Safer Recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment
Please note that all applicants invited to interview will be asked to complete our interview checklist and provide information at interview.
Education Personnel Management (EPM) supports Wootton Park School with the recruitment process.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The Equality Act 2010 applies to all those working at Wootton Park School in whatever capacity and includes those who are working under a contract. The school adopts the Local Authority policy of guaranteeing an interview to job applicants with a disability, who meet the essential criteria. Governors will, wherever possible, make reasonable adjustments to recruitment processes, working conditions or the working environment. All decisions relating to appointments or promotions will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
Safer Recruitment: Invitation to Interview Checklist
Criminal Convictions Disclosure Form
Ex-Offenders Policy Statement Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Selection Process
Selection techniques will be determined by the nature and duties of the vacant post, but all vacancies for contracted staff will require an interview of short-listed candidates.
At least one member of the interview panel will have received ‘Safer Recruitment’ Training.
Candidates will always be required:
- to explain satisfactorily any gaps in employment;
- to explain satisfactorily any anomalies or discrepancies in the information available to recruiters;
- to declare any information that is likely to appear on a DBS disclosure;
- to demonstrate their capacity to safeguard and protect the welfare of children and young people.
Pre-Employment Checks
Any offer of appointment made to a successful candidate, including one who has lived or worked abroad will be conditional on satisfactory completion of the necessary pre-employment checks.
We will:
- verify a candidate’s identity. Identification checking guidelines can be found on the GOV.UK website;
- obtain an enhanced DBS certificate (including barred list information, for those who will be engaging in regulated activity);
- verify the candidate’s mental and physical fitness to carry out their work responsibilities.
- verify the person’s right to work in the UK. If there is uncertainty about whether an individual needs permission to work in the UK, then we will follow advice on the GOV.UK website. If the person has lived or worked outside the UK, make any further checks the school consider appropriate including (where relevant) any teacher sanctions or restrictions imposed by a European Economic Area professional regulating authority, and criminal records checks or their equivalent
- request a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ (or equivalent) from any country in which the successful applicant has lived or worked for six months or more since the age of 16. If this cannot be secured employment will be subject to a risk assessment carried out by the Principal;
- request details for two referees; one must be the current or most recent employer;
- check for a prohibition of teaching, where appropriate;
- ask the candidate to sign a disqualification of the childcare act;
- verify professional qualifications, as appropriate;
- check that a person taking up a management position as described at paragraph 111 of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2019 is not subject to a section 128 direction made by the Secretary of State.
The details of checks will be reported to the police and/or the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) if:-
- The DBS disclosure shows that an applicant has been disqualified from working with children;
- An applicant has provided false information in, or in support of, his or her application; or
- There are serious concerns about an applicant’s suitability to work with children gained from other legitimate information sources (e.g. references).
