1. Safer Recruitment Policy Statement

Teaching Tomorrow is committed to creating a culture that safeguards and promotes the welfare of children. We adopt robust recruitment, selection and vetting procedures designed to deter and prevent people who are unsuitable to work with children from applying for, being introduced to, or securing work in education settings. This policy should be read alongside PP015 Recruitment, Selection and Vetting Policy, which sets out Teaching Tomorrow’s detailed operational vetting requirements. Teaching Tomorrow’s safer recruitment arrangements are designed to comply with current Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026, REC Audited Education requirements and the RM6376 Supply Teachers and Education Recruitment Framework, together with relevant legislation and statutory guidance. Where a higher safeguarding standard is introduced by legislation, statutory guidance, KCSIE, REC requirements or RM6376, Teaching Tomorrow will apply the higher standard and update its processes accordingly.

2. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to recruitment undertaken by Teaching Tomorrow, including the recruitment and selection of candidates supplied or introduced to education settings and, where relevant, the recruitment of Teaching Tomorrow’s own staff, contractors, work placements and volunteers. Teaching Tomorrow does not rely on a curriculum vitae alone. Candidates must complete Teaching Tomorrow’s registration/application process and provide the information required to enable appropriate safer recruitment and pre-employment checks to be completed.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

Teaching Tomorrow will:

• maintain effective safer recruitment policies and procedures that reflect current KCSIE and applicable DBS requirements;
• ensure relevant staff understand and consistently apply the recruitment, safeguarding and vetting procedures in place;
• ensure appropriate pre-employment checks are completed before a candidate is cleared for work;
• undertake additional prohibition, restriction or Section 128 checks where relevant to the role;
• keep clear documentary evidence of checks undertaken and decisions made; and
• take prompt action where information arises that may affect a candidate’s suitability to work with children.

4. Recruitment and Selection Process

Teaching Tomorrow ensures that staff involved in the recruitment and selection of candidates have appropriate knowledge of safer recruitment and safeguarding requirements. At least one person involved in an interview process will have completed appropriate safer recruitment training where required by the nature of the recruitment process. Interviews may take place in person or by live video. Candidates are assessed against the requirements of the role, their employment history, qualifications, safeguarding understanding, professional conduct and overall suitability to work with children.

5. Advertisements and Role Information

When defining or advertising a role, Teaching Tomorrow will make clear the organisation’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and that appropriate safeguarding and pre-employment checks will be undertaken. Role information will, where applicable, identify:

• the skills, abilities, experience, attitudes and behaviours required;
• the safeguarding responsibilities of the role;
• whether the role involves regulated activity with children;
• any relevant qualification, registration or professional status requirements; and
• where appropriate, that the role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and that it is an offence for a barred person to seek regulated activity from which they are barred.

6. Registration and Application Information

Teaching Tomorrow requires candidates to provide sufficient information to enable safer recruitment checks to be completed. This includes, where relevant:

• personal details, including current and former names and current address;
• a full 10-year employment and education history, including explanations for gaps;
• details of current or most recent employment and reasons for leaving;
• relevant qualifications, professional status and awarding bodies;
• appropriate referee details;
• information required for Right to Work and identity checks; and
• information or declarations required to assess suitability to work with children.

Candidates are required to complete the appropriate Rehabilitation of Offenders Act/self-declaration as part of the registration process, subject to the applicable filtering rules.

7. Shortlisting and Online Due Diligence

Teaching Tomorrow will consider the candidate’s registration/application information, employment history, qualifications, experience and suitability for the type of work sought. Any inconsistencies, unexplained gaps or potential safeguarding concerns will be explored before clearance. As part of safer recruitment due diligence, Teaching Tomorrow will carry out an online search engine check using publicly available information. Teaching Tomorrow does not routinely access or investigate candidates’ private social media accounts as part of this process. Candidates will be informed that online searches may be undertaken. Any relevant information identified will be considered objectively, discussed with the candidate where appropriate, and any resulting decisions will be documented.

8. Employment History and References

Teaching Tomorrow will obtain a minimum of two satisfactory written references. References must collectively cover at least the previous two years and should include the current or most recent employer where available and the most recent school-based employer where applicable. Where a candidate has not worked in education during the previous two years, Teaching Tomorrow will also seek a reference from their most recent relevant school or education employer where applicable. Where a candidate has worked through another employment business or recruitment agency, Teaching Tomorrow will seek a reference from that organisation confirming, as a minimum, dates worked and details of any known safeguarding concerns. Teaching Tomorrow will request the following information from referees, where applicable and where the referee is able to provide it:

• dates of employment;
• position held;
• performance and conduct;
• reason for leaving;
• suitability to work with children;

• any known safeguarding concerns;
• any disciplinary matters relevant to suitability; and
• whether the referee would re-employ the candidate.

References will be reviewed for completeness, consistency and information that may affect suitability. Where information is not provided, Teaching Tomorrow will consider whether further clarification or additional checks are required. References must originate from a verifiable source. Open or testimonial references will not be relied upon without independent verification. Where a reference is obtained verbally, an accurate written record will be made and written verification obtained before it is treated as a satisfactory written reference. Any discrepancy, safeguarding concern or unexplained difference between a reference and the candidate’s declared employment history must be investigated and satisfactorily resolved before clearance.

9. Interview and Selection

Teaching Tomorrow uses structured interview and selection methods to assess a candidate’s suitability for work in education. Interview discussion will, where relevant, include:

• motivation for working with children and young people;
• relevant skills, qualifications and experience;
• safeguarding knowledge and understanding;
• professional conduct and behaviours;
• employment gaps, changes in employment or location and reasons for these;
• information disclosed through the application, reference or vetting process; and
• any matter requiring further exploration following the online search engine check.

Information considered in decision-making and any material safeguarding or suitability decisions will be clearly recorded.

10. Pre-Appointment Vetting Checks

No candidate will be cleared for work until Teaching Tomorrow is satisfied that all checks required for the role have been completed and that the candidate is suitable to be supplied or introduced. Checks will include, where applicable:

• identity and proof of address checks;
• Right to Work in the UK;
• Enhanced DBS for the Child Workforce and Children’s Barred List information where required;
• DBS Update Service status, where an existing certificate is being relied upon;
• in-person sighting of the original physical DBS certificate for every candidate before clearance, including certificates processed through Teaching Tomorrow;
• full employment history and the required written references;
• overseas criminal record checks or appropriate alternative evidence where required;
• professional qualifications and registrations;
• DfE Check a teacher record / prohibition and sanction checks where applicable;
• Section 128 checks where relevant to a management role;
• childcare disqualification checks where applicable;
• appropriate health/fitness consideration limited to the intrinsic requirements of the role; and
• any additional check required by the client, legislation, KCSIE, REC or RM6376.

Teaching Tomorrow will keep an auditable record of checks completed, including the date of each check and the evidence relied upon. Documents will be clear, legible, appropriately validated and stored securely in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

11. Safeguarding and Mandatory Training

Candidates must complete Teaching Tomorrow’s mandatory training requirements before being cleared for work, unless an appropriate current certificate is accepted in accordance with Teaching Tomorrow’s procedures. Mandatory requirements include, as applicable:

• current safeguarding and child protection training, refreshed at least annually;
• Prevent training;
• Allergy and Anaphylaxis training; and
• any additional role-specific or client-specific mandatory training.

All candidates are provided with the current version of Part One of KCSIE. At initial registration, candidates are required to confirm that they have received, read and understood Part One, and this declaration is retained on their compliance record. When KCSIE is updated for a new academic year, existing compliant candidates are provided with the updated Part One and completion of the annual update is electronically recorded and time/date stamped. Candidates registering after an updated version is introduced receive the current version through the initial registration and declaration process.

12. Ongoing Suitability and Compliance

Teaching Tomorrow recognises that safer recruitment is an ongoing responsibility. Candidate compliance and suitability will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where required by a client, where information changes, or where a safeguarding or suitability concern arises. Ongoing checks may include DBS/Update Service status, relevant professional status/prohibition checks, time-limited Right to Work, current address information, safeguarding training, KCSIE and any other information relevant to continued suitability. Candidates must promptly inform Teaching Tomorrow of changes that may affect their compliance or suitability, including criminal investigations, prosecutions, cautions, convictions, safeguarding investigations or other relevant matters. Where Teaching Tomorrow receives information that gives reasonable grounds to believe a candidate may be unsuitable for an assignment, the affected client will be informed promptly where appropriate and Teaching Tomorrow will take any necessary safeguarding, referral or suspension action.

13. Safeguarding Concerns, Referrals and Information Sharing

Teaching Tomorrow recognises that schools, colleges and third-party organisations share safeguarding responsibilities in relation to agency and contracted staff. Teaching Tomorrow will cooperate with clients and relevant safeguarding bodies where concerns or allegations arise. Where the statutory criteria are met, Teaching Tomorrow will consider or make referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service, Teaching Regulation Agency, Local Authority Designated Officer, police or other relevant body as appropriate. Relevant safeguarding information will be shared lawfully, proportionately and on a need-to-know basis. The need to safeguard children may require information to be shared where this is necessary and lawful, notwithstanding normal expectations of confidentiality.

14. Information Provided to Clients

Teaching Tomorrow will provide clients with written confirmation of relevant safeguarding and pre-employment checks undertaken on a candidate, including check dates where required. Where required under RM6376, Teaching Tomorrow will complete the applicable Temporary Worker Compliance Checklist or equivalent compliance confirmation.

15. Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually and sooner where there is a relevant change to legislation, statutory guidance, KCSIE, REC Audited Education requirements, RM6376 or Teaching Tomorrow’s operational procedures. Teaching Tomorrow will ensure that relevant staff are informed of changes to safer recruitment requirements and are appropriately trained to apply this policy consistently.

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