2020 Dreams Safer Recruitment Policy
Last Reviewed 1st April 2025
Here at 2020 Dreams, we are committed to recruiting suitable candidates for the roles our clients entrust us with filling. We understand that as we are a part of the recruitment process, it is our responsibility to follow legislation and guidance on recruiting suitable people to work with or around children and vulnerable adults. This responsibility is in place for recruiting for any role irrespective of whether it is on a short-term, day workshop and/or voluntary basis. Therefore, all our staff have safer recruitment training and follow our companies’ policies and procedures to ensure we have done everything in our remit to source suitable candidates for the next step of the recruitment process, which is undertaken by the client directly.
The organisations we provide workshops and training for all have their own safer recruitment procedures.
This policy is in line with our other policies including our equal opportunities and GDPR/privacy policy.
Safer Recruitment – Working with Children and Young People Policy.
Safe recruitment is a key part of safeguarding children. In England, the statutory guidance “Working Together to Safeguard Children” highlights the responsibility of all organisations working with children and young people to have a robust safe recruitment procedure in place. All organisations have a duty of care and therefore must ensure that they have consistent recruitment and selection procedures in place to prevent unsuitable persons from gaining access to children.
These procedures must be followed irrespective of whether the person will be working on a short- or long-term basis and for all workers including those working on a voluntary basis.
This policy is based on up-to-date legislation, guidance, and best practice. It aims to promote consistent practice that all staff involved in recruitment can follow. The policy shall be regularly reviewed and updated in line with changes to legislation and any relevant changes to the company.
We are committed to safeguarding and protecting all children and young people in our care.
Throughout this procedure, ‘children’ refers to any child under the age of 18 years. This policy is in line with our other policies including our equal opportunities and GDPR/privacy policy.
The following outlines our recruitment and selection procedures that are in place to identify and deter people who might abuse children or who are otherwise unsuitable for employment, and to minimise the possibility of children and young people suffering harm from those in a position of trust.
Advertising
Our job advertisements make clear the qualities, qualifications and experience a successful candidate will need to demonstrate, and whether there are any particular matters that need to be stated. We make our Child Protection Policy clear and detail the requirements for candidates to understand how to keep children safe, as well as job offers being on condition of candidates undertaking an enhanced DBS check. We also make it clear that their application will be processed in line with our safer recruitment and equal opportunities policies.
All job descriptions and person specifications include
- The main duties of the post
- The extent of contact/responsibility for children and young people
- The individual’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the children/ young people/Adults at Risk s/he is responsible for or will come into contact with
- The essential and desirable qualifications and experience
- Other requirements needed to perform the role in relation to working with children and young people
- The competencies and qualities that the successful candidate should be able to demonstrate
Application Process
We use a standard application form to ensure that we get all the information we need from candidates including:
- A statement of any academic and/or vocational qualifications with details of awarding body and the date of the award.
- A full history in chronological order since leaving secondary education, including periods of any post-secondary education/training and part-time and voluntary work as well as full time employment, with start dates, explanations for periods not in employment or education/training and reasons for leaving employment.
- A statement of the skills and abilities and competencies/experience that the applicant believes are relevant to their suitability for the post and how they meet the person specification.
Our applications include a self-disclosure form that is kept securely and disposed of in line with our GDPR/privacy policy.
Shortlisting
Shortlisting is done by at least two people who are clear on what the job requirements and person specifications are and who remain objective and unbiased.
Application forms are scrutinised to ensure:
- They are fully and properly completed.
- The information is consistent and does not contain any discrepancies.
- Gaps in employment/training or a history of repeated changes of employment are identified.
Incomplete applications are not accepted. Any anomalies, discrepancies or gaps in employment and the reasons for this are noted, and all candidates are assessed equally against the criteria contained in the person specification.
References
Where possible, we routinely check for two references for each candidate, including internal candidates, one of which is from the current or most recent employer/line manager. We obtain these directly from the referee and make it clear to them that they have a legal duty to ensure the information they provide is accurate, fair, and not misleading.
We use a standard reference form to ensure we get a consistent approach; within this, we ask about the candidates’ suitability to work with children and their understanding of safeguarding.
Our referees get sent a copy of the job description so they can give detail on the candidates’ suitability, and we use their responses to identify any discrepancies with the application form. We also ask about details of any disciplinary procedures the applicant has been subject to which relate to the safety and welfare of children or to the applicant’s behaviour towards children, young people or adults at risk and the outcome. As well as details of any allegations or concerns about the applicant that relate to the safety and welfare of children or behaviour towards children, young people or adults at risk and the outcome of these concerns.
Any vague responses or statements are followed up on. We do not accept references or testimonials provided by the candidate, or open references.
If an applicant is not currently employed in working with children but has previously done so, then where possible we will seek to gain a reference from this employer.
Interview
Prior to the interview candidates are informed how the interview will be conducted and are asked if they need any special arrangements to be made to accommodate them.
Our interviews are done face to face or via Zoom, who are well trained and briefed to carry out interviews. The open and reflective questions asked are planned, for each vacancy we use the same questions for all the candidates. Our interview questions are available to each interviewee, on a standard style form that gives room to write notes about candidates’ answers to each question so that they can be reviewed and discussed by the interview panel after the interview.
Our interview questions are designed to show candidates have good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children, understand how to establish and maintain professional boundaries and professional integrity with children and other staff, and know-how to and are willing to take action to protect children. We also note any additional questions asked because of candidates answers and prior to the interview note any questions we need to ask based on the application submitted. In all cases, it is agreed beforehand who is responsible for ensuring interviews are conducted fairly and that candidates are treated equally.
Offering Job
We make decisions to offer a job based on the evidence we collect in the above procedures and not any gut feelings or personal bias. Decision-makers at all stages of the application process are safer recruitment trained. Our process ensures candidates are suitable and are treated fairly and free from prejudice or discrimination.
At the interview, we check ID and offers are always made upon the condition of an enhanced DBS check and receiving all the required documentation, which we then keep copies of in line with our GDPR/privacy policy. The documentation we take includes but is not limited to overseas checks, right-to-work checks, checks on disqualifications from working with children, in line with government guidance and qualification certificates. We also act as an umbrella body to process new candidates’ DBS.
We keep records of the whole process including application forms, references, and interview notes for future reference.
Our new staff all read and sign to say they understand our policies and procedures. We continue to supervise and train all our staff on a regular basis, placing great importance on the need for Continuing Professional Development. Any changes to our policies and procedures are relayed to our staff. Please see our induction policy for a more in-depth explanation of our procedures for new staff.
We are committed to taking on the right candidates and reject all unsuitable candidates. If at any point in the application process, we have concerns about a candidate’s suitability we put any formal offers on hold and investigate concerns. We take all reasonable steps to seek further details about the issue, including statements in writing from referees or any other relevant persons. If information is needed from the candidate, we ensure it is gathered in a sensitive way.
We then complete risk assessments to determine suitability. Our decisions on suitability are impartial and based on facts of the situation and are in line with relevant legislation and guidance.
If any concerns are raised about a member of staff once they are working for us, we follow procedures, legislation and guidance to appropriately deal with these situations and ensure children are safeguarded.
No applicant will be accepted, and employment will be terminated if our risk assessments find them to be unsuitable, in cases where DBS checks show them to be on the barred list and in any other situation where evidence shows they are unsuitable.
Sensitive information about candidates is kept confidential and is only shared on a need-to-know basis. Where necessary we pass on information that we have learnt to the relevant authorities such as the police.
We only work with outside agencies who also follow a robust safer recruitment procedure and have proof of all the required checks.
Review of Safer Recruitment Policy
2020 Dreams will review its Safeguarding policies every 12 months as a minimum.
