• Christian Ethos Statement
• Admissions Policy
• Behaviour Policy
• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Curriculum Policy (including Special Needs and IT)
• PSHE and Citizenship Policy
• Educational Visits Policy
• Assessment Policy
• Child Protection Policy
• Safer Recruitment Policy
• First Aid Policy
• Disability and Non-Discrimination Policy
• Complaints Procedure

Safer Recruitment Policy

Heritage School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

In this context it is vital that the School applies recruitment and selection procedures that identify people who are unsuited to work with children.

The measures described in this policy should be applied in relation to everyone who has sole responsible for the care of children for any length of time and, at the discretion of the headteacher, those who regularly come into contact with children in a supporting or voluntary capacity.

Heritage's Safer Recruitment Policy and Child Protection Policy draws upon the recent DCSF guidance Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education (2010). Other key documents are: Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006), What to do if you're worried a child is being abused (2006), and Cambridgeshire LSCB Safeguarding Inter-Agency Procedures (January 2007).

Aims

1. To help deter, reject or identify people who might abuse children or are otherwise unsuited to working with them by having appropriate procedures for appointing staff.
2. To operate such procedures consistently and thoroughly while obtaining, collating, analysing and evaluating information from and about applicants.
3. To seek to secure an ongoing safe and secure environment for children by ensuring all staff are suitably trained in recognising and responding to signs of abuse.

Recruitment Procedures

In order to ensure safer recruitment Heritage School will:

1. Ensure that when a post is advertised the advertisement makes clear the organisation's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
2. Ensure that any job description makes reference to the responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
3. Ensure that any person specification includes specific reference to suitability to work with children.
4. Obtain and scrutinise comprehensive information from applicants and take up and satisfactorily resolve any discrepancies or anomalies.
5. Obtain independent professional and character references that answer specific questions to help assess an applicant's suitability to work with children and follow up any concerns.
6. Conduct a face to face panel interview to explore the candidate's suitability to work with children as well as his/her suitability for the post.
7. Verify the successful candidate's identity.
8. Verify, where necessary, that the successful applicant has all the academic or vocational qualifications claimed
9. Check his/her previous employment history and experience.
10. Verify that s/he has the health and physical capacity for the job.
11. Conduct the mandatory check list of List 99 and/or the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) List and an enhanced disclosure criminal record check via the CRB.
12. Ensure new staff are familiarised with our Child Protection Policies and Safer Working Practices.