Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults: recruitment and selection for work with vulnerable groups

Overview

In response to the Bichard Inquiry Report following the horrific Soham murders, the government is planning the introduction of a new vetting and barring scheme for people whose jobs bring them into contact with children and vulnerable adults. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill was introduced by the government in February 2006. If passed, it will become a criminal offence to knowingly employ a 'barred' individual or to fail to check whether an individual is barred before engaging them to take on a regulated activity. This timely, practical one-day course will help ensure that you are up-to-date with the legislation and current recommended practice relating to the recruitment and selection of those working with children and vulnerable adults.

Training objectives

Putting all relevant staff through this course will help ensure that your organisation is better able to:

• Comply with the latest legislation and recommended practice
• Meet the requirements of relevant inspection regimes, including OFSTED
• Improve its recruitment and selection processes in line with best practice

Audience

All those involved in the recruitment and selection of staff who will be working with children and vulnerable adults, including appointing 'non-employees' such as voluntary workers, contractors and agency staff.

Format

This one-day course is centred around formal presentations from the expert trainer but also includes group discussion to enable the sharing of experiences and to ensure that all participants' questions are answered fully. Practical exercises can be included.

Special features

This programme can be tailored to particular settings and we suggest that, for maximum benefit, the trainer be given access to your organisation's recruitment and selection policies and procedures well in advance in order to use as examples (and critique, if required) during the course.

The expert trainer

Bridget is an independent consultant and trainer with some twenty years' operational HR experience, particularly in the education field, gained within both the public and the private sectors. Her most recent permanent appointment was as the Head of Education HR within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where she worked in senior HR positions for a number of years. Bridget writes regularly on employment law matters, has a Masters degree in business law, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a member of the Society of Education Consultants and a school governor. As a trainer she regularly earns high praise from course participants, as the following comments show:

'This is the third training session I have been to where Bridget is the trainer and she is brilliant!'

'Very focused and useful. It brought me up to date with changes in legislation.'

'Excellent – practical and comprehensive.'

Course outline

1. Legal and policy background
   • Policy background
     - Soham
     - Bichard Inquiry
     - 'Every child matters'
     - 'Safeguarding children' in recruitment and selection: current guidance
   • Legal background
     - Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill
     - Contract of employment or contract for services?
     - Types of employment contract
     - Employer and employee obligations
     - Avoiding unlawful discrimination
2. Recruitment and selection planning
   • Preparing a recruitment and selection policy statement
   • Drafting the job description
   • Drafting the person specification
   • The recruitment advert
   • The application form
   • Preparing the information pack
3. Pre-interview checks
   • Scrutinising and shortlisting
   • References
   • Qualifications
4. Selection interviews
   • Invitation to interview
   • Interview questions, and scope
   • The selection panel
   • Use of tests and assessments
5. Post-interview checks: vetting and barring
   • Making a conditional offer of appointment
   • CRB Disclosures
   • 'List 99', PoCA and the proposed new regime for vetting and barring (VBS)
   • Checks for contractors
   • Checks for voluntary workers
   • Checks for overseas workers
   • Dealing with unsatisfactory checks
6. Staff induction
   • Determining an induction programme
   • Codes of conduct
   • Other appropriate policies and procedures
   • Use of probationary periods
   • Monitoring recruitment and induction