Safe Recruiting Policy for Cre8 Playschemes & Cre8ing Music:

Cre8 Playschemes & Cre8ing Music uses safe recruitment practices to ensure that all people working with the children in our care are safe and qualified to do so. When recruiting paid staff or volunteers we will follow the procedures set out below.

Advertising the vacancy

We will advertise all vacancies, and any job advertisements will include a statement about our commitment to safeguarding children.

Initial enquiry

Upon enquiring about a vacancy, we will send potential candidates:

1. a job description

2. a person specification

3. an application form

4. a copy of the Cre8’s Safeguarding Children policy.

The application form includes:

1. instructions that the application form must be completed by hand

2. a declaration that all information is correct

3. a section under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act that asks if the applicant has been awaiting a verdict, convicted, or cautioned or received a court order or warning for any offence that may affect their suitability for working with children

4. a request for the contact details of two referees one of which should be the last employer; (if this is the candidate’s first job, their course tutor is a suitable alternative)

All applicants must submit a hand-written application form by the closing date. We will only accept CVs if they are accompanied by our standard application form completed as required.

Interview procedure

We will notify all candidates selected for interview by letter. All candidates will be asked to bring to the following items to the inteview:

1. proof of identity, eg passport, driving licence or birth certificate

2. proof of address, eg recent utility bill (not mobile phone) or bank statement

3. proof of qualifications, ie the relevant certificates

4. for non-British nationals, proof of the right to work in the UK (as required by the Asylum and Immigration Act)

The interview will be conducted by at least two interviewers. All candidates will be asked the same set of questions. We will then ask additional questions about any other issues that arise from their application form. For example, the interviewers will follow up on any gaps in the candidate’s employment history rigorously and ensure that they are satisfied with the explanation given, undertaking additional checks if necessary.

All candidates will also be asked to participate in a session with the children for an hour so that they can be observed interacting with the staff and children. When we have interviewed and observed all candidates, we will make our final selection.

Appointing a new member of staff

When we have selected the successful candidate, we will:

1. send him or her a written offer, which will clearly state that it is subject to the receipt of suitable references, full sight of a satisfactory enhanced DBS certificate and their written confirmation that they are not disqualified from working with children.

2. contact both referees for a reference, including asking them if they have any child protection concerns about the candidate.

3. initiate an enhanced DBS check for the candidate, or if the candidate is subscribed to the DBS Update Service, review their current DBS certificate and check their status online

4. ask the candidate to complete a health questionnaire

5. notify any unsuccessful interviewees.

We will also take photocopies of the new member of staff’s qualification certificates and proof of identity and keep these on file.

When a new member of staff starts work at Cre8 we will give him or her:

1. our terms and conditions, and get them to sign their contract; a copy of their contract will be kept on file

2. all our policies, and ensure that they sign a policy confirmation form to confirm that they have read and understood them; the signed form will be kept on file.

We will conduct a full induction and orientation programme with all new members of staff as set out in our Staff Induction policy.

DBS checks

We will obtain enhanced DBS disclosures for all staff, students and volunteers who will work unsupervised with the children on a regular basis. If candidates have subscribed to the DBS Update Service we will carefully review their current DBS certificate and then check their status online. If there has been a change in their status since their last DBS certificate was issued we will obtain a new DBS disclosure for them. Additional criminal records checks will be made for anyone who has lived abroad.

New staff will only be allowed to work unsupervised with children when we have had full sight of a satisfactory DBS certificate for them.

If we decide to allow a new member of staff to begin work pending the completion of their DBS check, we will complete a written risk assessment first and they will not be allowed unsupervised access to the children until we have seen and reviewed their DBS certificate.

When we appoint a member of staff we will keep a record of the date and number of their DBS disclosure on our Central DBS Record.

Disqualification

The Playscheme will not employ staff or volunteers who have been convicted of an offence or have been subject to an order that disqualifies them from registration under section 75 of the Childcare Act 2006. All new staff must sign a declaration that they are not disqualified when they commence employment and all existing staff must sign the declaration annually to confirm that their status has not changed. If a member of staff becomes disqualified we will terminate their employment and notify Ofsted.

Immigration status

The management is aware of Asylum and Immigration Act requirements and will check the eligibility of all new starters to work in the UK. Candidates are expected to provide documents confirming their status, usually a driving licence, passport, and NI number.