What is Safer Recruitment?

Safer recruitment is a set of practices to ensure our staff members are suitable to work with children and young people. It is a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping children safe from harm.

Equal opportunities

The Company is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young adults and ensuring that we provide equal opportunities. Recruitment will therefore be conducted to promote equal opportunities and not discriminate against anyone.

Recruitment Process

The Company uses BambooHR as the main Recruitment and Applicant Tracking System. All documentation relating to applicants is treated confidentially in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. For further information on how the Company collects, retains and stores data, please view the Privacy Notice for Employed Staff, which is available on request.

All job vacancies are posted on BambooHR and consist of a job description which:

• provides full details of the role and the responsibilities entailed
• outlines the skills and qualifications required, emphasising safeguarding responsibilities
• includes the potential start date
• includes the salary or salary band
• includes a disclaimer requiring two satisfactory references and the proof of right to work in the UK

Where applicable, a safeguarding disclaimer is also included.

Each job description is reviewed by the Hiring Manager and by Human Resources before the role is posted on BambooHR, which then promotes the vacancy on other recruitment websites such as Indeed and LinkedIn. This allows the Company to obtain a diverse range of applicants, furthering their commitment to equal opportunities and inclusive hiring practices. 

Application process

The Company requires applicants to submit their details via BambooHR when applying for a vacancy, including:

• Personal details
• Employment history (via submission of their CV and Cover Letter)
• Qualifications (via submission of their CV and Cover Letter)
• A declaration of any criminal convictions (where applicable)

Depending on the role, the Company may ask for further evidence of qualifications upon submission, such as confirmation of a PGCE/Teaching qualification.

Shortlisting

All applicants are sent an automated response upon submission of their application. The Hiring Manager then conducts a shortlisting based on objective criteria related to the job description and person specification by reviewing each applicant’s CV and Cover Letter (where applicable). Depending on the role, applicants who are not based in the UK are automatically disqualified.

Unsuccessful applicants are all sent an email from our standard templates informing them of the outcome. Unsuccessful applicant details are deleted from BambooHR within 6 months of the submission date unless the applicant has provided consent to keep their data for future similar vacancies.

Interviews

The interview process will differ depending on each role; however, the interview panel will include at least one member trained in Safer Recruitment practices. This will usually be the Hiring Manager, who will also include questions related to safeguarding and the applicant’s understanding of child protection issues within the interviewing process to solidify the Company’s commitment to Safer Recruitment.

References

The Company has a strict policy on the referencing procedure. The Company requires at least two references, one of which should be from the most recent employer. Depending on the seniority of the role, three references may be required. The Company verifies these references to confirm the applicant’s suitability for the role, particularly regarding safeguarding. Applicants are also required to provide proof of the right to work in the UK. All offers are subject to providing proof of the above.

Disclosure and Barring Service (“DBS”) Checks

The Company requires all staff members to have an up-to-date DBS (or equivalent). For roles that do not require working with children the Company requires a standard DBS check and for roles that do require working with children the Company requires an Enhanced DBS check.

All staff are requested to carry out their DBS checks through the Company’s DBS provider (Mayflower Disclosure and Barring Services) and the Company will pay the associated costs. All staff are advised to subscribe to the annual update service check and the Company reimburses the fee. Staff members not on the update service check are required to complete a new DBS or equivalent annually. All update service checks are completed annually by the Company with prior consent obtained from the individual.

For new members of staff, DBS checks are completed before the employment start date.

Induction and Training

All new staff members undergo an induction process that includes mandatory safeguarding and GDPR training. On-going training will also be provided to ensure staff are up to date on safeguarding practices. All Staff members are required to complete safeguarding training every two years.

Record Keeping

As outlined above, the Company uses BambooHR as the main Application Tracking System. Application records are maintained on this platform, including the application form. For successful applicants, these records will be kept for up to 6 years, for unsuccessful applicants these records will be deleted within 6 months of the application submission date, unless agreed otherwise. For successful applicants converted to employed staff members, records of interview notes and references will also be kept on BambooHR on their employee profile. 

Application process

The Company requires applicants to submit their details via BambooHR when applying for a vacancy, including:

• Personal details
• Employment history (via submission of their CV and Cover Letter)
• Qualifications (via submission of their CV and Cover Letter
• A declaration of any criminal convictions (where applicable)

Depending on the role, the Company may ask for further evidence of qualifications upon submission, such as confirmation of a PGCSE/Teaching qualification. 

Shortlisting

All applicants are sent an automated response upon submission of their application. The relevant Hiring Manager conducts a shortlisting based on objective criteria related to the role description and person specification by reviewing each applicant’s CV and Cover Letter (where applicable). Depending on the role, applicants who are not based in the UK are automatically disqualified.

Unsuccessful applicants are all sent an email from our standard templates informing them of the outcome. Unsuccessful applicant details are deleted from BambooHR within 6 months of the submission date unless the applicant has provided consent to keep their data for future similar vacancies.

Applicants from speculative applications will receive an email informing them of a suitable position. Applicants who are interested will automatically be shortlisted to the interview stage as they have already been vetted against the role description and role criteria. 

Interviews

The interview process will differ depending on each role; however, the interview panel will include at least one member trained in Safer Recruitment practices. This will usually be the Hiring Manager, who will also include questions related to safeguarding and the applicant’s understanding of child protection issues to solidify the Company’s commitment to Safer Recruitment within the interviewing process.

Self-employed Tutor roles

The Tutor interview process is similar to that of the employee interview process. The interview will be conducted by staff members trained in Safer Recruitment practices. A phase specific set of questions is used and includes questions related to safeguarding and the applicant’s understanding of child protection issues to solidify the Company’s commitment to Safer Recruitment within the interviewing process. 

Referencing

The Company has a strict policy on the referencing procedure. We require at least two references, one of which should be from the most recent employer. Depending on the role the Company may require three references. The Company verifies these references to confirm the applicant’s suitability for the role, particularly regarding safeguarding. The Company also requires proof of the right to work in the UK and all offers are subject to providing proof of the above.

Disclosure and Barring Service (“DBS”) Checks

The Company requires all Tutors to have an up-to-date DBS (or equivalent). For roles that do not require working with children the Company requires a standard DBS check and for roles that do require working with children the Company requires an Enhanced DBS check.

All staff are requested to carry out their DBS checks through the Company’s DBS provider (Mayflower Disclosure and Barring Services) and the Company will pay the associated costs for the first check. Thereafter, the self-employed contractors are required to pay the annual costs for the DBS check. Staff members are required to complete a new DBS or equivalent annually.

For new members of staff, DBS checks are completed before the start of the engagement.

Mandatory training (GDPR/Safeguarding)

The company requires all self-employed staff members to complete mandatory GDPR training. If the role is student facing, the Company also requires these self-employed staff members to complete mandatory safeguarding training. The Company may require self-employed staff members to re-complete/renew mandatory training at any point during their agreement. 

Record Keeping

Self-employed staff members' records are stored on Zoho People. This platform is used solely as a database for self-employed contractors and speculative self-employed applications. Access to this platform is limited and full admin access is only provided to members of the Senior Leadership Team, Human Resources, and the Support Systems Manager. For further information on how the Company stores and retains information in line with GDPR, please view the Company's Self Employed Privacy Notice for Self-Employed Contractors, which is available on request.

Speculative applications

Self-Employed Tutors can submit a speculative application via the Company website. Applicants are required to complete a short online form providing the following details:

• Name
• Email address
• Confirmation of UK residence
• Confirmation of Teaching Qualifications
• CV

These applications are sent automatically to the Company’s career mailbox, where they are reviewed by our Human Resources and Admin team. Successful applicant CVs are stored on Zoho People. Unsuitable applications are deleted.

Speculative applications are stored on Zoho for up to two years. When submitting their application, applicants are given instructions on how to request the removal of their application at any time.