St Mary's Catholic Primary School's Commitment to Safeguarding Children on All Recruitment Material
St Mary's must create a culture of safe recruitment and adopt recruitment procedures that help deter, reject or identify people who might harm children. As part of doing that, all recruitment material should indicate commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of all children. These recruitment material include:
- Job Advert
- Application form
- Job Description
- Person Specification
- Invitation to attend the interview
- Questions to ask in the interview
Job Advert
On the job advertisement state commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. For example:
‘The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references’.
Job Description
As part of the job description, state that ‘everyone who works at … St Mary's Catholic Primary School is committed to promoting the safeguarding and welfare of children’. In practice this means:
- Being aware of St Mary's policies and procedures regarding Child Protection.
- Becoming aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse by attending relevant courses.
- Reporting all causes for concern to the Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Ensuring the safety of all pupils in the school learning environment both indoor and outdoor.
- Carrying out risk assessments in consultation with the teaching staff prior to activities.
Person Specification
The essential attributes highlighted on the Person Specification linked to the job should request:
- Commitment to on-going development of awareness of Safeguarding procedures, such as partaking in child protection training and Online Safety training.
- Positive References
- Current DBS check
- Awareness of Safeguarding procedures
Application form
- Ask for details of two senior referees who are not a related to applicant.
- Ask for ‘any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings that are not “protected” as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013) by SI 2013 1198?
Invitation to Interview
Include request to bring along proofs of identity, evidence of qualifications and right to work in the UK.
During the Interview
- Take copies of documents
- Ask specific questions and keep a record questions and answers given. Look out for
– Give me an example of when you have had a safeguarding concern about a child. What happened?
– Tell us about a time when you took action to help protect a child.
– Describe the procedures that need to be in place to protect children.
– How in your work or life so far have you tried to ensure that children are protected?
– Give me an example of when you had safeguarding concerns over a child.
– Give me an example of where you had to deal with bullying behaviour.
– Give me an example of how you have managed poor pupil behaviour.
– What do you think makes St Mary's safe and supportive?
We look out for answers that show no or little understanding or appreciation of children’s needs or expectations; inappropriate language about children; unclear boundaries with children; and answers that imply adults and children are equal or that there is are more concerned for personal gains than there is for the children’s interests.