Safer recruitment guidance helping to keep children and young people safe

The children and young people’s workforce is extremely large and diverse. It covers a broad range of different activities, settings and organisations. This includes small faith-based or community projects in the voluntary sector to medium-sized private childcare providers and large departments within local authorities or other public sector bodies. The Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) estimates that there are currently over 2.5 million children’s workers excluding volunteers.

This summary of the safer recruitment guidance is aimed at anyone responsible for, or involved in the recruitment of staff or volunteers in England, who will work with or provide services to children and young people. Our intention is to be helpful to the broadest range of organisations and support their efforts to make their recruitment practices and processes safer.

Brief breakdown of whats included:

Section 1: This section of the safer recruitment guidance provides an overview for individuals andorganisations seeking to understand the task of safer recruitment within the wider
safeguarding agenda. It also provides a list of the key issues that need to be considered
when undertaking safe recruitment.

Section 2: This section of the guidance provides a detailed description of the process for the
safe recruitment and selection of staff, which forms an essential part of any efforts
to safeguard children. Recruitment and the checks that are undertaken as part of this
process are the organisation’s first chance to make robust efforts to prevent unsuitable
individuals from working with children.

Section 3: This section of the guidance provides more detailed information about the recruitment and vetting checks that need to be undertaken for all people who wish to work with children, including overseas and agency staff. It also explains the roles of the Criminal
Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)

Section 4: This section of the guidance addresses issues to do with child protection and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at every stage of the recruitment process. It also includes staff management development and training following appointment. Throughout your organisation’s processes of recruitment and selection, it is important that applicants for positions working with children are aware of your commitment to safer recruitment and safeguarding children in general. Ensuring that safeguarding features highly in all your processes, policies, procedures and practice sends a clear message to applicants, existing staff and volunteers. It also helps to deter unsuitable individuals and inappropriate behaviour.

Section 5: This section of the guidance provides detail on how organisations need to manage allegations made against staff they employ (including volunteers). It is crucial that
everyone working in any organisation providing services or activities for children is aware
of these issues and the need to adopt ways of working and appropriate practice to help
reduce allegations. It is equally important that everyone is able to raise concerns about
what seems to be poor or unsafe practice by colleagues and that those concerns along
with concerns expressed by children, parents or others are listened to and taken seriously.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL SUMMARY HERE Recruting Safely Summary (201KB - PDF)

VISIT http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/safeguarding/safer-ruitment/resources                             

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Date Updated: 30/06/10