Recruitment and DBS checks

Although DBS checks are the best-known part of safer recruitement, they are not sufficient.

To recruit teachers, managers and volunteers safely, you should conduct interviews where you probe about their motivation, and ask for relevant references, ideally from someone outside your community.

DBS Checks

By law, you need to run a DBS check for all trustees/all members of the management committee and everyone else who either directly gets in contact with the children (i.e. teachers and class room assistants) or has access to their data (membership secretary). It does not matter whether individuals are paid or not. Teachers and other people in contact with the children need and enhanced check, for people handling data a basic check is sufficient.

A DBS check can be obtained locally via an organisation called Cambridge Student Community Action. http://cambridgesca.org.uk/dbs-services/

Other so-called umbrella bodies that can run DBS checks for you can be found here Find a DBS umbrella body company – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . They all should charge the same fees. If you expect a person to stay with you for several year, ask them to sign up for the update service as this costs considerable less in upcoming years.