Safer Recruitment Consortium - Accredited Trainer
I specialise in the delivery of Safer Recruitment Training and I am an accredited trainer for the Safer Recruitment Consortium. I am accredited to deliver Safer Recruitment training for both child and adult settings.
The Safer Recruitment Consortium is a partnership between four organisations, the NSPCC, The Lucy Faithful Foundation, NASS and CAPE. Representatives of these organisations have been working together since 2014 to ensure that both child and adult settings have access to high-quality, up-to-date Safer Recruitment Training.
Safer Recruitment is a subject I have long been passionate about. I first became interested in it and gained an understanding of its vital importance in 2014 when I reviewed and redrafted the Safer Recruitment policy and procedure for the Education, Sport and Culture Department of the Government of Jersey. I was subsequently responsible for redesigning all of the workflows to ensure all supporting systems and documentation dovetailed with the policy and procedure. Ahead of the policy roll-out, I delivered Safer Recruitment training to approximately 150 head teachers, deputy head teachers, line managers and all others involved with the recruitment of those who would work or volunteer in the department with children and young people.
Safer Recruitment - my definition:
“Safer Recruitment is the name given to the administrative steps and extra care we take to examine and verify a candidate’s application and pre-employment checks in order to help deter, reject or identify those who are unsuitable to work with children. It is also embedding the importance of an ongoing culture of vigilance”
The Bichard Report
The impetus for a national (UK) Safer Recruitment initiative came from Sir Michael Bichard’s 2004 report into the Soham case, which highlighted flaws and shortcomings in the recruitment process that allowed Ian Huntley to be employed as a caretaker at Soham Community College, which led to the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
An important strand of Safeguarding
Safer Recruitment is an important strand of Safeguarding. Safer Recruitment measures are used across both child and adult workplace and volunteer settings and should be in place as part of an organisation’s duty to safeguard service users. Safer Recruitment measures are used to minimise the risk of employing unsuitable staff to work with and care for children and adults.
What I can offer?
A review of your existing policy and procedure to ensure it meets any regulatory obligations your setting may have.
I can prepare a Safer Recruitment toolkit for you, which would include items such as a policy and procedure, a check list for managers, an application form and a reference request form, and
I can train your staff so that they understand their responsibilities in this area of safeguarding and feel skilled and confident to carry them out.
If you are an organisation that could benefit from either of these, then please get in touch - I’d love to be able to work with you in this vital area.