 2 Identity... 2 Qualifications... 2 Supply Staff... 3 LA staff on school premises... 3 Third Parties... 3 Examples... 3 Volunteer Workers and Governors... 3 Extended Schools... 4 What information should be held?... Error! Bookmark not defined. School Self-Evaluation form... 4 Training and Training Record keeping... 4 Recruitment and Selection... 4 Appendix A... 5 Appendix B... 6
Introduction There has been a large volume of information produced concerning Safeguarding and the expectations on Schools and Local Authorities. This document aims to summarise the issues that need to be addressed. Record Keeping A Single Central Record is kept for all staff (including supply staff, and teacher trainees on salaried routes) who work in the school. This record will also include volunteers, club providers and governors. The information recorded in respect of staff members is whether the following checks have been carried out or certificates obtained, and the date on which each check was completed/certificate obtained: an identity check; a barred list check; an enhanced DBS check/certificate; a prohibition from teaching check; further checks on people living or working outside the UK; a declaration of disqualification by association for those staff working directly with children up to 8 years of age; a check of professional qualifications; and a check to establish the person s right to work in the United Kingdom. For supply staff, a written confirmation that the employment business supplying the member of supply staff has carried out the relevant checks and obtained the appropriate certificates, whether an enhanced DBS check certificate has been provided in respect of the member of supply staff, and the date that confirmation was received. Governors will complete an eligibility to serve declaration and the date will be recorded alongside the other Single Central Record details. Disclosure and Barring Service Checks All school staff must have an enhanced DBS clearance. Volunteers who have regular contact with children must also have this check. The schools will identify those people where a check is required. Identity In order to verify the identity of an individual the schools will hold on file evidence of their name, address and date of birth. Adding the National Insurance number will help. Verification should be made using a passport and/or birth certificate together with utility bills and/or bank statements for verifying addresses whilst also matching the identity. Details of other names must be provided and evidenced (e.g. maiden name, or names changed by deed poll). Qualifications The information collected will record evidence of only those qualifications which are a regulatory requirement for the post concerned. For example, to teach in a maintained school a person must have Qualified Teacher Status. The schools are not expected to include all qualifications that staff hold, only the relevant qualification. These qualifications will be verified using the Government Employers Secure Access Teacher Checking system which will also verify that there have been no sanctions against them.
Overseas Staff The schools will keep a copy of any work permits on file for any staff who require permission to work in the UK. Supply Staff The schools will need written confirmation from a supply agency that they have completed the checks described above and can verify that they have been completed. It is the responsibility of the Headteacher to ensure the supply agency has completed those checks but we do not expect schools to see the original documents. Where staff may be self-employed we need to regard them as a permanent member of staff for the purposes of the checks. LA staff on school premises The schools do not need to keep records of checks for staff from the LA who work from time to time in schools, (e.g. Educational Psychologists, etc). The Council s central staff records will cover those staff. However, if we are unsure, we will check with the LA. Third Parties Third parties should be accompanied at all times unless they or their organisation has given proof of their DBS clearance. Where a third party has unsupervised access to the children there should be clear lines of accountability and written agreements setting out the responsibility for carrying out the checks on staff and the associated record keeping. Examples Photocopy Engineer Visits school occasionally, if they or their organisation* can t produce evidence of a DBS they must be accompanied at all times. School Photographer Visits school occasionally, if they or their organisation* can t produce evidence of a DBS they must be accompanied at all times. If they visit they regularly ask them to complete a DBS and record evidence. Cab Drivers (from other borough drives a child to our school) Written agreements should be obtained from that organisation* (or borough) setting out the responsibility for carrying out the checks on staff and the associated record keeping. Speech Therapist Visits school occasionally, if they or their organisation* can t produce evidence of a DBS they must be accompanied at all times. If they visit regularly we will ask them to complete a DBS and record the evidence. * See Appendix A for example letter Volunteer Workers and Governors Visitors to the schools and volunteers/parents who only accompany school staff when they are with children do not need to be checked. Frequent volunteers involved in activities that will give
them regular contact with children or overnight trips should have the enhanced DBS disclosure. The Headteachers will be expected to carry out the appropriate risk assessment to determine who should have an enhanced check. In line with other volunteers, any Governors in positions that include regular work in the presence of children, or who care for, train, supervise or are in sole charge of children should be asked to complete an enhanced disclosure check for the DBS. All other Governors should be asked to sign a declaration confirming their suitability to fulfil the role. With the introduction of the DBS, the Police should now inform the school if anyone on our list of DBS holders is arrested or commits a crime. Procedures are also in place to make a referral to the DBS if any person in regulated activated has been dismissed or removed due to safeguarding concerns or would have been if they had not resigned. The school recognises that this is our legal duty and failure to do so is a criminal offence. Following LA advice, 10% of all DBS holders of three years or more are randomly rechecked once their three year timespan has lapsed. Those that have lapsed but are not rechecked sign a declaration each year confirming they have no criminal convictions. Extended Schools The requirements placed upon schools for existing staff and volunteers at the school will extend to incorporate those involved in the provision of extended schools services. Where schools are planning to deliver childcare directly, they should contact Ofsted for information about the registration process as childcare provision for children under eight must currently be registered separately by Ofsted. Where a third party is responsible for running the services there should be clear lines of accountability and written agreements setting out the responsibility for carrying out the checks on staff and the associated record keeping. School Self-Evaluation form The SEF should set out general procedures for safeguarding and should record any NCSL on-line training together with other training in related areas. Training and Training Record keeping Our record keeping includes any training undertaken by the Designated Person and for all other staff on safeguarding. This training is also included in the Induction for NQT s recruitment and selection training and the school Staff Handbook. This enables us to determine the training requirements on an annual basis and plan the resources implications into our budget. Recruitment and Selection We will ensure that at least one member of a recruitment panel has undertaken up to date Safer Recruitment training, however, the training received is no longer required to be subject to approval by the Secretary of State. Training should be appropriate and should as a minimum cover the contents of the Keeping Children Safe in Education July 2015 guidance document.
Appendix A Re: Children Safeguarding Dear Under the Keeping Children Safe in Education July 2015 our School must ensure that all people who have (or could have) unsupervised access to our Children have an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check that has included the Protection of Children Act List information check. Please can you confirm that the people used by your organisation to xxxxxxxx (drive the cab/ health checks/ speech therapy) for our children have met the above criteria. Please sign and return the attached declaration. Yours sincerely Headteacher ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I confirm that people used by our organisation have had an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check that includes the Protection of Children Act List information check. I have no concerns with any worker in relation to safeguarding and/or child protection. Signed: Name: Organisation: Date:
Appendix B Identity Staff Qualifications Training Name Address DoB Evidenced and Date Qualification required: y/n Qualification evidenced & date List 99 Check Evidenced CRB Check Evidenced and date Type Evidenced and date Identity Volunteer Qualifications Training Identity Governor Qualifications Training