The safe recruitment of staff in schools is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in education. Longshaw Community Junior School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. It is recognised that this can only be achieved through sound procedures, good inter-agency cooperation and the recruitment and retention of competent, motivated employees who are suited to, and fulfilled in the roles they undertake. The school recognises the value of, and seeks to achieve a diverse workforce which includes people from different backgrounds with different skills and abilities. The school is committed to ensuring that the recruitment and selection of all who work within the school is conducted in a manner that is systematic, efficient, and effective and promotes equality of opportunity.

Safer recruitment and the law

The school will uphold its obligations under law and national collective agreements to not discriminate against applicants for employment on the grounds of age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, race, and colour, national, ethnic origin, religion or creed. The document provides a good practice framework to comply with the principles set down in the school’s Equality Policy. All posts within school are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all applicants will be required to declare spent and unspent convictions, cautions and bind-over’s, including those regarded as spent and have an Enhanced Criminal Records Disclosure(DBS).

The school is committed to ensuring people who have been convicted are treated fairly and given every opportunity to establish their suitability for positions. Having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position.

The school will:

• Ensure that appropriate staff who undertake recruitment have received safer recruitment training.
• Work towards every appointment panel including one member who has received safer recruitment training. 
• Implement robust recruitment procedures and checks for appointing staff and volunteers to ensure that reasonable steps are taken not to appoint a person who is unsuitable to work with children, or who is disqualified from working with children, or does not have the suitable skills and experience for the intended role.
• Keep and maintain a single central record of recruitment and vetting checks in line with DFE requirements. 
• Ensure that the terms of any contract with a contractor or agency requires them to adopt the implemented measures described in this procedure. The school will monitor the compliance with these measures.
• Require staff who are convicted or cautioned for any offence during their employment with the school to notify the school, in writing of the offence and the penalty.