ASEND - Safer Recruitment
Safer Recruitment
We take safer recruitment seriously
Many people applying for paid and unpaid roles within an educational setting are safe and trustworthy around children or young people. However, perpetrators of abuse may deliberately target settings that give them easy access to children or young people. They may seek to gain a position of trust and authority that will put them above suspicion (II CSA, 2018).
ASEND’s commitment to safeguarding and child protection is presented clearly and explicitly at every stage of our recruitment process.
Our policy and process for Safer Recruitment in Education follows the guidance laid out in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2026).
This policy and process for Safer Recruitment in Education applies to the onboarding of any full-time, part-time or temporary workers who represent ASEND.
We ensure that:
Every person involved in recruitment of workers in our organisation knows that they have a responsibility to keep safe the children and young people we work with. This includes our DSL, our Directors and any employees involved in any part of the recruitment process.
All roles advertised always include details of our beliefs, values and culture of keeping children and young people safe. This includes our safeguarding statement which tutors will see on the application: “ASEND is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure. All posts are subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure with Barred List check, satisfactory references, and pre-employment checks. No individual will be permitted to commence work prior to the receipt and verification of all required checks."
As per our Safeguarding Policies, any candidate who, once an Update Service Status Check or DBS certificate check is processed, is found to be barred or disqualified from working with children, is committing a criminal offence. Any such candidate will be reported immediately to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and the police.
Our Senior Leadership and Recruitment teams receive CPD-accredited training in Safer Recruitment in Education. They follow national guidelines alongside local safeguarding protocols established by relevant Local Children’s Safeguarding Partnerships (LCSPs).
We ensure that any specific training requested by local authorities, for example specific Safeguarding Training provided by the local Children’s Safeguarding Partnership, is undertaken by each member of staff involved in any part of the recruitment process.
2. Applying to work with us
We recruit nationwide on a rolling basis to identify and source suitable applicants.
We carry out targeted campaigns when specific needs are identified by our team.
We advertise vacancies on our website, as well as on job seeking platforms with a nationwide reach.
Two people scrutinise each of the applications which are sent to us via our standardised
application form, where a document of their work history is also required as an attachment.
CVs will only be accepted when accompanied by a fully completed application form to ensure a complete, ungap-filled employment history is provided.
In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026, all shortlisted candidates will be required
to complete a medical fitness statement and sign a self-declaration form prior to interview. This form requires applicants to disclose any criminal history, whether they are on the children’s barred list, subject to a prohibition order (including from teaching), or disqualified from childcare. The self-declaration will be considered alongside other checks and the recruitment decision. It will not replace the requirement for an Enhanced DBS with barred-list information. All employment offers remain strictly conditional upon the truthfulness and accuracy of the self-declaration and the satisfactory completion of all pre-employment checks. The self-declaration process will be administered in line with Ministry of Justice (MoJ) guidance on “protected” offences.
Pre-Interview Online Searches: As part of our shortlisting process, ASEND conducts online searches on all shortlisted candidates prior to interview. The purpose of these searches is to identify any publicly available information, comments, or images that may affect the individual's suitability to work with children or represent a safeguarding risk. Candidates are informed of this check on the application form, and any flagged concerns are discussed directly with the candidate during the interview.
Self-declarations and online search findings are considered alongside other checks during shortlisting and interview stages. They do not replace the statutory requirement for an Enhanced DBS with Barred List information.
All employment offers remain strictly conditional upon the accuracy of self-declarations, satisfactory online checks, and the completion of all pre-employment checks.
3. Shortlisting and References
Shortlisting of candidates will be against the Job Description and Person Specification for the post.
At least two professional references must be supplied, one of which must be from the candidate’s current or most recent employer. Where possible, references will be taken up before the interview stage, so that any discrepancies can be probed during the interview stage.
References will be sought directly from the referee. References or testimonials provided by the candidate will never be accepted. References must be sent directly from the referee via a verified professional or organisational email domain (generic email addresses such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo will not be accepted without secondary verification).
All referees will be contacted by email / telephone if there are any anomalies or discrepancies.
Referees will always be asked specific questions regarding:
The candidate’s suitability for working with children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
Any disciplinary warnings, including time-expired warnings, that relate to the safeguarding of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
The candidate’s suitability for this post.
When checking the legitimacy of references, we will also do the following:
obtain verification of the individual’s most recent relevant period of employment where the applicant is not currently employed;
secure a reference from the relevant employer from the last time the applicant worked with children (if not currently working with children), if the applicant has never worked with children, then ensure a reference from their current employer;
always verify any information with the person who provided the reference;
ensure electronic references originate from a legitimate source;
contact referees to clarify content where information is vague or insufficient information is provided;
compare the information on the CV with that in the reference and take up any discrepancies with the candidate;
ensure any concerns are resolved satisfactorily before appointment is confirmed.
4. The selection process
Selection techniques will be determined by the nature and duties of the vacant post but, all vacancies will require shortlisted candidates to participate in two interviews conducted by separate members of staff, with at least one of the interviewers having completed Safer Recruitment training.
Interviews will always be face-to-face, or via a video call.
Candidates will always be required to:
Explain satisfactorily any gaps or overlaps in employment.
Explain satisfactorily any anomalies or discrepancies in the information available to the interviewers..
Address any relevant findings arising from pre-interview online searches or self-declaration disclosures.
Declare any information that is likely to appear on a DBS.
Demonstrate their capacity to safeguard and protect the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
Detailed individual feedback is not routinely provided, however ASEND will always endeavour to confirm the outcome of the interview to the applicant within one week of the interview.
5. Employment checks
All successful applicants are required to, but not limited to:
Identity & Address Verification: Proof of identity and current address verified via a secure video call with the original documents presented for inspection or via a certified Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) / IDSP service.
Right to Work: Verified proof of eligibility to live and work in the UK in accordance with Home Office guidelines.
DBS Clearance: Enhanced DBS certificate including a Children's Barred List check. (Where registered with the DBS Update Service, an official status check will be conducted alongside viewing the original certificate).
Prohibition Checks: Checks against the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) list to verify candidates are not subject to a prohibition order, sanction, or restriction.
Qualifications: Verification of original qualification certificates relevant to the role.
Overseas Checks: For candidates who have lived or worked outside the UK for 6 months or more in the last 5 years, a Certificate of Good Conduct (or equivalent criminal record clearance) from the relevant overseas authorities is mandatory, alongside evidence of any overseas teaching restrictions or sanctions where applicable.
References: Two satisfactory professional references verified in line with Section 3.
6. Induction
Every successful candidate is sent an induction pack which outlines:
Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
Our Staff Code of Conduct and Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) on IT, AI, and digital safety.
Our Anti-Bullying, Whistleblowing, and Complaints Policies.
Details and contact information for our Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and key contacts.
Statutory Reading: A complete copy of Keeping Children Safe in Education (Part 1). All staff, regardless of role, must read Part 1 in full and complete a signed declaration confirming they have read, understood, and agreed to adhere to its guidance.
All successful candidates will receive our safeguarding and tutor induction training before they engage with any children or young people.
All successful candidates have access to our SEND Manager Team, made up of SENDCos and specialist teachers from the very first day of their work with ASEND. This team is in place to:
Address and make clear any questions which are in regard to Safeguarding which may include responsibilities under our Filtering and Monitoring systems, including reporting online safety risks, generative AI misuse, and nudes/semi-nudes concerns.
Be the first point of contact for any concerns that relate to children or young people. Note that any concerns which are Safeguarding concerns will be alerted to the DSLs immediately.
Provide ongoing insight into best practice for facilitating the welfare of children and young people in the educational support which we are providing.
Provide a central base to raise and discuss improvements to any of our operations which involve the welfare of children or young people
7. Review
This Safer Recruitment in Education document is reviewed at least every twelve months.
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