Extratime. Safer Recruitment Policy

Transcription

1 Extratime Safer Recruitment Policy

2 The aim of this policy is to outline extratime s recruitment procedures for all staff, both paid and voluntary, in line with recommended best practice to safeguard all children and young people who use extratime s services. The policy is included as part of extratime s application pack for any position, and as such, is given to applicants along with a detailed job description, person specification, application form (CV s are not appropriate), equal opportunities policy and equal opportunities monitoring form. This forms an essential part of the charity s efforts to safeguard children and young people. Recruitment and the checks that are undertaken as part of this process are the organisation s first chance to make robust efforts to prevent unsuitable individuals from working with children and young people. The recruitment processes consist of several stages Defining the role Advertising Application Selection criteria References Interviews Reviews This policy will go through each stage outlining key processes to ensure safer recruitment at extratime. All colleagues involved in recruitment will receive training and development on an annual basis. DEFINING THE ROLE A written job description and person specification is in place for each post. Both documents include statements about skills/behaviours/experience and attitude to young people necessary for the post The job description outlines clear boundaries of role The job description describes what responsibility and opportunity for contact with children and young people there is in the role The job description includes statements about safeguarding responsibilities of the post ADVERTISING The adverts state the charity s commitment to safeguarding and the need for CRB disclosures (which include Independent Safeguarding Authority checks from July 2010 currently under review by the government) All candidates will be sent information about the organisation s safe recruitment policy and practices. 2

3 APPLICATION All applicants must complete extratime s application form. CV s are inappropriate. A personal statement which outlines how the applicant meets the person specification should be included. Applicants must sign the declaration at end of application form. If the application form is returned by , the applicant must sign the application at interview if they are shortlisted for interviewing. The recruitment panel will ensure that there is full history since leaving school Any qualifications shown on the application form must be supported by certificates. Two references will be taken up (using the extratime reference request pro forma), ideally on those candidates shortlisted for interview, before the interview takes place. Where this is not feasible or where the candidate asks specifically that this is not done at this stage, any offers of employment will be conditional until satisfactory references are received. SELECTION CRITERIA Applicants are asked on their application form if there is anything that they would like to declare which may come up on their criminal record bureau check that the charity should be aware of (Self disclosures). CRB checks are not part of the short listing process and will be done after short listing. The short listing criteria will be based on the person specification and job description It is consistent for all candidates Two people always shortlist in order to identify gaps, inconsistencies or disclosures. REFERENCES: extratime requests that two referees are identified on the application form; At least one reference must be from a previous employer All references ask about anything of concern/disciplinary action during course of employment Checks on the reference request form confirm details on application form such as periods of employment, reason for leaving etc. 3

4 INTERVIEWS: All interviews are conducted with at least 2 colleagues who have had safer recruitment training. Depending upon the position, there may be a range of selection tools such as interaction with others i.e. role play or group discussion, written exercise used as well as an interview The questions in the interview are structured with previously agreed criteria designed to ascertain the candidate s ability to meet the requirements of the post as per the person specification and job description. During the interview there are questions which probe attitudes towards children and child protection and, where appropriate motives for working with children Frequent changes in employment will also be probed AREAS OF POTENTIAL CONCERN These are areas that may come out in the interview which would give rise to potential concerns about a person s suitability for the position; a) No understanding of children s needs or expectations b) Inappropriate language when talking about children c) Unclear boundaries d) Vagueness about experiences and unable to give any examples to support what the candidates answers. e) Maverick, non rule following and unwilling to work with others CRIMINAL RECORD BUREAU (CRB) CHECKS AND INDEPENDENT SAFEGUARDING AUTHORITY (ISA) REGISTRATION; Under the 2002 Education Act, a number of people are banned from working with children and the checks extratime has a legal responsibility to undertake are aimed at identifying individuals that are barred from working with children and young people, or who could pose a potential threat. List 99, POCA and POVA barring lists were replaced by two new barred lists administered by the ISA. These lists apply to the full range of regulated and controlled activities, further enhancing protection of children and vulnerable adults. All paid staff and volunteers have to complete a CRB disclosure. This shows if a person is banned under any of these provisions and from July 2010 this includes the ISA check on one form. From October 2009 it became a criminal offence to knowingly appoint someone to work with children who has been barred from doing so by the ISA s vetting and barring scheme (VBS). From July 2010 it will be illegal to employ someone who has not registered with the ISA. 4

5 It will be compulsory from November 2010, that all newly appointed staff and volunteers are ISA registered before they start work. Existing staff and volunteers who continue in their roles will also have to be ISA registered at a later date. Once a person has become ISA registered they are continuously monitored and their status reassessed against any new information which may come to light. From April 2011, existing employees and volunteers with no CRB checks must apply for ISA registration. (This does not apply to extratime as all employees and volunteers do hold CRB checks) By July 2015, all existing employees and volunteers with CRB checks will also need to be registered with the VBS, starting with those staff whose CRB checks are the oldest. In addition, to paid staff and volunteers extratime also actions CRB checks on students on placement, trustees and the management committee. Extratime has a duty to refer to the ISA any information about individuals who have been dismissed, or would have been dismissed had they not left of the own volition, and report any individual whom the organisation believes poses a risk to children and young people. Further Checks Health Checks All paid staff and volunteers working directly with children and young people have to complete a health declaration to ascertain that the individual has the appropriate level of physical and mental fitness to work with children and young people. Applicants from overseas The same checks will apply to applicants from overseas and those who have lived outside the United Kingdom in the same way as for those residents in the UK. Right to work in the UK Extratime has a duty to confirm the right of those they employ to work in the UK and will make the necessary checks to ascertain this. REVIEW post appointment induction and probation extratime conducts appraisals for all paid staff and volunteers at the end of their first three months with the organisation and thereafter they have regular supervision and annual appraisals. (please also refer to Staff Appraisal and Development Procedure) The induction provided by extratime covers relevant information about safeguarding and how to identify and raise concerns about the welfare of children. (please also refer to Induction Policy, Procedure and Checklist) 5

6 Certificated training in safeguarding by an accredited trainer forms part of the compulsory training paid staff complete within six months of appointment. Other related policies to refer to; Extratime Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy Equal Opportunities Policy and Procedure Whistleblowing Policy Recruitment of Ex Offenders Policy Document version and review control Date Written Written by: Approved by Executive Committee: October 2009 Becky Jenner Reviewed Oct/Nov 2012 Document to be reviewed in June