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The University’s Safer Recruitment Process

This process must be followed for all roles that will be working with children, young people under the age of 18 years, and Adults at Risk.

The steps below in the recruitment process outline the safer recruitment practice which is followed by the University, highlighting the responsibilities of the Recruiting Manager and Resourcing Team during the recruitment process, and the line manager following a new appointment.

Recruiting Manager

For any job role working with children, young people, and Adults at Risk the recruiting manager must outline the safeguarding responsibilities within the role job description and person specification.

The manager must also highlight on the Request to Recruit form when the Safer Recruitment Process must be followed.

This also includes roles as follows:

  • Any roles where staff will be supervising University employees who are under the age of 18 years.
  • Individual academic roles where staff will be the ‘named’ tutor for students who are under the age of 18 years.
  • Any roles where staff are supervising work placements for under 18-year-olds.
  • For all staff who are undertaking teaching in the University Language Centre
  • For staff undertaking work or supervising in clinical settings where there may be significant contact with under 18-year-olds or Adults at Risk.

 

Completion of the Request for Staff Appointment Form (RSA)

The recruiting manager requests the role to be advertised and must confirm if a DBS check is required and at what level.

The manager must confirm on the RSA (Request to Recruit) that the role falls under Safer Recruitment, and the Safer Recruitment Process must be followed.

The recruiting manager is prompted to ensure this is detailed within the job description and person specification.

Within the job advert text, the recruiting manager must ensure applicants are clear on the University’s position to undertake pre-employment checks, including DBS in their commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of children, young people, and Adults at Risk.

Job Application

The Application Form requires eight sections to be completed, those which are compliant with safer recruitment practices are detailed below and must be completed:

  1. Referee details x2 (one of which must be the most recent employer, and incorporate name, address, and telephone number)
  2. Criminal Records – Self-declaration or criminal records or information that would make applicants unsuitable to work with children, young people, or Adults at Risk.

Self-declaration is subject to the Ministry of Justice guidance on the disclosure of criminal records.

Recruitment Selection Process

The constitution of interview panel membership must uphold the safer recruitment requirements of more than two people to be involved in the interview selection process.

As part of the interview process, questions referring to safeguarding must be included to assess the applicant’s suitability to the post.

All recruiting managers /line managers and chair of interview panels must be trained in safeguarding to be able to undertake interviews and approve references for applicants working with children, young people, and Adults at Risk.

Pre-employment checks

To initiate pre-employment checks and the contract of employment being issued, an offer form is completed by the recruiting manager containing details of DBS requirements and professional body registration.

Applicant References

Applicant Referee details are contained on the application form, guidance is provided to the applicants as to what is considered acceptable, which includes at least one referee being the most recent employer, and to include full name, include address and telephone number.

An applicant must provide consent to approach referees; this is requested at the stage a conditional offer is issued. A conditional offer is subject to the recruiting manager confirming all pre-employment checks are satisfactory. Support and advice are provided to the recruiting manager through the Resourcing Team.

References must specifically request information on the applicant’s suitability to work with children, young people, and/or Adults at Risk, including details of disciplinary procedures, even where sanctions have expired.

References are sought which cover 3 years employment. Should there be gaps in employment, or where the applicant has no employment history due to study/further education, the applicant is asked to provide further details and this information is provided to the recruiting manager, and maintained on the employee personnel file, once approved.

Once references are received the recruiting manager is notified and must approve the reference. A record is maintained on the employee personnel file of the reference, the date the reference is received, the date approved and by whom.

All correspondence relating to the referee of the applicant where additional information is requested must be placed on the employee file, including the date this was requested, received and by whom. This must also include a record of the detail of any telephone conversation, the date and with whom this took place to verify an applicant.

Retention of employee records

An electronic file is created for all employees at the time of appointment and contains details of the recruitment process, job description, contract and pre-employment checks including evidence of qualifications and professional body registration as detailed essential within the person specification and DBS if required.

Any references which are received via the recruitment system are retained on individual employee files with evidence of the date received, the date of approval and by whom.

Onboarding

An induction onboarding checklist is provided to new employees; the progress and completion of the onboarding and the mandatory training must be completed and confirmed by the line manager.

Safeguarding training module is included as a mandatory completion and must be checked by the line manager that this has been completed.

Probation Period

The line manager is responsible for ensuring the new employee probation meetings take place at 3-, 6- and 9-month stages following recruitment.