Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Safe Recruitment and Employment

Stockton-on-Tees Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) expects all organisations that employ staff to work with children to a consistent set of procedures designed to ensure that staff who are employed do not constitute a risk to children, have clear guidance on acceptable conduct and that allegations against them are managed effectively. These requirements are audited on a regular basis by the LSCB as part of the organisations overall safeguarding arrangements under section 11 of the Children Act 2004 (known as 'the section 11 audit')  

CRB checks to an appropriate standard.

All staff who are employed specifically to work with children should have an 'enhanced CRB check'. This will provide a record of all convictions and cautions (including those spent); confirmation that they are not barred from working with children, and also will provide 'relevant non conviction information' such as allegations which do not result in successful prosecutions which the responsible police force believe may be relevant. This enhanced CRB check should be renewed every three years. 

Allegations Against Staff, Carers and Volunteers(LADO)

All allegations of abuse against a member of staff, including a volunteer, must be dealt with

consistently, fairly, sensitively and as quickly as possible in a way which provides effective protection for the child and provides support for the person who is the subject of the allegation.

It is therefore important that all staff, regardless of their position in the organisation are aware of the procedures relating to Allegations Management'. The briefings below can be used in training sessions or in team meetings to raise awareness of this issue.

Guidance On Safe Working Practice.

We have adopted the nationally recognised Guidance for Safe Working Practice for Adults who Work with Children and Young People. This covers all areas of expected conduct including in particular contact with children out of work, acceptable use of IT and use of punishment/sanctions. It is expected that this guidance (or an acceptable equivalent) is issued to all staff on appointment and is referred to as the required standard whenever breaches of conduct occur.

Safer Recruitment Online Training

The Childrens Workforce Development Council (CWDC) want anyone recruiting people to work with children and young people, whether in the public, private or voluntary sectors, to do their online safer recruitment training. 

Safer recruitment is required to ensure that correct decisions are made during the recruitment process to ensure that unsuitable people are not given the opportunity to access children and young people.

There are two training courses for different audiences.  Please ensure you choose the one which is appropriate to you.

• Safer recruitment in education - for the school sector workforce
• Recruiting safely: Safer recruitment for the wider audience.

What is the difference?

The key concepts of safer recruitment are consistent within both training programmes, however the safer recruitment in education training is designed specifically for the schools sector and CWDC's training has been designed with the rest of the children and young people's workforce in mind.  Therefore the scenarios and examples will be relevant to each training programme.

Register/login

If you are ready to take the recruiting safely training, login or register in the e-learning portal but please be aware:  How you register will decide which course is assigned to you.