ERI Safer Recruiting Policy

Revised by ERI Board May 2023

Approved Sep 2023

Purpose and Principles

The safe recruitment of personnel is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children, young people, and vulnerable adults with whom ERI may come into contact.

ERI is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all such groups and individuals and expects all Board and Team members, other staff, interns, and volunteers to share this commitment.

ERI seeks to fulfil the commitment through effective recruitment and retention procedures.

The aim of the policy and procedures set out here is to help deter, identify, and refuse persons deemed unsuitable for working with children, young people, or vulnerable adults.

Roles and Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to

  • Ensure that effective policies and procedures are in place and adhered to in the recruitment of Board and Team members, staff, interns, and volunteers
  • Monitor compliance with current policies and procedures

It is the responsibility of the Executive Director to

  • Ensure that the pre-appointment checks set out in Stage 4 below are implemented
  • Manage Stages 5 and 6 below
  • Promote the welfare of children,  young people, and vulnerable adults  in all aspects of ERI’s operation

Procedures

The following procedures and practices are in place to ensure safe recruitment to ERI:

Stage 1:  Inviting and Receiving Applications

  • All notifications of vacancies will clearly stipulate ERI’s commitment  to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults 
  • All candidates and applicants must be willing to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and with the appropriate disclosure and barring service.

Stage 2:  Application Pack

Information provided to candidates and applicants will include:

  • This Safer Recruitment Policy
  • The current ERI Safeguarding Policy for Children and Vulnerable Adults
  • A job description
  • The requirement to provide a CV, including, where applicable, experience of working with children, young people and vulnerable adults, and to provide a referee who can comment on their work in this context
  • The requirement to disclose any relevant information
  • The requirement to fulfil the appropriate national enhanced disclosure procedure

Stage 3: Appointment Process

Appointment processes are set out in the ERI Governance Manual. 

Candidates are required to:

  • provide at least two satisfactory references
  • explain satisfactorily any gaps in employment
  • explain satisfactorily any anomalies or discrepancies in the information available
  • declare any information that is likely to appear in  enhanced screening

Responses will be scrutinized in a systematic way by the persons appointed by the Board to make the appointment.

Candidates and applicants will be expected to demonstrate their capacity to safeguard and protect the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

Stage 4:  Confirmation of Appointment

Before appointment is confirmed, the appointee is required to:

  • provide proof of identity , qualifications, and professional status 
  • provide a satisfactory enhanced disclosure certificate 
  • provide evidence of eligibility  to live and work in the relevant location
  • sign a declaration stating that there is no reason why he or she might be deemed unsuitable for working with children or vulnerable adults and being in their company.

Stage 5:  Induction

All Board members and staff are required to attend safeguarding awareness and training as set out in the current ERI Safeguarding Policy