Adopted by the governing body 25.11.2023
Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School
Safer Recruitment policy and Recruitment and selection procedures
Introduction
The purpose of this policy and procedures is to set out our school’s commitment to fair, safe and
effective recruitment and selection of new and existing employees.
Our school is an equal opportunities employer and will not discriminate unlawfully against anyone, but
will select the best person for the job in terms of qualifications and abilities.
We are committed to safer recruitment practices that:
• deter prospective applicants who are unsuitable to work with children or young people
• identify and reject applicants who are unsuitable to work with children or young people
• prevent and deter inappropriate behaviours by providing on-going supervision, training and
support to all staff and volunteers
Annex A sets out our full recruitment and selection procedures.
Guiding Principles
• All recruitment and selection procedures must comply with all current legislation and specifically
the guidance set out in Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (DfE 2023)
• A job description and person specification must accompany each vacancy.
• All members of the recruitment panel should be familiar with this policy and the accompanying
selection and recruitment procedures.
• At least one person on each appointment panel should have undertaken full Safer Recruitment
Training in keeping with the requirements of the Safer Recruitment Consortium and Keeping
Children Safe in Education (DfE). This should be noted on their personnel file induction checklist.
Refreshing this training at regular intervals and following significant changes in statutory guidance
should support practice to remain effective.
• The school’s Recruitment and selection procedures are set out in Annex A and provide further
guidance for appointments of those working with children. For example:
o a curriculum vitae will not be accepted in lieu of an application form
o shortlisted applicants will be required to declare any cautions and convictions, etc. that are
not protected [amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 and 2020)] prior to
interview
o online searches will be completed on all shortlisted candidates prior to interview
o references will be sought on all shortlisted candidates and scrutinised before interview
o open references will not be relied upon and will be subject to confirmation from the referee
o all references must include a statement about someone’s suitability to work with children
• Equality monitoring is at the heart of our equal opportunities policy. Monitoring information in
relation to job applicants will assist us in equality monitoring. The recruitment panel will not have
access to job applicant’s monitoring information.
• All suitably qualified disabled applicants who meet the essential requirements of a post will be
invited for interview where practical. Appropriate adjustments will be made to the interview
arrangements where necessary.
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• Every applicant must be assessed consistently against the criteria identified on the person
specification. The selection panel must look for relevant objective evidence on which to make a
decision.
• Questions asked of applicants must relate to the requirements of the post and should not be
discriminatory, offensive or in any way off-putting to any person or group.
• Safer Recruitment training provides further guidance as to how to ask further questions to test out
someone’s suitability to work with children and relevant to their application form and personal
statement.
• The Equality Act 2010 (Section 60) prevents employers from asking applicants about their health
or attendance before making an offer of appointment. Questions relating to the applicant’s health
or sickness absence history must not be asked at the interview stage. Only appropriate information
should be sought to enable the candidate to participate in the interview process.
• At the end of the interviews, each panel member should have recorded evidence of how each
candidate has met each of the selection criteria. Systematic analysis and assessment against the
school’s scoring system is important so that fair and justified decisions are made and so that
constructive feedback can be given to candidates.
• The panel should then reach agreement on which candidate is to be appointed.
• Short summative verbal feedback should be offered to unsuccessful shortlisted candidates.
• All posts are subject to a fully completed application form, satisfactory employment references,
medical clearance, evidence of the applicant’s right to work in the UK and evidence of the required
qualifications and any further relevant pre-employment checks set out in Keeping Children Safe in
Education, including an Enhanced DBS check, a Barred List check for those working in Regulated
Activity, a prohibition check for those in teaching positions, oversees criminal checks including
overseas teacher sanctions, etc.
• The verbal offer of employment and the initial offer letter must be conditional on all the required
checks being completed. Candidates should be advised not to resign until their post is confirmed
and all relevant checks must have been completed.
• The school will keep a record of the pre-employment checks carried out on the successful
candidate and these will be included within the school’s Single Central Record. Evidence of the
checks undertaken (where appropriate to do so) will be kept in the individual’s personnel file.
• The school’s safer recruitment procedures will be quality assured following each round of
appointments by the Headteacher. This will include scrutiny of the school’s Single Central Record
and personnel files.
• All new employees will receive a mandatory safeguarding induction in keeping with the DfE
guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education and evidence of this will be retained in the individual’s
personnel file.
• Any complaints made in relation to the recruitment and selection process should be dealt with
under the grievance procedures for internal candidates and school’s complaints policy for external
applicants.
• When asked to provide a reference for a current or former employee, we will ensure that the
information provided confirms whether we are satisfied with the applicant’s suitability to work with
children, and provide the facts (not opinions) of any substantiated safeguarding
concerns/allegations that meet the harm threshold. We will not include information about
concerns/allegations which are unsubstantiated, unfounded, false, or malicious. As references are
an important part of the recruitment process, they will be provided in a timely manner.
• If a candidate declares a criminal conviction, or a disclosure is made on the candidate’s Enhanced
DBS certificate, school will complete a ‘Criminal offences risk assessment’ in order to determine
the level of risk. A copy of this will be retained on the individual’s personnel file (or within
recruitment documentation if the offer of employment is withdrawn).
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Annex A
Recruitment and selection procedures

Recruitment Procedures Date
1. Post approved by Headteacher / Governors
2. Job description and person specification drawn up (reference to safeguarding children
and appropriate behaviours should be included in all relevant posts)
3.
Job description, person specification and salary range agreed by SLT and whether the post
ought to be held for redeployment. Job description and person specification should
include statements about the safeguarding responsibilities of the post as set out in
paragraph 210 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) “the skills, abilities,
experience, attitude, and behaviours required for the post; and the safeguarding
requirements, i.e. to what extent will the role involve contact with children and will they
be engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.”

4.
Appointments panel agreed with a minimum of two members. (Panel members should
remain the same for each stage of the process). Selection methods agreed. Closing date,
short-listing date and interview dates agreed.

5.
Advert drawn up and agreed by HT in line with the detail set out in paragraph 211 of KCSIE
For posts working with children this should include the agreed statement ‘Our school is
committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff
and volunteers to share this commitment to keeping children safe. Any offer of
employment will be subject to statutory pre-employment checks including satisfactory
references and Enhanced DBS and Barred List checks. This post is exempt from the
provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (as amended in 2013 & 2020) and
shortlisted candidates will be required to disclose any relevant criminal history prior to
interview.’

6.
Application pack prepared to include: an application form (which includes all points set
out in paragraph 214 of KCSIE) with guidance notes, job description and person
specification and details of any probationary period, information about the organisation
and recruitment of ex-offenders and terms and conditions relating to the post. Applicants
from overseas should be advised to obtain an overseas criminal check and for teachers, a
letter of professional standing from the professional regulating authority in which the
applicant has worked before they apply for a visa as the post is in the education sector.

The candidates pack should also include the school’s Child Protection policy, Code of
Conduct – Safer Working Practices Guidance and guidance that requires the disclosure of
non-protected cautions and convictions. Candidates should be signposted to the school
website which contains further safeguarding policies. They should be advised that CVs will
not be acceptable for these types of posts. In addition, references will always be required
from their current employer and settings where they have worked with children. Include
information within the candidate’s pack that, as per Keeping Children Safe in Education,
online searches will be conducted on shortlisted candidates.

The application form will need to request the following information:

a. Details of the applicant including current and former names, current address and
national insurance number and proof of their right to work in the UK.

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b. A statement of any academic and/or vocational qualifications the applicant has
obtained that are relevant to the position they are applying for with the details of the
awarding body and date of award.
c. Details of their present (or last) employment and reason for leaving.
d. A full educational, training and work history in chronological order since leaving
secondary education with any gaps explained.
e. Details of two referees. One referee must be the applicant’s current or most recent
employer and not family members.
f. An explanation that the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
and that if the applicant is shortlisted all convictions, cautions, reprimands and final
warnings, including those regarded as ’spent’ must be declared prior to interview
unless protected (amendments in 2013 and 2020)
g. Where the candidate needs to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final
warnings they should be advised that they will be asked to provide full details if they
are invited for interview and this information will not be requested or considered
until this point.
h. A declaration that should they provide false information or omit any material fact they
will be liable to dismissal if appointed and possible referral to the police.
8. Post advertised.
9.
Shortlist applicants. The selection panel should identify those applicants who meet the
criteria based upon their application form and personal statement. A scoring system
should be used to assess each applicant against the criteria on the person specification.
The panel should consider any inconsistencies and identify any gaps in employment and
reasons provided to allow the opportunity to explore these further at interview.

Provision should be made for disabled candidates to attend interview.

10.
Carry out an online search on the shortlisted candidates as part of due diligence which
may help to identify any incidents or issues that have occurred and are publicly available
online, which the school may want to explore with the applicant at interview. Shortlisted
candidates should be informed that this check will be carried out prior to interview and
be invited to share any relevant information. Suggested wording is ‘As part of the
recruitment process we will carry out an online search as part of our due diligence on all
shortlisted candidates prior to interview. If there is anything you wish to make us aware
of, prior to the search being completed, please contact Name via email address / telephone
number by date.’

11.
Short listed applicants should be asked to complete a self-declaration in relation to all
relevant convictions, adult cautions or other matters which may affect their suitability to
work with children, including those regarded as ‘spent’ unless they are protected.
Shortlisted applicants should be signposted to the Ministry of Justice website for support
in understanding what they are required to declare. Forms should be returned prior to
interview. Declarations should be considered prior to interview to allow the information
disclosed to be discussed with the candidate during the interview process.

12.
When invited to interview, shortlisted applicants should be asked to bring identity
documents and evidence of qualifications (where required) to the interview day. They
should also be asked to sign their completed application form if submitted electronically.

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13.
References should be requested prior to interview for all short-listed candidates whose
posts will bring them into contact with children.

All reference requests should ask:

a. for confirmation of details of the applicant’s current/previous post (s) including salary,
job title, dates of employment and reason for leaving
b. about the referee’s relationship with the candidate, how long they have known them
and in what capacity. If the reference is from a current or previous employer it should
be from an appropriately senior member of the relevant organisation / headteacher.
If the referee is school or college based, the reference should be confirmed by the
headteacher/principal as accurate in respect of any disciplinary investigations.
c. for specific verifiable and relevant comments about the applicant’s performance
history and conduct.
d. whether the referee is satisfied that the candidate has the ability and is suitable to
undertake the role in question
e. whether the referee is completely satisfied that the candidate is suitable to work with
children, and, if not, for specific details of the referee’s concerns.
f. for details of any disciplinary procedures the applicant has been subject to in which
the sanction is still current.
g. for details of any disciplinary procedures the applicant has been subject to which
related to the safety and welfare of children, including any in which the disciplinary
sanction has expired and the outcome of those.

References should be carefully checked against the application form for any discrepancies
or anomalies. The references should be scrutinised before interview to consider any past
behaviours, allegations and differences between the skills, responsibilities and
experiences set out by the referee and candidate.

References should always be verified with the person who provided the reference and
school must ensure that electronic references are from a legitimate source.

Any omissions and or vague statements should always be followed up with the referee.
Notes should be taken of any conversation and added to the personnel file.

Further references may need to be taken up particularly if they are relevant to a post
working with children.

14.
The panel should agree a set of questions to ask all candidates that cover the key aspects
of the role and specifically those characteristics in the person specification that need
testing out at interview. In addition to interview questions, the panel should also agree
other selection techniques they feel appropriate to the role e.g. lesson observations,
written and/or data tasks, presentations, etc.

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15.
All candidates should be asked questions to include their attitude and motivation towards
working with children and young people and their ability to support the organisation to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Paragraphs 225 and 226 of KCSIE provide
further detail. Paragraph 225 states that questions should include “finding out what
attracted the candidate to the post being applied for and their motivation for working with
children; exploring their skills and asking for examples of experience of working with
children which are relevant to the role; and probing any gaps in employment or where the
candidate has changed employment or location frequently, asking about the reasons for
this.” The panel should agree further questions to ask individual candidates based upon
issues raised in their personal statement, references and application form including any
gaps or discrepancies identified. Towards the end of the interview any cautions and
convictions etc. declared by the candidate should be discussed.

16. Prior to interview, references, criminal self disclosures and evidence of online searches
should be shared with the interview panel for their consideration.
17.
The appointments panel should select the successful candidate using the agreed scoring
system. Each panel member will have been provided with a grid setting out each question,
possible positive and negative answers and the scoring system.

All unsuccessful interviewed candidates should receive short summative verbal feedback
agreed by the panel.

18.
The successful candidate should receive a verbal offer, conditional to all the required
checks being completed. They should be advised they will receive a conditional offer letter
and that they shouldn’t resign until they receive their confirmation letter with their start
date, contract and particulars.

19.
The personnel file should evidence that all the required checks have been completed. As
per paragraph 276 of KCSIE, copies of documents used to verify the successful candidate’s
identity, right to work and required qualifications should be kept on their personnel file.
A recruitment checklist for the personnel file should be signed off before their start date.
The confirmation letter with start date can be sent once all checks are completed.

Keeping Children Safe in Education sets out the following pre-employment checks which
must be carried out by schools:
• Verify a candidate’s identity. This includes being aware of the potential for individuals
changing their name. Best practice is checking the name on their birth certificate,
where this is available. Identification checking guidelines can be found on the GOV.UK
website;
• Obtain (via the applicant) an enhanced DBS certificate (including barred list
information, for those who will be engaging in regulated activity). Paragraphs 249 –
252 give further guidance when using the DBS update service as the original
certificate will need to be obtained by school;
• Obtain a separate barred list check if an individual will start work in regulated activity
before the DBS certificate is available. Paragraphs 261 – 262 detail how to obtain a
separate barred list check. Separate barred lists checks do not apply to 16-19
Academies, Special Post-16 institutions and Independent Training Providers;
• Verify the candidate’s mental and physical fitness to carry out their work
responsibilities. A job applicant can be asked relevant questions about disability and

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health in order to establish whether they have the physical and mental capacity for
the specific role;
• Conduct checks on every person’s right to work in the UK, including EU nationals,
other overseas nationals and British citizens. Employers should not discriminate when
conducting these right to work checks. If there is uncertainty about whether an
individual needs permission to work in the UK, then prospective employers should
follow advice on the GOV.UK website;
• If the person has lived or worked outside the UK, make any further checks the school
or college consider appropriate (see paragraphs 279 – 284 of Keeping Children Safe in
Education). ‘Individuals who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the
same checks as all other staff (set out in paragraph 232)… …In addition, schools and
colleges must make any further checks they think appropriate so that any relevant
events that occurred outside the UK can be considered’
• Where the individual has taught outside of the UK, confirm that there are no sanctions
against them by obtaining a letter (via the applicant) from the professional regulating
authority in the country (or countries) in which the individual has worked confirming
that they have not imposed any sanctions or restrictions, or that they are not aware
of any reason why they may be unsuitable to teach. Advice regarding regulatory or
professional bodies is available from the National Recognition Information Centre for
the United Kingdom. Applicants can find contact details of regulatory bodies in the
EU/EEA and Switzerland on the Regulated Professions database. Applicants can also
contact the UK Centre for Professional Qualifications who will signpost them to the
appropriate EEA regulatory body.
• Ensure all appropriate checks are made when recruiting people from outside the UK
• Verify professional qualifications, as appropriate. The Teaching Regulation Agency’s
Employer Access Service system should be used to verify the award of qualified
teacher status (QTS), and the completion of teacher induction or probation;
• Confirm that the individual (if employed to carry out teaching work) is not prohibited
from teaching by the Secretary of State (paragraph 253), or any sanction or restriction
imposed (that remains current) by the GTCE (paragraph 255) before its abolition in
March 2012;
• Section 128 checks should be made on all governors in maintained schools as the DfE
state ‘A person subject to a section 128 direction is also disqualified from holding or
continuing to hold office as a governor of a maintained school.’
• Paragraphs 261 and 262 of KCSIE set out how ‘Schools and colleges can use the TRA’s
Employer Access service to make prohibition, direction, restriction and children’s
barred list checks. The service is free to use and is available via the TRA’s web page.
Users will require a DfE Sign-in account to log onto the service.’

The Childcare Act 2006 sets out that where applicable, a disqualification check may be
required to ensure the individual is not disqualified under the Childcare (Disqualification)
Regulations 2018. Further information can be found here and at paragraphs 263-267.

Once all the pre-employment checks are completed the candidate can receive an offer
letter contract and start date. Some posts may be subject to a probationary period.
Adopted by the governing body 25.11.2023
Recruitment Procedures
20.
Once undertaken, the date on which all pre-employment checks were completed should
be recorded on the school’s Single Central Record of pre-employment checks and
evidence of the checks (where appropriate) will be retained on the individual’s personnel
f
ile. The school will complete School Improvement Liverpool’s Personnel File Checklist to
ensure all documents and checks are evidenced within the file. In order to comply with
the DBS Code of Practice copies of DBS certificates will not be retained except in
exceptional circumstances. Where a copy is retained, school will note on the personnel
f
ile the rationale for keeping a copy and make arrangements to securely dispose of the
certificate after 6 months.
Date
21.
Appropriate induction activities should be provided for all new employees. All staff should
read and understand key guidance including Keeping Children Safe in Education and Safer
Working Practices guidance and the School Improvement Liverpool Safeguarding
Induction Booklet. Provision of these documents should sit alongside a full safeguarding
induction provided by the Designated Safeguarding Lead. The safeguarding induction
checklist should be completed and placed on their personnel file.