Early Years safer recruitment checklist

This article is to guide you through the use of our free safer recruitment checklist. The guidance has been created in collaboration with Redwing Solutions, Early Years HR experts.

The documents you’ll need to help you

• EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers or EYFS statutory framework for childminders
• Early Years Foundation Stage safeguarding reforms Government consultation response 
• Working together to safeguard children 2023: statutory guidance

Early Years settings may also make use of the following document, although it’s only required that schools have regard for it:

• Keeping children safe in education 2024

Guidance for completing the safer recruitment checklist

Download the safer recruitment checklist here.

Have applicants fill out an application form

Applications can be time-consuming for applicants compared to handing in a CV, but it’s worthwhile to ensure you’re getting everything you need. An application form allows you to gather as much information as required to make a more informed decision about who to call in for an interview.

In the interview

A minimum of 2 interviewers allows for a more formal interview process - one interviewer asks questions and the other can take notes of responses. This also allows you and your colleague to discuss the suitability of the applicant afterwards, review the notes, and go over anything the other may have missed.

• You should ask thorough questions, relevant to the level of responsibility of the candidate’s potential role. An informal conversation or chat is not generally rigorous enough to determine the suitability of someone to work with children.

• You must also inform your candidate that they will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, should they be successful in being offered the role.

You should ensure that your applicant can prove they have the right to work in the UK, before offering them a role. The government has created guidance on how to check if someone can legally work in the UK and you can also follow the Employers' right to work checklist.

Relevant guidance:

“Providers must ensure that people looking after children are suitable; they must have the relevant qualifications and training, and have passed any required checks to fulfil their roles.”
- The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

“Providers must tell staff that they are expected to disclose any convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings that may affect their suitability to work with children (whether received before or during their employment at the setting).”
- The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

Once you’ve offered the candidate the job

Once you’ve made a job offer to a candidate, there are several things you need to do to confirm their suitability. 

• You will need to verify the candidate is who they say they are by checking their identity

• You’ll need to check that the qualifications the candidate says they have are genuine and you must check that the candidate’s Early Years qualification is full and relevant. 

• You will need to seek references for your candidate - see the guidance below on how to do this. 

• You will need to complete an an enhanced disclosure DBS check for every person aged 16 and over (including for unsupervised volunteers, and supervised volunteers who provide personal care). If the member of staff has lived abroad, you will need to undertake criminal records checks for staff from overseas.

• If your candidate is taking medication that could affect their ability to care for children, advise them to seek medical advice.

• You’ll need to securely store the information about the checks you’ve performed. The information you obtain as part of your pre-employment checks will contain personal data and information about an employee’s health and medical conditions is considered ‘sensitive’ personal data. All personal employee data must be kept safe, secure and up to date.
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Relevant guidance:

“All offers of appointment should be conditional until satisfactory completion of the mandatory pre-employment checks.”
- Keeping children safe in education, 2024 

“Providers must record information about the identity checks that have been completed”.
- The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

“Providers must take appropriate steps to verify qualifications, including in cases where physical evidence cannot be produced.”
- The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

“Providers must not allow anyone whose suitability has not been checked, including through a criminal records check, to have unsupervised contact with children being cared for.” 
- The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

“If a practitioner is taking medication which may affect their ability to care for children, they should seek medical advice.”

“Practitioners must only work directly with children if the medical advice received confirms that the medication is unlikely to impair that person’s ability to look after children properly.”
- The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

Hiring isn't the end

Ongoing suitability and transferable risk:

Transferable risk is where circumstances or behaviour outside of your setting may affect the suitability of a person who works with children. Transferable risk can mean that, while you have recruited safely, that person is no longer considered suitable to have children in their care. 

You must notify Ofsted of:

• Any significant event which is likely to affect the suitability of the early years provider to look after children.
• Any significant event which is likely to affect the suitability of any person who cares for/is in regular contact with children on the premises. 

Any doubts? Refer to an expert.

If you are in any doubt at all about the suitability of a candidate, safer recruitment and hiring, or other HR-related questions, contact the experts. This template was developed with the kind support of Redwing Solutions, experts in HR for Early Years settings.

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