Who is responsible for safer recruitment in your school?

“Oh I do the hiring and then pass the file to my PA who does the referencing and collects their passport and asks for qualifications, etc ” is something that shocks me.

So what does shared responsibility look like:-

Principals / Headteachers play a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining safer recruitment practices. They set the tone for the school’s commitment to student safety. Consistency and vigour are key components.

Governors are responsible for oversight and governance and ensure that the school has appropriate policies and procedures in place for safer recruitment.

HR or whoever wears that hat, are often responsible for implementing and overseeing the recruitment process. They should be trained in safer recruitment practises and ensure that all staff involved in recruitment adhere to these practices. They should also question if the training is a minimum standard and if they can do more. Often the answer is “Yes, we could do more but we would need additional personnel and don’t have the budget.” WE need to look at the how things are currently done and if technology could do more.

Recruitment teams and those staff involved in the hiring process have a significant responsibility in conducting thorough background checks and various assessments of candidates. If a self-declaration is not part of the application process, then it needs to be the first thing questioned at interview. Gaps in career need to be questioned. References should be looked at prior to interview and patterns quizzed.

DSLs / DSOs are responsible for safeguarding within the school but should also ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed as well.

Every school will have a hiring system in place but is it meeting a minimum standard or exceeding it? If things go wrong and the worst thing possible occurs in your school, who is to blame?

I will leave you with another question – does your school use external contractors? Now apply the above and what do you know about them?