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Safe recruitment in nurseries: your responsibilities 

Find out about your key responsibilities to ensure safe recruitment in nurseries.

Ensuring a safe environment for children in nurseries 

The safety and well-being of children is fundamental in nursery settings. Employing the right people to care for and educate children is a vital part of keeping them safe. Read on to find out about the safer recruitment responsibilities that must be followed to ensure that only appropriate people are recruited to work with babies and children.  

Key responsibilities for safe recruitment in nurseries

Clear job descriptions and person specifications:

Make sure you have fully assessed what you need and want from any new employees. Make sure you have outlined the qualifications they need to hold as well as the safeguarding responsibilities that come with the job. A person specification should be used to outline the essential and desirable qualities that a candidate must have. 

Promote safeguarding in job adverts:

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility – from the CEO, to the chef, to the apprentice, to the person who comes to cut the grass. Candidates need to understand the nursery’s commitment to safeguarding and their responsibilities for keeping children safe.  

Rigorous pre employment checks:

Enhanced DBS, identity and right to work checks should all be carried out before any employment commences. Qualifications should be verified and references from previous employers (especially those where the candidate has worked with children) obtained before any work commences. Accurate records of recruitment should be kept as evidence in case of safeguarding audits or inspections.  

Interviews:

Interviews provide an opportunity to assess a candidate’s professional qualifications and experience, but, perhaps more importantly, they are an opportunity to explore a candidates attitudes towards safeguarding and working with children.   

Induction and training:

All new employees should go through a thorough induction programme, encompassing training as well as enabling them to become familiar with the nursery’s policies and procedures. Safeguarding training should be ongoing to ensure all staff members are familiar with the most up to date information.  

Ongoing supervision:

Regular appraisals allow nursery managers to assess staff performance, provide support and address concerns quickly to ensure everyone continues to adhere to safeguarding principles. They are also a safe place for practitioners to raise any concerns they have about children and their families. 

Safer recruitment in nurseries is not just about filling positions with qualified people – it’s about keeping children safe. By following rigorous recruitment practices, nurseries can minimise the risk to children and ensure they are able to learn and develop in a safe, caring and nurturing environment. 

Looking for more support?

See our ‘Advanced safeguarding’ live virtual or face to face training. Our ‘Safer recruitment, selection and induction‘ online course will also be helpful. Our ‘Recruitment and selection‘ publication is packed with tips and templates to adapt for your setting.

  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Safeguarding

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