Safer Recruitment | Barnsley Safeguarding Children Board

Article: Safer Recruitment

Department for Education Safer recruitment site closing and new training available

Site closing due to legislative changes

As from 1st September safer recruitment training no longer needs to be approved by the Secretary of State. However, schools will continue to be required to ensure that at least one member of any recruitment panel has received appropriate training in line with safeguarding guidance. School leaders will use their professional judgement to determine appropriate training for the needs of their staff and their school. As a result of the 1st September change, the Department for Education will no longer coordinate arrangements for accredited safeguarding training for trainers, or maintain this online training site. This site will remain operational, but without a facility to request replacement certificates or passwords, until the NSPCC launches its alternative online safer recruitment training offer. NSPCC is currently developing an online training package, which is now planned to be available from late October/early November 2014.

To ensure that both face-to face and online training continues to be easily accessible to schools, we have worked with a consortium of safeguarding experts, who have developed a suite of updated training materials that reflect the content of the Department's 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' statutory guidance. 
Schools may wish to contact their Local Safeguarding Children's Board to discuss and help identify suitable safeguarding training in their local area.  Those interested in pre-registering to use the NSPCC online safer recruitment training can contact: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/trainingandconsultancy/onlinetraining/safer-recruitment-in-education_wda103382.html. Existing Safer Recruitment Trainers may wish to register with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation in order to gain access to the refreshed "Safer Recruitment" materials: http://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/safer_recruitment_training.htm.   

Do not rely on certificates

No replacement certificates or passwords will be issued via the DfE online system from 31 July. It remains essential for governing bodies to be satisfied that a person is competent in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children when recruiting staff, rather than relying entirely on the production of a certificate.

Ofsted inspectors will not rely on the production of certificates as part of the inspection. Inspectors will discuss safeguarding arrangements and will need to be satisfied that school leaders and governing bodies are competent in the safeguarding requirements associated with the recruitment and appointment of staff.

New training

The DfE has been working with a number of experts who have formed a consortium to ensure both face-to-face and online training continues to be available.

Existing safer recruitment trainers should contact:

• the Lucy Faithfull Foundation to register as a trainer in order to gain access to updated safer recruitment materials.

Delegates interested in safer recruitment training courses should contact:

• the Lucy Faithfull Foundation for information about courses and training available in their area; and
• may apply for pre-registration of the NSPCC online training course which will be available from early October.

The current online training will remain available to schools until 30 September 2014, however you may wish to wait until the new training is available, as this will incorporate the most recent changes to legislation and safeguarding policy.