People, Opportunities, Change
Safer Recruitment Policy
Purpose
The purpose of the policy is to provide a set of standards and principles for the effective and safe recruitment of staff by ensuring equal opportunities and adhering to the requirements as set out in current employment legislation.
Scope
This policy will apply to all individuals including prospective employees, volunteers, and temporary/agency workers.
Principles
• We will seek to recruit the best candidate for the job based on merit. The recruitment and selection process should ensure the identification of the person best suited to the job and the company.
• Ensure that the recruitment and selection of staff is conducted in a professional, timely, and responsive manner and in compliance with current employment legislation.
• All candidates are treated fairly, equitably, and with respect.
• All documentation relating to applicants will be treated confidentially in accordance with GDPR legislation.
Advertising and Job Descriptions
CTS will ensure that all roles (Person Specification/Job Description) include the expectation to follow all safeguarding procedures. CTS will include a commitment to safeguarding all recruitment materials, including the website, and that DBS checks will be completed.
Recruitment Procedure
CV applications will be accepted directly from applicants or agencies. Applications received will be scrutinised for dates, gaps, and discrepancies and be reviewed against the Person Specification essential criteria and Job description. It is best practice for two people to be involved in the shortlisting process.
Prior to interviews, all potential employees will be subjected to a ‘Digital Screening’ as suggested in the revised Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.
Candidates short-listed for interviews will be contacted either via a Recruitment Agency or directly by telephone or e-mail. The interview will be conducted in person wherever possible.
Interview Process
The Interview process will be determined by each role. It is typical for support staff to undertake a competency-based assessment/or presentation. For teaching staff, it is a requirement for the candidate to undertake a micro teach of at least 30 minutes duration.
• All prospective employees will be invited for a face-to-face interview with a member of the SLT.
• All candidates will be required to bring proof of ID, eligibility to work in the UK, and qualifications (relevant to Person Specification).
• All prospective employees will be interviewed using the same agreed questions and recorded on an interview record that is graded. All questions will be related to the specific requirements of the role applied for and the candidate’s suitability to undertake the role.
• Interview questions will include exploring knowledge of safeguarding.
• Selection decisions, including decisions not to appoint applicants, should be made by a majority decision of the interview panel.
• CTS is a Disability Confident committed employer and applicants who declare a disability and who meet the essential criteria on the person specification for the post, will be offered an interview.
• In accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and Equality Act 2010, all reasonable attempts will be made to accommodate the needs of any person with a disability at all stages of the recruitment process.
Conditional Offer of Appointment
Any offer of a position to a successful candidate will be conditional upon:
• Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006
All new staff must produce documentary evidence to satisfy the Immigration, Asylum, and Nationality Act, confirming that they have permission to reside in the UK and undertake the type of work required in their post.
• Verification of Qualifications
If original certificates were not shown during the recruitment and selection process, then these must be provided to the HR Manager prior to or upon commencement of the post.
Appointment
• If a formal offer of appointment is to be made it will be confirmed in writing and will be conditional upon receipt of satisfactory information (as listed above).
• Consideration should be given to reasonable adjustments for a successful disabled candidate. Contact HR for further guidance.
References
The receipt of satisfactory references is a condition of employment. Until such references have been received, verbal or written offers of employment must be conditional upon their receipt.
For all posts applicants will be required to provide the names of two referees. One of the referees must be the applicant's most recent employer.
Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding
Staff and Volunteers
CTS is committed to the safer recruitment of staff to adhere to our statutory legal duties under the ‘Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, 2006’.
CTS adopts recruitment, selection, and pre-employment vetting procedures in line with legislation and best practice available. Most of the CTS Training’s activity is ‘regulated activity’, the full legal definition of which is set out in Schedule 4 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 - Amended by Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. In addition, HM Government has produced a summary factsheet on Regulated Activity in relation to children: DBS Summary Factsheet Regulated Activity children. Most employees require an enhanced criminal records check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Anyone appointed to carry out teaching work requires an additional check, the barred list check, to ensure they are not prohibited from teaching. This adds checks of the DBS Children’s Barred List to the enhanced check. More information is available on the DBS Website and in DfE Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst not a legal duty, CTS does require supervised volunteers that are undertaking frequent supervised activity at CTS to provide an enhanced DBS certificate. CTS will not require a barred list check. CTS holds a single central register for all staff and volunteers which lists the checks that have been carried out and the date they were completed.
As such, appointments will be subject to staff applying for a Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If this is a requirement of the post this will have been stated before appointment and will also be stated in your contract of employment. DBS information/evidence gathering form will be sent which will need to complete along with specific original documentary evidence.
Criminal Convictions
CTS Training adheres to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974; as such, any convictions that are not spent must be declared at the time of application. All information disclosed will be treated in strictest confidence, with each case being judged on its own merits.
Failure to disclose such information, or the provision of false information, may result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal if the applicant has already been selected. Depending upon circumstances, this information may have to be shared under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) resulting in referral to external agencies such as the Police, the Probation Service, Local Safeguarding Board, etc.
Single Central Record
All relevant checks are recorded on the Single Central Record including:
• DBS
• Eligibility to work in the UK.
• Photo ID
• Professional Qualifications
• References
Record Retention
The HR department will retain interview records for one year in the case of requests for feedback.