ASEND - Safer Recruitment

Safer Recruitment

 

1. 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 (2025).

This policy and process for Safer Recruitment in Education applies to the onboarding of any full-time, part-time, temporary or volunteer workers who represent Asend.

We ensure that:

1. 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.

2. 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.”.

3. As per our Safeguarding Policies, any candidate who - once a Status Check has been applied against their Enhanced DBS certification, and only with their expressed permission for us to apply the Status Check - is found to be barred or disqualified from working with children, is committing a criminal offence. This candidate will be reported to the police.

4. Our Senior Leadership and Recruitment teams receive CPD accredited training in safer recruitment and follow national and locally specific safeguarding guidelines laid out by each local authority or school when recruiting tutors within the same region.

5. 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.

In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, 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.

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. 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.

All referees will be contacted by 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 an interview of short-listed candidates.

Interviews will always be face-to-face, or via a video call.

Candidates will always be required to:

• Explain satisfactorily any gaps in employment.

• Explain satisfactorily any anomalies or discrepancies in the information available to the panel.

• 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:

• Provide proof of identity and address

• Complete a DBS application (unless their DBS is registered with the DBS update service and has been checked) and receive enhanced clearance including Barred List check

• Provide certificates of qualification

• Provide proof of eligibility to live and work in the UK, verified by an IDSP where possible

• Provide evidence of safeguarding training

• Provide evidence of Prevent training

• Provide 2 references, one of which must be from their most recent employer

• A clear prohibition from teaching check

• For candidates who have lived or worked outside of the UK for a period of 6 months or more,
  in the past 5 years, we require them to provide a certificate of good conduct or criminal
  record clearance certificate from the government of the country they were resident in.

• We also conduct an online search of candidates to see if anything online might affect the
  safeguarding of children or young people. Candidates are informed of this online search

  being conducted at the shortlisting stage.

6. Induction

Every successful candidate is sent an induction pack which outlines:

Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.

Our Anti-bullying Policy.

Our Complaints Procedure Policy.

Our Whistleblowing Policy.

Details of our Designated Safeguard Leads (DSL) and Key Contacts.

A copy of Keeping children safe in education: for school and college staff - part 1 (2025) which they must then confirm that they have read and understood.

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.

• 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.