Appendix C
PROCEDURES FOR CHECKING STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
APPOINTED IN SCHOOLS
The following guidance has been produced as a reminder and update on the procedures
that schools must follow when appointing staff and volunteers.
CONTENTS:
1
Single Central Record of Staff and Volunteers
2
Vetting and Barring Scheme Update
3
References
4
Health Check
5
Right to Work in the UK
6
Additional Checks for Overseas Staff
7
Volunteers
8
Supply Staff
9
Safer Recruitment Training
Appendix – Reducing the Amount of Incorrect CRB Forms
Further guidance on these procedures can be found on the following websites and
documents:
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk (Safeguarding Children and Safer
Recruitment in Education – publication available for download)
www.teachernet.gov.uk/vettingrecords
www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk
www.crb.gov.uk
www.isa-gov.org.uk
1
SINGLE CENTRAL RECORD OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS
As part of Ofsted inspections and to comply with Safeguarding Children
legislation which came into force on 1 January 2007, schools are required to produce
evidence of a Single Central Record for each member of staff, (including supply staff),
volunteers, governors who work as volunteers and all others who have ‘regular’ contact
with children.
As a reminder to Head teachers, the following information should be included in
the single record:




Identity – name, address and date of birth;
Qualifications – where the qualification is a requirement of the job ie those posts
where a person must have QTS, NPQH;
GTC registration for teaching posts;
Evidence of permission to work for those who are not nationals of a European
Economic Area (EEA) country;
Guidance on checking procedures for school staff/June 2009
1




List 99 check (see Section 2 Vetting & Barring Scheme);
CRB Enhanced Disclosure
Further overseas criminal records checks where appropriate (see Section 6 –
Additional checks required for overseas staff);
Date that the check was evidenced.
Suggested pro forma for recording what checks have been completed.
Identity
Name
Qualifications
Address
Date
of
birth
Evidenced
& date
Qualification
required:
yes/no
Qualification
evidenced &
date
List 99
CRB
Right to
work in
the UK
Check
evidenced
& date
Check
evidenced
& date
Check
Evidenced
& date
Overseas
criminal
records
checks
Checks
Required
Yes/No
Schools should ensure the single record is kept in a secure format and is fully
completed and updated ready for Ofsted Inspections.
NB
On NO occasion should a teacher or those working directly in contact with
children start working before a List 99 check is carried out. There may however, in
exceptional circumstances, be occasions where a teacher starts work prior to receipt of
CRB Disclosure certificate. In these circumstances, head teachers must ensure that the
individual is appropriately supervised at all times, pending Disclosure.
2
VETTING AND BARRING SCHEME (VBS) - UPDATE
The Government has now announced the new measures that will provide further
protection of children and vulnerable adults under the new Vetting & Barring Scheme
which is to be launched on 12 October this year.
From 12 October 2009:
Two new barred lists administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will
replace the existing List 99. The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will assess
information on individuals referred by employers and make a barring decision. It will be
a crime for a barred individual to seek or undertake work in ‘regulated activity’ and for
those employers who knowingly take them on.
From July 2010:
Guidance on checking procedures for school staff/June 2009
2
Individuals will be able to apply to the CRB for ISA registration. For those who currently
work with children and/or vulnerable adults, organisations will be given up to five years
to ensure that all current employees and volunteers are registered with ISA.
Applications for ISA registration will be made to the CRB via Registered/Umbrella
Bodies.
The CRB will introduce a new application form to apply for ISA registration and a CRB
check on the same form.
ISA status will be continuously monitored and assessed against any new information on
the individual.
Employers will be able to carry out free online checks of an individual’s ISA registration
status.
From November 2010:
It will be a legal requirement for anyone who is applying to work with children and/or
vulnerable adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to register with the ISA.
Employers will be legally bound to check and confirm that the individual they want to
employ in a ‘regulated activity’ is registered with the ISA.
Comprehensive Scheme guidance is still in the final stages of being produced by the Home
Office. Guidance on the ISA Decision-Making Process is available on the ISA’s website
(www.isa-gov.org.)
All stakeholders, including head teachers should be receiving fortnightly update emails from the
DCSF on the transition to the new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS). Further information can
be found on at www.isa-gov.org.uk or by telephoning the ISA contact centre on 0300 123 1111.
3
REFERENCES
References should be obtained before interview and as well as verifying the
candidate’s suitability and ability to do the job, should seek details of any disciplinary
issues relating to the safety and welfare of children or young people, any allegations or
concerns.
One reference must be sought from the current or most recent employer or from
university/college if a first appointment. (Any gaps in previous employment history
should always be questioned and satisfactorily explained at interview stage). If a
candidate for a teaching post is not currently employed as a teacher, it is advisable to
check with the school or LA where they were most recently employed to confirm their
reasons for leaving.
Where the referee has not answered all the specific questions, ie sickness record,
suitability for the post, past performance history etc, or where the reference is vague, the
referee should be contacted by telephone.
Guidance on checking procedures for school staff/June 2009
3
Information provided must always be checked with the information provided on the
application form and any discrepancies taken up with the candidate.
Emailed references should always be followed up by a signed copy on headed paper.
Open references, ie ‘To Whom It May Concern’ are not acceptable.
4
HEALTH CHECK
Under the Education (Health Standards) Regulations, a health check must be
carried out for all school staff. Recruiters must be satisfied that individuals have the
appropriate level of physical and mental fitness before an offer of appointment is
confirmed.
5
RIGHT TO WORK IN THE UK
Under section 8 of the Asylum & Immigration Act 1996 all employers in the UK
are to make basic document checks on every person they intend to employ.
Before an offer of appointment, ideally at interview stage, candidates must be asked to
provide evidence of their right to work in the UK. The original right to work document
must be seen by the Head teacher or Office Manager and a copy taken for your records.
The following original documents are acceptable as proof:
Valid Passport
Full Birth Certificate
Once the nationality of the person is identified additional documents will need to be
provided for those who are from outside of the EEA. (Please see section 6 below)
EEA nationals can live and work in the UK without restrictions.
6
ADDITIONAL CHECKS REQUIRED FOR OVERSEAS STAFF
Those staff who are from a country that joined the EU in May 2004 referred to as
‘A8 countries’ are also free to work in the UK but must register under the Worker
Registration Scheme unless they are exempt (further guidance available on the link
below).
Those staff who are from Bulgaria & Romania referred to as ‘A2 countries’ are free to
come to live in the UK but will need permission to work and would be required to apply
for an Accession Worker Card or a work permit, dependant on individual circumstances.
(further guidance available on the following link http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ )
Guidance on checking procedures for school staff/June 2009
4
Any person who is a national from a country outside of the EEA or Switzerland must go
through the Tier 2 for skilled workers process of the points based system where the
employer will need to apply for a certificate of sponsorship.
Before a certificate of sponsorship can be issued there are a number of checks and
assessments which need to be carried out according to the Border and Immigration
Agency (BIA) requirements on employing migrant workers.
The Employee will then either apply for ‘Entry Clearance’ for those applying outside of
the UK or ‘Further Leave to Remain’ for those who are currently already in employment
within the UK.
When employing overseas staff schools should ensure that references are taken up in
accordance with section 3 above.
Qualifications of Overseas trained teachers can be checked against UK Naric to obtain
the level of Qualification achieved and the authenticity against the UK Qualification
framework.
A Criminal Records Check or Certificate of good conduct from the country of abode
must be produced by the individual.
Please ensure all documents produced are verified, endorsed and copied.
7
VOLUNTEERS
At the moment if a school is actively seeking volunteers, and is considering
candidates about whom it has little or no recent knowledge, it should adopt the same
recruitment measures as it would for paid staff. In other circumstances, for example
where a school approaches a parent to undertake regular work (regular is defined as
three or more times in a 30 day period, or overnight) who is well known to the school
to take on a particular role, a streamlined procedure can be adopted: seeking
references, checking to ensure others in the school community know of no concerns and
can make a positive recommendation, conducting an informal interview to gauge the
person’s aptitude and suitability, and undertaking a List 99 and a Criminal Records
Bureau (CRB) disclosure.
In other circumstances, eg where a volunteer’s roles will be one off, such as
accompanying teachers and pupils on a day outing or helping at a concert or school
fete, a List 99 would be sufficient and the School must ensure that the person is not to
be left alone and unsupervised in charge of children. If volunteers are recruited by
another organisation which works within a school, eg sports coaches from a local club,
the school should obtain assurance from that organisation that the person has been
properly vetted.
Guidance on checking procedures for school staff/June 2009
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7
SUPPLY STAFF
Schools must check with the relevant supply agency, and obtain written
confirmation that all appropriate checks have been undertaken. They must also see a
copy of the CRB Disclosure in cases where the Disclosure contains information. Please
note that photocopies of Disclosure certificates should not made. The individual’s
unique Disclosure number and date of clearance should be the only information kept on
file.
Schools should also check whether the agency has been awarded the ‘Quality Mark’
and found to comply with good recruitment practices. Further details of the Quality Mark
standards are at: www.rec.uk.rec/about-the-rec/quality-mark.aspx
It is also advisable that on reporting for duty, the supply teacher is asked for photo
identification to prove they are actually the person sent by the agency.
8
SAFER RECRUITMENT TRAINING
The Government is currently consulting on making safer recruitment training
mandatory by 1 January 2010. The proposal is that from this date, at least 1 person
involved in interviewing an applicant for a post of head teacher, deputy head teacher,
teacher or member of the support staff must have completed the safer recruitment
training developed by the DCSF.
For further information on the NCSL training programme go to:
http://www.ncsl.org.uk/managing_your_school-index/safer-recruitment-index/saferrecruitment-faqs.htm#e
If you require any further assistance or guidance on any of the above, please contact a
member of the Schools HR Team.
SCHOOLS HUMAN RESOURCES
FIR TREE HOUSE, TOWN HALL
WALTHAMSTOW E17 4JF
Guidance on checking procedures for school staff/June 2009
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Appendix C1
REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF INCORRECT CRB FORMS
In order to avoid unnecessary delays in processing CRB forms, recruiters in schools
should ensure the forms are checked thoroughly before they are sent to the HR Schools
Team for a counter signatory.
Top Five Common Errors in Applications for CRB Disclosures
1
Five-year address history incomplete.
Gaps and overlapping in address histories are by far the biggest cause of rejected
forms.
2
Middle name missing.
When an applicant submits information such as a driving licence number and it indicates
that a middle name exists, but it has not been detailed on the application form, the CRB
will reject the form and return it to the RB
for clarification.
3
Surname at birth missing.
An applicant crosses MS or MRS, but does not enter surname at birth in Section C20.
The surname at birth must always be provided even if this is the same as the surname
recorded in Section A.
4
Level of check.
The application form should always indicate the level of check required at Section Y6/7.
5
Missing signature.
The application form should always be signed by the registered Countersignatory at
Section Y9, and by the applicant at Section H68
If you make any of these errors, your application form will be returned resulting in
a delay in the Disclosure process.
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