Vision Statement

Carshalton Boys is a school community based upon positive relationships and a culture of kindness and mutual respect. Staff recognise their role in promoting our WE BELIEVE principles and are united in optimism and a belief in our young people. Looking after our students, on the journey from childhood to young adulthood, is a privilege and a responsibility that we take seriously.

What unites our Carshalton Boys family is a drive to look after our most vulnerable members. We do this proactively by ensuring staff are accessible to students and parents and that students have the opportunity to anonymously report unkindness, abuse or any welfare concerns.

WE BELIEVE knowledge is power, black lives matter, love is love, feminism is for everyone and that no human being is illegal.  WE BELIEVE in being gentle with The Earth and that we all have a part to play in protecting our planet. At Carshalton Boys we are proud to have an ethos rooted in our WE BELIEVE principles which promote inclusivity, kindness and aspiration. We encourage all our students to be the best version of themselves. We want students to feel proud of their achievements at school and their contribution to our whole school community. We believe in being really kind to each other so that every member of our school community feels safe and confident and is able to work and learn in a calm and inclusive environment.

1. Introduction

CBSC understands the importance of safeguarding the children in our care and this policy should be read in conjunction with the school Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Our safeguarding responsibilities inform our practices throughout the recruitment and selection process. We have given careful consideration and attention to the following guidance:

• Keeping children safe in education (DfE 2023)
• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• Equality Act 2010
• Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
• DBS Code of Practice (amended 2016)
• Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (exceptions order 1975) (as amended 2013 & 2020)
• General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018

In order to help safeguard and promote the welfare of all students, the school is committed to a thorough and consistent Safer Recruitment Policy and practice.

2.  Aims, Purpose and Scope

This policy is designed to facilitate good recruitment and selection practice and ensure the school meets all legal requirements and best practice towards the safeguarding of children in the school.

This policy covers the recruitment and selection process from the planning and advertising of vacancies through to appointment and induction. It is intended as a guide for all staff involved in the recruitment and selection process and follows best practice guidance from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and KCSIE. We aim to conduct all recruitment and selection of staff in a professional, timely and responsive manner.

3. Discrimination

CBSC is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all applicants, ensuring that all stages of recruitment and selection are fair and procedures will be reviewed on a regular basis.   There is a significant body of employment legislation which impacts on the Delta Recruitment and Selection process. This includes The Equality Act 2010.

3.1         Types of Discrimination

Direct Discrimination: occurs when someone is treated less favourably than others would be treated in the same, or similar, circumstances on the grounds of a protected characteristic as outlined in The Equality Act 2010 (Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion or Belief, Sex, Sexual Orientation).

Indirect Discrimination: occurs when a requirement or condition is applied which has a disproportionately adverse effect on a group of people on the grounds of a protected characteristic as outlined in The Equality Act 2010 (Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion or Belief, Sex, Sexual Orientation).

4.  Roles and Responsibilities

        The Trustees have delegated responsibility to the Principal to lead and manage all recruitment and make final decisions on appointments, outside of the Senior Management Team, however in some cases this may be delegated.  The principles of this procedure apply to the recruitment of both teaching and support staff.

        An appointment panel is responsible for implementation of the procedure and no individual will have sole responsibility for the selection decision.  A panel will normally consist of at least two appropriate persons, one of whom must have successfully completed accredited safer recruitment training.

In regard to key appointments across the school such as Senior Management and Head of Department positions, Trustees will be involved within the process as appropriate.

For Principal and Vice Principal vacancies this will specifically consist of the Chair of Trustees, Vice Chair of Trustees and not less than three other members of the Trust Board. Panel members will not be involved in a recruitment exercise and appointment where they are related to an applicant or have a close personal relationship with them outside of work.  The panel will be balanced to include a variety of staff, roles, genders and backgrounds.

5. Recruitment and Selection Procedure

5.1         Vacancy, Job Description and Person Specification.

When a vacancy is identified a job description and person specification are written or reviewed and updated as necessary. The ideal start date is identified and the recruitment timetable is planned out, as far as is practicably possible, working backwards from this date.  All job descriptions and person specifications must make reference to the responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

5.2         Advertising  

Vacancies at CBSC are advertised in a variety of media; local and national press, the school website and online websites.  However, where there is a reasonable expectation that where there are sufficient, suitably qualified, internal candidates, vacancies may be advertised internally before an external advertisement is placed (see point 11).

On all advertisements we state that “CBSC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.  All successful candidates will be required to undertake a criminal check via the DBS before they can be appointed”.  Where we use employment agencies we obtain written confirmation from them that they have carried out all the appropriate checks on staff supplied and that those are satisfactory.

        The Vacancies page on our website also states that we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment and again advises that successful applicants will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced check, previously known as a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, where we are legally entitled to do so.

Job descriptions, Person Specifications along with the advert, application form and guidance notes are available on our website.

              5.3         Applications 

        All candidates are required to complete our application forms, which are found on our website, in full.  We require information on full academic and employment history; suitability for the role, referees, a declaration about Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) Checks, DBS Children’s Barred List Check and a declaration of eligibility to work in the UK. We also state that the provision of false information is an offence and could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal of the applicant if the applicant has been selected and possible referral to the police and/or the DBS.

Guidance notes on how to complete the application form are provided on the Vacancies page on the school website. CV’s may accompany the application however it is the information entered onto the application form which will be used when deciding who to shortlist.

5.4         Shortlisting

Applications are shortlisted by the recruitment panel which usually comprises the Principal, Vice Principal, HR Manager and the relevant departmental head for teaching roles. For other roles the panel will consist of the departmental head/relevant manager and HR Manager.

Short-listing of candidates will be against the job description and person specification for the post. There must be consistency between members of the interview panel and those involved in the shortlisting process. All materials for shortlisting exercises for both successful and non-successful shortlisted candidates must be completed and stored securely.  Unsuccessful candidates’ feedback must be stored securely for six months before being destroyed in line with our Data Retention Policy.

Informal conversations may take place between schools in regard to staff who work or have worked there, such is the close knit nature of schools.  This is commonplace in the education industry however it must be stressed that whilst these are a useful indication tool, they bear no impact on the interview outcome.

5.5         Online Searches/Checks

As advised in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 (KCSIE), CBSC undertakes, as part of their shortlisting process, a Social Media check (consisting of searching for the candidate on publicly available websites for any adverse hits) as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates. This helps identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which we may want to explore at interview.  We use a third party to undertake the check, which eliminates any potential bias formed against any protected characteristics.

                        A multitude of risk classifications are checked on each platform. They are:

• extreme views or opinions
• hate or discriminatory behaviour
• illegal activities
• inappropriate or undesirable content
• potential addiction or substance abuse
• sexually explicit content
• violent content

The protected characteristics that are not used in any risk classifications are:

• race or ethnicity
• religion or belief
• political opinions
• sexual orientation
• disabilities
• Age

5.6         References

        Where possible, two references will be taken up immediately prior to the interview.  In cases where it may not be possible to do this; either because of delay on the part of the referee or because a candidate does not wish their current employer to be approached at this stage, before any appointment is made, satisfactory references must have been received.  References will be sought directly from the referee. References or testimonials provided by the candidate will never be accepted.

        When references are requested, a copy of the Job Description and Person Specification will be provided to the referee and the following topics will be covered:

• The candidate’s suitability for working with children and young people
• Any disciplinary warnings, including time-expired warnings, which relate to the safeguarding of children
• The candidate’s suitability for this post
• Confirmation of the applicant’s post, salary and responsibilities
• Details of any statutory parental leave taken
• Comments about the candidate’s performance history and conduct

CBSC require two employment references one of which must include your current or most recent employer and in the case of Teachers, must be the Principal/Headteacher.

All references will be checked to ensure that questions have been answered satisfactorily, and where this has not been the case, the referee will be contacted to provide further information.  Any discrepancy between references and the application form will be taken up with the candidate and if not satisfactorily explained may lead to a withdrawal of employment offer.

          5.7         Interviews/Selection Panels

Selection panels will comprise a minimum of two people (three for senior posts). In accordance with the statutory requirement, every selection panel will have at least one member who has undertaken Safer Recruitment Training.

Selection techniques will be determined by the nature and duties of the vacant post, such as:

• Lesson Observations
• Testing ability or knowledge by work based tests
• Practical exercises
• Paper-based ability or knowledge tests
• In-tray exercises
• Presentations
• Work placement assessments

        Teaching candidates will always be asked to teach a class whilst being observed.  Applicants will be given advance notice of the selection methods that will be used.

        All formal interviews cover the applicant’s suitability for the roles and suitability to work with children, exploring any gaps or anomalies in the information available to recruiters and ensuring safeguarding criteria are met.

        Interview notes are collated, along with feedback from other teachers and colleagues who have been involved in the selection process. These notes will be kept for 6 months and then destroyed.

CBSC believes it is good practice for the panel to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants following testing or the interview when requested to do so.

6. Offer of Employment

In accordance with the recommendations set out in KCSIE, a conditional offer of employment is made in writing to the successful candidate subject to:

• verification of right to work in the UK (we will keep a copy of this verification for the duration of the member of staff’s employment and for two years afterwards)
• receipt of at least two reference satisfactory to the school (if these have not yet already been received)
• verification of identity (preferably from current photographic ID and the originals of all documentation must be provided)
• verification of professional qualifications (using employer access online service and original certificates)
• receipt of a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the DBS via our online system
• Receipt of satisfactory basic internet check or explanation of results provided
• confirmation that the applicant is not named on the Children's Barred List
• satisfactory certificate of good conduct relating to time spent living outside of the UK, where applicable (any costs incurred for obtaining a Certificate of Good Conduct must be met by the individual and will not be reimbursed)
• verification of the applicants mental and medical fitness for work (a job applicant can be asked relevant questions about disability and health in order to establish whether they have the physical and mental capacity for the specific role)
• for positions which involve “teaching work” a satisfactory check of the relevant regulatory body sanctions, for example the school being satisfied that the applicant is not, and has never been, the subject of a sanction, restriction or prohibition issued by the Teaching Regulation Agency (a person who is prohibited from teaching must not be appointed to work as a teacher in such a setting)
• for positions which involve “teaching work” the successful completion of the Statutory Induction period for Early Career Teachers.
• check that candidates taking up a management position are not subject to a prohibition from management (section 128) direction made by the secretary of state and
• the entries on the application form proving to be complete and accurate.

7. Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders

The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provides that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account.

CBSC complies fully with the Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly.          CBSC undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information revealed.

All applicants called for an interview are encouraged to provide their criminal record at an early stage in the process. This information should be sent under separate, confidential, cover to the HR Manager, who guarantees that this information is only seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.

        CBSC undertakes that all staff involved in recruitment and selection will be trained appropriately. They will also be made aware of relevant legislation pertaining to the employment of ex-offenders.

        At interview, or in a separate discussion, CBSC will ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matter that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment.

The disclosure of a criminal record, or other information, will not debar you from appointment unless we consider that it makes you unsuitable for appointment. In making this decision we will consider the nature of the offence, how long ago, what age you were when it was committed and any other factors which may be relevant.

8. DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) Check

CBSC applies for an enhanced disclosure from the DBS and a check of the Children's Barred List (now known as an Enhanced Check for Regulated Activity) in respect of all positions at the School which amount to "regulated activity" as defined in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (as amended). The purpose of carrying out an Enhanced Check for Regulated Activity is to identify whether an applicant is barred from working with children by inclusion on the Children's Barred List and to obtain other relevant suitability information.

It is our school policy that the DBS disclosure must be obtained before the commencement of employment of any new employee or if staff leave employment and then return (break of service) after a period of 3 or more months.

Members of staff at CBSC are aware of their obligation to inform the Principal or the HR Manager of any cautions or convictions that arise between these checks taking place.

DBS checks will still be requested for applicants with recent periods of overseas residence and those with little or no previous UK residence.

8.1         Portability of DBS

Staff may wish to join the DBS Update Service if they are likely to require another check in the future. Portability must be applied for, by the staff member, within 28 days of application and 30 days after the certificate has been issued.

Should a new employee already have joined the update service, CBSC will:

• obtain consent from the applicant to carry out an update search.
• confirm the Certificate matches the individual’s identity.
• examine the original certificate to ensure that it is for the appropriate workforce and level of check, i.e. enhanced including barred list information.

The Update check would identify and advise whether there has been any change to the information recorded, since the initial Certificate was issued. Applicants will be able to see a full list of those organisations that have carried out a status check on their account.

8.2         DBS Certificate

The DBS no longer issues Disclosure Certificates to employers, therefore employees/applicants should bring their original Certificate to the HR Manager before they commence work or any project involving regulated activity.

In cases where we are notified that a DBS check is positive for criminal convictions, cautions, warnings etc, the contents of the certificate will be discussed with the relevant Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Principal/Vice Principal.

9. Starting Employment/Induction

CBSC recognises that safer recruitment and selection is not just about the start of employment, but should be part of a larger policy framework for all staff. The school will therefore provide ongoing training and support for all staff.  All staff who are new to the school will receive induction training that will include the school’s safeguarding policies and guidance on safe working practices.

10. Single Central Record

CBSC ensures all employee information is recorded on the Single Central Record – a record of recruitment and vetting checks.  Details are kept on all employees who are employed to work at the school, and all who are employed as supply staff to the school, whether employed directly or through an agency, namely:

• Full name of the new employee
• Previous name where appropriate
• DOB and address
• Employment start date from the first day the employee has access to the children
• Role Offered
• Source of the proof of identify/right to work in the UK
• Confirmation that the original DBS form has been checked from the candidate - DBS clearance number; date and who completed the check to be recorded
• Relevant qualifications with dates i.e. QTS and number for all teaching staff
• Confirmation and completion date of Safeguarding Training
• Confirmation that 2 suitable references have been received by the Trust
• Section 128 check for all those within SLT and management positions
• Teacher prohibition check for all staff ‘teaching’ – this includes teachers, HLTAs and anyone with a QTS qualification

11. Internal Roles

Vacant Roles: Any internal roles, with the exception of the below will be assessed and, if determined necessary, advertised to staff.

Acting Up: Acting up is generally where unplanned cover for a position at a higher level is required for a short period of time, e.g. due to absence of the substantive position holder, usually within the same department. These opportunities are intended to cover short term situations (usually for a period of one term and 18 months). An individual cannot normally be offered an ‘acting up’ position if there is more than one individual within the department who could cover the acting up, in which case the opportunity will be offered to the group and a selection process applied.

Internal Secondment: An internal secondment is a temporary placement of an employee to another or additional role for a specific purpose and period of time to the mutual benefit of all parties. The secondment is usually for a period of between one term and 18 months, depending on the nature of the role and project. This is different to ‘acting up’ which is defined above.  CBSC supports the use of Secondments, recognising them as:

• personal development for the individual;
• a means of succession planning;
• adding to the skills base of the School.

Individuals will be given a secondment letter stating details of the arrangement which will act as a temporary variation to their contract of employment.  Any secondment is subject to the normal approvals process which applies to any recruitment undertaken across the School.

Sideways Move: This relates to a secondment from an established post to a post on the same grade in a different department/team. In most cases this will not require an open application and selection process provided that the work experience provided is at a similar level to the secondee’s substantive post.

12. Existing Staff

If we have concerns about an existing member of staff’s suitability to work with children, we will carry out all the relevant checks as if the individual was a new member of staff.  We will also do this if an individual moves from a post that is not regulated activity to one that is.

CBSC will refer to the DBS anyone who has harmed, or poses a risk of harm, to a child or vulnerable adult where:

• We believe the individual has engaged in relevant conduct; or
• The individual has received a caution or conviction for a relevant offence, or there is reason to believe the individual has committed a listed relevant offence, under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (Prescribed Criteria and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2009; or
• The ‘harm test’ is satisfied in respect of the individual (i.e. they may harm a child or vulnerable adult or put them at risk of harm); and
• The individual has been removed from working in regulated activity (paid or unpaid) or would have been removed if they had not left

13. Agency Staff/Peripatetic Staff

Agencies/contractors who supply staff to the School must also complete the pre-employment checks which the School would otherwise complete for its staff. Again, the School requires confirmation that these checks have been completed before an individual can commence work at the School.

CBSC will independently verify the identity of staff supplied by agencies and will require the provision of the original DBS certificate and ID before they can commence work at the School.

14. Contractors

As part of CBSC’s commitment to providing a safer environment, we will obtain written notification from any contractor that it has carried out and in place the necessary safer recruitment processes and checks that we would otherwise perform as an employer. Our school will ensure that any contractor, or any employee of the contractor, who is to work at the school has had the appropriate level of DBS check (this includes contractors who are provided through a SLA or similar contract).

This will be:

• An enhanced DBS check with barred list information for contractors engaging in regulated activity
• An enhanced DBS check, not including barred list information, for all other contractors who are not in regulated activity but whose work provides them with an opportunity for regular contact with children
• Contractors who have not had any checks will not be allowed to work unsupervised or engage in regulated activity under any circumstances.
• We will check the identity of all contractors and their staff on arrival at the school.

15. Trainee/Student Teachers

Where applicants for initial teacher training are directly employed, we will ensure that all necessary checks are carried out.  Where trainee teachers are fee-funded, we will obtain written confirmation from the training provider that necessary checks have been carried out and that the trainee has been judged by the provider to be suitable to work with children.

In both cases, this includes checks to ensure that individuals are not disqualified under the 2018 Childcare Disqualification Regulations and Childcare Act 2006.

16. Volunteers

We will:

• Obtain an enhanced DBS check with barred list information for all volunteers who are new to working in regulated activity
• Ensure that appropriate checks are carried out to ensure that individuals are not disqualified under the 2018 Childcare Disqualification Regulations and Childcare Act 2006. Where we decide that an individual falls outside of the scope of these regulations and we do not carry out such checks, we will retain a record of our assessment. This will include our evaluation of any risks and control measures put in place, and any advice sought

17. Trustees / Members

All trustees will have an enhanced DBS check without barred list information. They will have an enhanced DBS check with barred list information if working in regulated activity.

All trustees / members will also have the following checks

• a section 128 check (as a section 128 direction disqualifies an individual from being a maintained school governor),
• identity chcked.
• Right to work in the UK and
• Other checks deemed necessary if they have lived or worked outside the UK

The Chair of the Trust board will have their DBS check countersigned by the secretary of state.  

18. Record Retention/Data Protection

CBSC is legally required to undertake the above pre-employment checks. Therefore, if an applicant is successful in their application, the School will retain on their personnel file any relevant information provided as part of the application process. This will include copies of documents used to verify identity, right to work in the UK, medical fitness and qualifications. Medical information may be used to help the School to discharge its obligations as an employer, e.g. so that the School may consider reasonable adjustments if an employee suffers from a disability or to assist with any other workplace issue.

This documentation will be retained for the duration of the successful applicant's employment with the School. All information retained on employees is kept centrally by the HR Manager in locked and secure cabinets.

The same policy applies to any suitability information obtained about volunteers involved with School activities.

CBSC will retain all interview notes on all unsuccessful applicants for a period of 6 months, after which time the notes will be confidentially destroyed (i.e. shredded). The 6-month retention period is in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) [DPA18]. 

19. Complaints

Applicants who complain after the interview of unfair selection must do so within 10 working days of being informed either verbally or in writing of the outcome. The Chair of Trustees or, if the Chair was part of the recruitment process, another Trustee will investigate the complaint in consultation and agree a written reply to the complainant.  Copies of the reply will be given to the members of the appointment panel and the Principal.

If the complaint is upheld, the appointment will be delayed until the matter is resolved.  This may include re-interviewing all or some of the applicants to ensure the interviews are fair.

Complaints of unfair discrimination will be dealt with as quickly as possible.  The deadline is three weeks from receiving the original complaint. The investigator will have access to copies of the application forms, person specification, individual interview records and interview notes. The investigator will consider the letter and nature of the complaint and look at the application forms, person specification, individual interview records and interview notes. Where appropriate the investigator will consult with members of the appointment panel. the investigator will check that the panel followed the Recruitment and Selection Procedure correctly for shortlisting.

The Chair of Trustees will decide what action should be taken and agree on a written response to the complainant.  Action may include re-interviewing some or all of the candidates with a different panel.

20. Monitoring and Review

This policy will be reviewed and monitored every two years, or when there are changes to relevant legislation by the Trust in conjunction with recognised Trade unions.          

Disqualification from Childcare information for new employees

This information is to make you aware of your obligations relating to disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 which came into force in schools and academies in late 2014.

Your role within our school has been identified as one which the disqualification declaration applies to.

So what does this mean in practice?

We need to make you aware that there are certain things that may mean that you are automatically disqualified from providing childcare (affecting your role within this school) by you having committed a disqualifiable offence or a disqualifying event. These broadly fall into the four below categories:

1              That you have a caution/conviction for certain violent/sexual offences

2              Grounds relating to the care of children

3              That you have had registration refused/cancelled in relation to childcare

4              That you have committed an offence overseas which would constitute an offence regarding disqualification under the 2009 Regulations if it had been done in any part of the United Kingdom.

Ofsted have provided a list of disqualifiable offences/events in tables A & B of the below guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disqualification-under-the-childcare-act-2006/disqualification-under-the-childcare-act-2006

You need to read through this and report to the Principal/HR Manager without delay if there is anything to declare under the disqualification guidance. It is only the offences/events on this list that we require you to declare. If you are unsure of a specific offence/event is applicable after reading the Ofsted lists, then please let us know so that we can advise you appropriately.

You should also be aware that from this point forward if your circumstances change relating to the disqualification guidance, you are obligated to inform us of this without delay.

If you require additional information or help with any aspect of this, then please let the Principal/Hr manager knowHead know so that we can take advice from our HR provider on your behalf.