Plus Staff Recruitment is a specialist education and childcare recruitment agency providing highly qualified teachers, nursery nurses, classroom assistance nursery assistance for clients schools and nurseries in the Greater London Kent and surrey.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION POLICY

The Company is committed to a policy of equality of opportunity in its recruitment practices and opposes all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination, direct or indirect – firstly, to ensure that no registering applicant is less fairly treated in any situation because of age, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital and civil partnership status, race or any other condition not relevant to the performance of the job; and secondly, to ensure that our clients are offered the best candidates available in terms of skills, experience and approach.

Company policy therefore aims:

• to provide full confidence to both clients and candidates’ of our best intentions to ensure that we register and submit quality candidates to support the needs of all children.
• to confirm our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children,
• to confirm our expectation for all staff and registering candidates to share this

This document provides a summary of the checks carried out during the recruitment, registration and interview process

Each candidate registering with Plus Staff Recruitment, regardless of origin or country citizenship, is subject on first contact to a verbal vetting process using the company standard vetting form to ascertain whether the individual meets the Company minimum requirements for registration and interview. The face-to-face interview ascertains if the Candidate has the required skills and competencies to undertake the work for which they are making application.

During or after interview, the candidate is subject to a series of stringent quality checks:

• identity and Proof of Address
• Qualification
• DfE Employer Access record for all teachers awarded QTS, to check on current induction status and any interim prohibition or prohibition orders
• Criminal record check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
• DBS Barred List
• Disqualification by Association
• References
• Previous employment history, with gaps in employment history explored
• Permission to work in the United Kingdom
• Medical fitness to work
• Level of fluency in English

If at any time a candidate is offered to a school before all checks are completed, the client will be informed and astandard written communication issued seeking agreement to the interview or placement on these terms.

Identity

Every candidate has a face to face interview / induction with a trained consultant where identity is checked. The consultant checks identity documentation following the DBS Route. This check includes proof of current address.Additional documentation may be requested if the candidate is unable to produce photo ID. All candidates are advised to take photo ID with them to assignments to allow clients to verify their identity.

Qualifications, and prohibiEon Checks fo Teachers holding QTS

• British trained teachers are checked against the DfE Employer Access database of teachers holding QTS, and this document is printed and stored on the candidate’s electronic file. This check also includes a check on any interim prohibition or prohibition orders which may have been imposed, to ensure no teacher with such an order is recruited. Teachers from Northern Ireland and Scotland are required to obtain QTS if this ward is not held Newly Qualified Teachers are also checked in relation to the volume of supply work they are able to undertake if their induction year has not been completed.
• EU trained teachers seeking registration with the agency are required to apply to the DfE’s NCTL for the award of QTS, Plus Staff recruitment will proceed with the registration of these candidates as qualified teachers on receipt of confirmation of QTS, and an appropriate DfE Employer Access check on prohibition orders.
• Overseas trained teacher (OTTs) All overseas -trained teachers must hold a teaching qualification equivalent to that of a British PGCE or Ed., checked through NARIC (The National Academic Records Information Centre). OTT area also checked to ensure that they do not breach the ‘four year rule’ whereby they are able to teach for 4 years as a qualified teacher in the UK, aRer which time they must hold QTS. OTTs from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA may be eligible for the ward of QTS; they are encouraged to confirm this on arrival in the UK.
• Nursery Nurses and Support Staff: Nursery Nurses are required to present as a mandatory requirement the relevant industry qualification, e.g., CACHE Level ti Diploma in Child Care and Education, BTEC National Diploma in Children’s Care, Learning and Development, or NVQ Level ti in children’s care, Learning and Development. Support staff such as Teaching Assistants, Nursery Assistants, Learning Support Assistants are required to have relevant experience before accepted for registration.

Criminal Record

Plus, Staff Recruitment requires all candidates to have either a current enchanted Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) certificate which has been issued directly through Plus Staff Recruitment or an enchanted DBS certificate issued by a third party which can be verified as current through the DBS Update Service. Plus Staff Recruitment checks DBS certificates annually.

Plus, Staff Recruitment is a Registered Body and an Umbrella Organization with the Disclosure and Barring Service, and complies with the DBS Code of Practice. All supply staff who are placed into a school / nursery environment by Plus Staff Recruitment are required have a current Enhanced DBS certificate applicable to the Children’s Workforce.

Plus Staff Recruitment will undertake a check using the Update Service for DBS certificates obtained by the candidate through another employer. if the Update Service check indicates a change to the disclosure certificate presented by a candidate, a new disclosure certificates is required.

Plus Staff Recruitment shares information noted on individual’s disclosure certificates with clients as required by the DfE. All candidates are advised to take their police check document with them to all assignments to allow clients to record the details in the school / nursery Single Central Register.

Barred List’ Checks

A nominated person has access to the two DBS Barred List. Checks on all known names used are carried out at registration and annually thereafter on all available and working candidates. Overseas arrivals are checked at induction in the United Kingdom.

All supply staff must declare in writing that they have read the relevant DfE guidance, regarding disqualification, that they are not disqualified on any grounds as set out in the DfE guidance, that to the best knowledge they do not live with anyone who is disqualified on any grounds set out in the guidance, and that they understand their specific responsibilities to safeguard children.

References

A minimum of two satisfactory and current references is required for registration of ALL candidates; one reference should be written and be from a school / child care environment, covering a minimum period of four weeks’ work at one establishment and which can be confirmed by a credible referee. The most recent reference is always being sourced, and any gaps evidenced. Referees are asked to provide information which relates to concerns about the candidate working with children, if the candidate has been dismissed from a childcare position, and if the referee is aware of any issues in relation to safeguarding and child protection.

References for all working candidates are updated frequently through verbal and written assessment feedback forms sent to clients.

Previous Employment History

Consultants are trained to recognize a candidate’s skills, experience and competency, as well as to identify gaps in their employment history on the CV or application form. They ask probing questions to satisfy themselves of the reasons for the gaps and seek evidence for the period of unemployment (maternity leave, illness, travel etc.) Gaps in employment history, and the reason for the gaps, are noted on the candidate profile.

Plus Staff Recruitment contact candidates regularly, and work availability diaries are kept updated. Short gaps inemployment history are always explored, and additional references sourced, as circumstances may have changed and issues may have arisen which can unexpectedly affect the candidate’s suitability for work.

Permission to Work in the United Kingdom

All candidates must prove they have the right to work in the United Kingdom, in line with the document requirements outlined in the Home Office directive: “An employer’s guide to right to work checks” (May 2015).

All foreign candidates have their passport and relevant entry clearance vignettes or biometric residence permitswitnessed and copied at their induction / interview. The database prevents any candidate whose visa has expired, or about to expire, from being placed in a booking.

Medical Fitness

In line with the Education (Health Standards) (England) Regulations 200ti it is a mandatory requirement of Plus Staff Recruitment for candidates to declare themselves fit for work in an education setting, and to advise Plus Staff if they have any health issues or disability relevant to the day-to- day activities associated with teaching or childcare. Any issues raised by candidates are discussed at interview, and if necessary candidates may be asked to provide a “fitness to work” certificate from a General Practitioner.

Complaints

Plus Staff Recruitment has a formal complaints policy. All concerns raised by clients about a candidate are discussed fully with both the client and candidate, and appropriate action taken.

This information is recorded on both the candidate and client profiles. If necessary, candidates may be excluded from a particular school if the client request this, our electronic booking system will prevent the candidate from being placed into that school again.