Safer Recruitment Training Programme
Update
The CWDC 'Recruiting Safely National Training Programme' has now
ended (as of 31st March 2011). Action for Children and partner
The Lucy Faithfull
Foundation, continue to provide safer recruitment training on a
face-to-face basis with organisations that wish to understand how
best to recruit safely to paid and volunteer positions across all
sectors within the children's workforce.
As the 'Recruiting Safely National Training Programme' has now
ended, we are no longer able to respond to requests for training
for individual managers or practitioners, but will respond to all
queries and commissions from those representing organisations
seeking safer recruitment training for which they are able to
provide between 10 and 25 participants.
The training will continue to be based on the 'Recruiting Safely:
helping keep children and young people safe' guidance issued by
CWDC and will include the latest information on the proposed
changes to the vetting and barring scheme, the criminal records
arrangements and other changes in recruitment practice.
Introduction
The children's workforce is extremely large and diverse;
covering a broad range of different activities, settings and
organisations from small faith-based or community projects within
the voluntary sector to medium-sized childcare providers within the
private sector and large departments within Local Authorities or
other public sector bodies.
The Department for Education (DfE) estimate that
there are currently over 2.5 million children's workers excluding
volunteers. All those organisations and people who work with
children or are involved in providing services for them have a duty
to safeguard and promote their welfare. This is clearly stated in
the publication Working Together to Safeguard Children,
2010.
Whatever the background, making sure that we do everything we
can not to appoint people who may pose a risk to children when we
are recruiting staff or volunteers is an essential part of
safeguarding children.
As Sir Michael Bichard stated in his report into the tragedy at
Soham: "the harsh reality is that if a sufficiently devious
person is determined to seek out opportunities to work their evil,
no one can guarantee that they will be stopped. Our task is to make
it as difficult as possible for them to succeed."
Background
'Recruiting Safely' is a suite of guidance that has been
produced by the Children's Workforce Development Council in
response to the need to ensure the recommendations of Sir Michael
Bichard's inquiry in relation to safer recruitment practices and
the subsequent Staying Safe Action Plan (DCSF) are taken into
the wider children's workforce.
Following our leading the development of the CWDC publication
'Recruiting Safely: helping to keep children and young people'
(November 2009) and the subsequent development and delivery of the
'Recruiting Safely National Training Programme', Action for
Children and partners are now utilising their combined knowledge
and expertise to provide face-to-face training based upon these
materials and the many years experience of providing advice and
guidance regarding safer recruitment practices.
Who should attend?
The safer recruitment courses are for those people who have a
role in either recruiting or supervising staff and volunteers
within the children's workforce (if you require training for staff
in either primary or secondary schools, there is a specific course
available that meets the mandatory requirements for Head Teachers
and Governors). The course is designed to provide recruiters,
managers and those involved with the recruitment and management of
paid staff and volunteers working with children and young people in
all sectors with the necessary skills and knowledge to conduct
safer recruitment and employment practices.
How much does it cost?
Please make contact with us to discuss the cost of this essential
one-day training course. Costs are kept to a minimum and full
course handbooks and other supporting material will be provided
along with appropriate assessment and certification where required.
Contact us
If you are enquiring on behalf of an organisation and wish to talk
to someone about safer recruitment training, please contact us on:
recruiting.safely@actionforchildren.org.uk.