Safer Recruitment Policy

(Last reviewed 08/01/2025)

Introduction
The agency is committed to keeping children and young people safe and well. This Safer Recruitment Policy explains the steps we take to make sure all staff and foster carers are recruited safely and are well-suited to work with children.

Key Legislation

1. Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 (Regulation 20: Fitness of workers and carers).
2. National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services (Standard 19: Suitability to work with children).
3. Children Act 1989 and 2004.
4. Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.
5. Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (for a Summary of the Impact see Appendix A).
6. Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
7. Race Relations Act 1976, Amendment 2000, Amendment 2003.
8. Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Amendment 2004 and Disability Discrimination Act 2005.
9. Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation Regulations 2003).
10. Employment Equality (Religion or Belief Regulations 2003).
11. Safeguarding and Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
12. Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

Principles
The agency has an ongoing commitment to safeguarding and protecting children, young people, and vulnerable adults. We follow Safer Recruitment principles so that safeguarding and promoting welfare is central to our recruitment process. The agency follows safer-recruitment guidance in line with “Choosing with Care – Warner Recommendations 2002”. The organisation will, in all matters relating to staff recruitment, comply with the following principles:

1. The safety and well-being of children are the first considerations in every recruitment decision.
2. Recruitment processes are fair, clear, and free from discrimination while meeting all safeguarding needs.
3. Recruitment meets all statutory and regulatory requirements.
4. Everyone in the organisation is responsible for supporting children’s and young people’s welfare and, as far as reasonably possible, keeping them safe from harm.
5. All enquirers, applicants, and appointees are treated with courtesy and respect.
6. The child’s welfare always comes first.

The core purpose of recruitment and selection is to appoint the person who best meets the job requirements. As an employer committed to equality of opportunity, the company will follow the procedure below for recruiting to all positions.

Managers with recruitment duties must know and follow these procedures and the related legislation.

The agency will ensure:

1. A strong recruitment process that keeps unsuitable individuals from working with children.
2. A culture of alertness and safeguarding throughout recruitment.
3. Full compliance with relevant legislation and guidance on safer recruitment.
4. Procedures that deter, rule out, or identify anyone who might harm children or who is otherwise not suitable to work with them.
5. Recruitment of the best possible staff based on merit, skills, and fit for the role.
6. Fair treatment of every applicant, regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital or civil-partner status, disability, or age.
7. Completion of all required pre-employment checks to meet our safeguarding duties.

Employees involved in recruiting and selecting staff must read and follow this policy.

The agency practises open competition in recruitment and will seek the best applicant for each job.

The recruitment and selection process must identify the person best suited to the role, based on abilities, qualifications, experience, and merit against the job description and person specification.

Recruitment and selection will be professional, timely, and responsive, and will follow current employment and safeguarding legislation and guidance (listed above).

If an applicant is already known to someone in a professional, family, or personal capacity, that person must declare the connection immediately and withdraw from the recruitment decision-making process.

The agency aims to apply this procedure consistently and thoroughly, gathering, collating, analysing, and evaluating information about every applicant.

Roles and Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the Senior Management Group to:

1. Ensure the agency has effective recruitment policies and procedures for all staff and volunteers that meet legal requirements and regulations.
2. Monitor the agency’s compliance with those policies and procedures.

It is the responsibility of the Operations Manager and HR Department to:

1. Make sure the agency follows safe-recruitment procedures and carries out all appropriate checks on staff and volunteers.
2. Monitor contractors’ and agencies’ compliance with this document.
3. Promote children’s and young people’s welfare at every stage of the procedure.

The Operations Manager has been delegated responsibility by the Senior Management Group to lead all appointments. Team Managers may be involved in staff appointments, but the final decision rests with the Operations Manager and the Registered Manager.

Equality and Diversity
The agency recognises the benefits of a diverse workforce and will ensure that:

1. It recruits from the widest possible pool of qualified candidates.
2. Employment opportunities are open and accessible to all based on individual qualities and merit.
3. Where appropriate, positive-action measures encourage applications from under-represented groups.
4. Selection criteria and processes do not discriminate unjustifiably on grounds such as gender, gender reassignment, race (including colour, nationality, or ethnic origin), disability, sexual orientation, marital status, part-time status, age, political opinion, dependants, or religion or belief, except where lawful positive action applies.
5. Where appropriate and necessary, lawful exemptions (Genuine Occupational Requirements) are used to recruit employees who meet the specific needs of particular groups.
6. All recruitment agencies acting for the agency know they must not discriminate and must act accordingly.

Recruitment and Selection Procedure

Advertising
To ensure equality of opportunity, the agency will advertise all vacant posts widely to attract as many applicants as possible, usually through external advertisements on the internet or through recruitment agencies. The agency reserves the right to run internal advertisements for specific posts.

Every advertisement will state the agency’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare.

All documents relating to applicants will be treated confidentially under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

Application Forms
The agency uses its own application form, and all applicants must complete it, giving their full academic and employment history and explaining their suitability for the role; all gaps or discrepancies in employment must be accounted for. Incomplete application forms will not be shortlisted.

The application form includes the applicant’s declaration about convictions and working with children and explains that the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. CVs are not accepted instead of application forms.

The agency cannot legally employ anyone barred from working with children, and it is a criminal offence for a barred person to apply for a position here. All applicants are informed that giving false information is an offence and may lead to rejection, summary dismissal if appointed, and referral to the police and/or the DBS.

Job Descriptions and Person Specifications
A job description is a key document in the recruitment process and must be finalised before any other recruitment steps are taken. It clearly and accurately sets out the job’s duties and responsibilities.

The person specification is equally important and guides the selection decision. It details the skills, experience, abilities, and expertise needed to do the job and includes a specific reference to suitability to work with children.