SAFE RECRUITMENT
Cumbria Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) expects all organisations that employ staff to work with children to a consistent set of procedures designed to ensure that staff who are employed do not constitute a risk to children, have clear guidance on acceptable conduct and that allegations against them are managed effectively. These requirements are audited on a regular basis by the LSCB as part of the organisations overall safeguarding arrangements under section 11 of the Children Act 2004 (known as ‘the section 11 audit’)
The LSCB recognises that all organisations need to understand the expected requirements and to have support/guidance in terms of meeting them. These standards and supporting guidance/templates are summarised below and there is a LSCB Self Audit Checklist. Organisations need also to ensure that when they contract for services they require equivalent standards – see the attached LSCB Self Audit Checklist
CRB CHECKS TO AN APROPRIATE STANDARD. All staff who are employed specifically to work with children should have an ‘enhanced CRB check’. This will provide a record of all convictions and cautions (including those spent); confirmation that they are not barred from working with children, and also will provide ‘relevant non conviction information’ such as allegations which do not result in successful prosecutions which the responsible police force believe may be relevant. This enhanced CRB check should be renewed every three years.
A SAFE RECRUITMENT POLICY. All organisations should have a recruitment and selection policy that meets current standards in terms of ‘equal opportunities employment’. This policy should specify that employment panels should check for gaps in employment histories and ensure that at least two written references are sought for all appointments. These references should include a reference from the most recent employer (and should if possible be supplemented by a direct discussion with the person providing the reference). The LSCB has developed a ‘model employment policy’ as a template for organisations that need to develop a safe recruitment policy or want to audit their own policy against the LSCB standard.
TRAINING FOR MANAGERS APPOINTING STAFF. All managers appointing staff should have core training in equal opportunities recruitment and selection. In addition organisations employing staff to work with children will need to move to a standard when at least one member of the appointment panel will have additional training focusing on ensuring unsuitable people are not appointed at an equivalent level to the schools NCSL training package which is available online for staff in schools.
PROCEDURES FOR MANAGING ALLEGATIONS AGAINST STAFF. All organisations should have a clear procedure which ensures that allegations of possible harm towards children by staff are reported to an identified ‘Senior Manager’ within the organisation, who will in turn report the allegation to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The LSCB has developed a model allegations against staff policy that is designed to be inserted as part of the organisations child protection/safeguarding policy.
GUIDANCE ON SAFE WORKING PRACTICE. The LSCB has adopted nationally recognised Guidance for Safe Working Practice for Adults who Work with Children and Young People. This covers all areas of expected conduct including in particular contact with children out of work, acceptable use of IT and use of punishment/sanctions. It is expected that this guidance (or an acceptable equivalent) is issued to all staff on appointment and is referred to as the required standard whenever breaches of conduct occur.
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