Safeguarding children

The secretary of state wrote to governing bodies and local authorities earlier in the year to advise them of the outcomes of the review of the arrangements for safeguarding children.

The following changes have been implemented, which are relevant to ASCL members.

Schools are to ensure that CRB checks are in place on all relevant staff. A school's decision on an appointment should include a criminal record check from the CRB, in addition to the standard previous employer references, qualifications and GTC registration.

An enhanced disclosure is to be obtained for all teachers, other staff and volunteers whose job involves regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children under 18. This includes applicants for teacher training courses, trainee teachers and those employed through supply agencies.

Where staff are recruited from countries outside of the UK, neither the CRB nor List 99 may be appropriate, particularly when they are newly arrived. It will therefore always be good practice for employers to make enquiries of the authorities in other countries as to whether they have records of anything that would make them unsuitable to work with children and young people.

CRB checks will be needed where a teacher moves schools within a local authority area.