Safer Recruitment: One-Minute Guide

Safer Recruitment: One-Minute Guide

Safer Recruitment: One-Minute Guide

1. What is Safer Recruitment?

Safer recruitment is essential for protecting children and young people within organisations. All organisations recruiting individuals to work with children and young people (under 18 years of age)—whether in paid or voluntary roles—should apply these principles to deter unsuitable candidates and prevent inappropriate appointments.

Organisations must also implement clear policies and procedures for preventing abuse and ensuring prompt reporting of any concerns. A policy statement should outline the commitment to safeguarding, require all staff and volunteers to comply, and specify robust recruitment and selection practices to reduce risks of harm from those in positions of trust.

• What are the Key Principles of Safer Recruitment?

Safer recruitment is based on a number of key principles:

• Deter unsuitable applicants from applying by putting safeguarding first. Make the welfare and safety of children your top priority throughout the recruitment process. Ensure potential applicants receive a clear message about the organisation’s commitment to recruiting suitable people.
• Reject unsuitable applicants at the selection stage through rigorous vetting and thorough pre-appointment checks.
• Prevent opportunities to abuse children and young people once an individual is appointed by creating a safe culture that promotes safeguarding and the welfare of children.
• Detect and respond promptly, fairly, and proportionately to any concerns about an individual once appointed.
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• What Are the Safer Recruitment Practices?

The following are examples of good practice that organisations should follow, as appropriate.

• Advertising posts – your organisation’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children should be clearly stated in any information provided to candidates. Any advert or information provided to candidates should also make clear whether the role is subject to DBS and Children’s Barred List checks.
• Job description, person specification or role profile – the roles and responsibilities relating to safeguarding should be clearly stated in any job description or role profile.
• Application form – wherever possible, an application form should be used rather than accepting CVs. A simplified version of the application form can be used for volunteer posts.
• References – references for employees should be sought from the current employer and/or the last employer for whom the applicant worked with children. Where proportionate and appropriate, it is also good practice to seek references for volunteers. Where a volunteer has previous work, volunteering or other relevant experience with children, organisations should consider obtaining references to support the assessment of suitability.
• Selection – organisations should use the selection process, including interviews, to explore not only candidates’ skills but also their motivation for working with children and young people.
• Pre-appointment checks – these will include identity checks, the right to work in the UK, and professional qualifications, registration or regulatory requirements appropriate to the post. They may also include health checks.
• Training – recruiters should, where possible, undertake safer recruitment training. It is best practice to ensure that at least one member of any interview panel has completed safer recruitment training.

Note: Not all of the above will be relevant to volunteer posts, but children and young people view volunteers as safe adults. It is therefore important that a proportionate but robust process is in place for volunteer appointments.

• What Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks Are Needed?

The level of DBS check required will depend on the nature of the role:

• Some roles are not eligible for a DBS check.
• Some roles are eligible for an Enhanced DBS check.
• Roles involving regulated activity require an Enhanced DBS check with Children’s Barred List information.

Organisations should ensure that the level of check requested is lawful and proportionate to the duties being undertaken.

The required level of DBS check should be made clear to applicants before they apply and included in any advert or documentation provided as part of the application process.

Regulated activity includes certain work with children, such as teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children; providing advice or guidance on wellbeing; providing personal care or healthcare; or undertaking regular work in specified establishments where there is an opportunity for contact with children.

Organisations should carefully assess whether a role constitutes regulated activity, as this determines whether a Children’s Barred List check is legally required.

From 1 September 2026, the removal of the volunteer supervision exemption under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 means that some volunteer roles that were previously supervised and outside regulated activity may require a Children’s Barred List check.

Volunteer roles should be assessed individually to determine DBS eligibility and whether the role constitutes regulated activity. Where volunteers undertake regulated activity, an Enhanced DBS check with Children’s Barred List information will normally be required. Organisations should not assume that supervision alone removes the need for a barred list check.

For more information:

Regulated activity: removal of the supervision exemption (comes into force 1 September 2026) – GOV.UK

• What Else Do We Need to Have in Place?

Organisations should ensure recruitment and vetting records are retained and can demonstrate compliance with safer recruitment requirements. Failures in safer recruitment, vetting or safeguarding oversight may become relevant to the management of allegations or wider safeguarding reviews.

Organisations should have in place the following to prevent opportunities to abuse children:

• Good induction and ongoing training in safeguarding.
• Clear safe-working-practice guidance and/or codes of conduct.
• Clear policies, including whistleblowing guidance – North Yorkshire whistleblowing practice guidance and one-minute guide.
• Appropriate supervision.

Organisations should have clear guidance for reporting concerns and procedures for managing low-level concerns and allegations against staff or volunteers. Guidance on managing allegations against staff and volunteers is available from:

North Yorkshire practice guidance for managing allegations against those who work or volunteer with children.

Accredited safer recruitment training is available from the NYES website: LADO – Local Authority Designated Officer | NYES Info.

Maintain a high level of vigilance – believe it could always happen in your organisation.

Reviewed Aug 2026