Safer Recruitment & Safeguarding

Bichard Report 2004 “For those agencies whose job it is to protect children and vulnerable people, the harsh reality is that if a sufficiently devious person is determined to seek out opportunities to work their evil, no one can guarantee that they can be stopped. Our task is to make it as difficult as possible for them to succeed” Page 12, paragraph 79 Background & Context

A person who is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults will be breaking the law if they work or volunteer, or try to work or volunteer with those groups. An organisation which knowingly employs someone who is barred to work with those groups will also be breaking the law. If your organisation works with children or vulnerable adults and you dismiss a member of staff or a volunteer because they have harmed a child or vulnerable adult, or you thought they would have done so if they had not left, you must tell the Independent Safeguarding Authority The Legislation – September 2012

The Legislation – September contd New Definition of Regulated Activity Work covered by the new regulated activity definition Controlled Activity no longer exists Minimum age for CRB checks

Finding the right balance Complacency..... Vigilance..... Suspicion/Paranoia If everyone is potentially a threat to the safety of learners or staff we need to develop a culture of vigilance rather than a culture of suspicion and paranoia.

Linking recruitment to safeguarding  Staff recruitment is a key mechanism in the delivery of safeguarding  Staff recruitment can never be entirely safe – only safer  The aim is to put in place a range of individual measures to filter out as many unsuitable applicants as possible.  Individual measures may not have huge impact alone but when they are all delivered together, consistently and by all, they will provide a high level of protection.  Appointment procedure

The Challenges Activity: Working in small groups: What do you see as being the key challenges relating to safer staff recruitment?

Recruitment checklist The job, advert and candidate information Planning and preparing the selection processes Making the decision: short-listing Making the decision: interview and assessment Post selection process When individual starts the job

Features of safer staff recruitment  Planning and structuring the process  Statement of safeguarding commitment included in: Advertisements Application forms Job descriptions and person specifications  Staff selection to include face to face activity

Features of safer staff recruitment  Use of robust, probing interview questions, including some on safeguarding  Seek information about career breaks or frequent career moves  Seek information about criminal history  Appointment subject to a positive enhanced CRB check and satisfactory references  Staff Induction/Probation includes safeguarding – Safeguarding leaflet

For information & help  Human Resources – Lynne Moore  Line Managers  Designated safeguarding persons: Fiona Playford Glenda Jackson