05 Safer Recruitment Policy and Procedure

Purpose

This policy protects pupils through rigorous recruitment and vetting of everyone who will work with them, in a school that teaches entirely online.

Principles

• At least one person on every recruitment panel has completed safer recruitment training.
• Identity checks and suitability checks are completed before an appointment is confirmed.
• Shortlisted candidates are asked about their safeguarding history, including any concerns that were raised and how they were resolved.
• Vacancies and descriptions make the school's safeguarding and online conduct expectations clear before anyone applies.

Pre-employment checks

• The application form, with employment gaps accounted for.
• References taken up and challenged, and confirmed before appointment.
• Verification of qualifications where they matter to the role.
• Employment history checks.
• DBS checks where the role requires them.
• Right to work in the UK, and where relevant, overseas criminal record checks for candidates who have lived abroad.

DBS and suitability

The school makes sure the required checks are completed for any role involving regulated activity with children, keeps the certificates on file, and records the date each check was made and the level of the check. Renewal dates are tracked so no check quietly expires.

Online conduct expectations

• Candidates are told about the school's safeguarding expectations and its online boundaries before they start.
• Role-specific expectations include group-only communication, no private messaging of pupils, and use of approved platforms only.
• New staff read and sign the Staff Code of Conduct and the Staff Acceptable Use Policy in their induction week.

Record-keeping

The school maintains a Single Central Record of the checks completed for each adult who works with pupils, kept by the school office and reviewed each term so that it stays accurate and complete.

Review

This policy is reviewed at least once a year.