Policy Statement
The recruitment and selection process is of paramount importance to us in order to recruit staff with the necessary skills and attributes to enable the Preschool to fulfil its aims and objectives.
The Recruitment and Selection Policy and Procedures aim to provide clear guidance to managers and others involved with recruitment in relation to both the selection and appointment of staff.
This policy promotes and supports good practice for those with responsibility for recruitment.
Procedures
This policy and procedures aim to achieve the following objectives:
Recruit staff with the appropriate skills, both technical and personal, in order to meet the preschool’s current and future needs.
To ensure that staff appointed to posts involving teaching and care responsibilities are qualified to carry out such duties or are working towards an appropriate qualification.
Work to a fair and effective recruitment procedure, which is consistent with employment legislation and the preschool’s Equality and Diversity policies and practices.
Develop and enhance the public image of the preschool, both as an employer and as a quality provider of childcare services.
To ensure that by following the safer recruitment process we fulfil and exceed our duty of care to safeguard and protect children from unsuitable adults. Internal candidates or others personally known to the interview panel will be treated in exactly the same way as all other candidates. We ensure that individuals are recruited, selected, trained and promoted on the basis of their own skills, qualification and experience.
By doing this we will ensure that everybody will be treated equally on the grounds of gender, ethnic origin, race, colour, sexual orientation, marital status, nationality, age or disability. At the preschool we are vigilant in our recruitment procedures aiming to ensure all people working with children are qualified and suitable to do so. We follow this procedure each and every time we recruit a new member to join our team.
CONSIDERATIONS
Before recruitment begins, the following will be given consideration:
• Is it necessary to fill the vacancy?
• Can we appoint someone from existing staff without having to advertise externally?
• Does the role require changes in duties and responsibilities?
• Is it appropriate to evaluate the grade of the post?
• Could the work be accommodated in other ways?
• What terms and conditions are being offered for the post? Are they appropriate and consistent with the rest of the Preschool?
The managers should consider widening the diversity of the team which could include consideration of part time working / job share / positive action initiatives.
AUTHORISATION
The following documentation must be completed for recruitment to all posts:
Job Description, the recruitment process will follow the guidelines as laid out in this document.
ADVERTISING
It is good practice that all vacancies are advertised, both internally within the Preschool, as well as externally. However, where it is considered that existing staff have the prerequisite skills, consideration may be given to advertising posts internally only. The following procedures will be followed:
We will only use reputable newspapers, agencies, websites and the local job centre to advertise for any vacancies.
Advertising will include the preschool’s safeguarding statement.
We ensure that all recruitment literature includes details of our equal opportunities policy and our safe recruitment procedures; including an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, at least two independent references for each new employee.
ENQUIRIES
All enquirers will initially be vetted over the phone or via email in order to ensure there are no obvious impediments to taking the enquiry forward.
Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they meet all the essential criteria defined in the person and job specification.
If the number of candidates meeting the essential criteria is excessive, further selection may be undertaken utilising the desirable criteria to achieve a workable shortlist (suggest no more than 3).
Shortlisting will be undertaken by two members of staff who are experienced in the recruitment process and one of whom will go on to be involved in the interviewing process.
INTERVIEW STAGE
We shortlist all suitable candidates against a pre-set specification and ensure all applicants receive correspondence regardless of whether they are successful in reaching the interview stage or not.
All shortlisted candidates will receive a job description, a person specification, an equal opportunities monitoring form and a request for identification prior to the interview.
All interviews are face to face.
The interview will be arranged comprising a trial period in the designated playroom plus a more formal interview with the Manager and one other authorised member of staff.
Before the pre-interview all candidates’ identities will be checked using, for example, their passport and/or photo card driving licence. All candidates will be required to prove they are eligible to work in the UK.
All candidates reaching the interview stage are questioned using the same set criteria and questions. These are formulated around specific areas of childcare, including safeguarding the children in their care, planning suitable activities to enhance the child’s development and their understanding of the legal frameworks applied to childcare and used in the preschool.
The questions will be value based and will ensure the candidate has the same values as the preschool with regards to the safety and welfare of the children in their care.
Candidates are asked whether they have ever had any allegations of abuse made against them.
Gaps in employment are explored.
Concerns or discrepancies in information are explored.
Candidates are asked if there is anything they would like to add in relation to the requirement for an enhanced CRB check.
Candidates will be given a score for their answers including a score for their individual experience and qualifications. Each shortlisted candidate will be asked to take part in a supervised practical exercise which will involve spending time in a particular age group in the preschool interacting with the children, staff and where appropriate parents.
The manager and authorised deputy will then select the most suitable person for this position based on these scores and their knowledge and understanding of the early years framework as well as the needs of the preschool.
Each candidate will receive communication from the preschool stating whether they have been successful or not.
All interview notes will be kept for a minimum of 6 months.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT CHECKS
The successful candidate will be offered the position subject to at least two references from previous employment or in the case of a newly qualified student, their tutor and a personal or professional reference (e.g. their GP).
These references will be taken up BEFORE employment commences. This will be verbal or by email initially and followed up with a written reference which will form part of their staff file.
Referees will be asked specific questions in relation to
(1) The candidate’s suitability to work with young children and vulnerable adults
(2) Whether the referee has any concerns about the candidate working in a childcare setting (3) Whether they have any knowledge of the candidate being investigated over safeguarding issues.
“To whom it may concern” testimonials are never accepted, unless they can be verified.
Agency or supply staff will have been vetted by the supplying agency.
Proof of identity checks will be obtained from original copies of two of the following - birth certificate, driving license, passport or naturalisation or immigration papers.
Prior to employment but after the job has been offered a health check questionnaire will be given to the employee.
All new starters will be subject to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check whether they currently hold an enhanced CRB check or not.
This will be initiated normally before the member of staff commences work in the preschool and they will not have unsupervised access to any child or their records before this check comes back clear. Further to this, the taking of photographs of any child, looking at their learning and development log or changing the nappy of any child will not be undertaken by any new member of staff without an up-to-date enhanced CRB check (whether supervised or not).
All qualifications will be checked and copies taken for their personnel files.
All candidates will be required to prove they are eligible to work in the UK.
Until all the required checks are returned and clear, any offer of employment remains conditional.
Any irregularities of a safeguarding nature or ISA barring will result in the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) being notified.
INDUCTION
All new members of staff will undergo an intensive induction period during which time they will read and discuss the preschool policies and procedures and receive a mentor, normally the Room Leader or Deputy, who will introduce them to the way in which the preschool operates.
Induction will also be provided by a designated member of the management team.
During their induction period all new staff will receive awareness training on how to safeguard children in their care and follow the *Safeguarding Children/*Child Protection policy and procedure.
The new member of staff will receive regular meetings with the manager and their mentor during their induction period to discuss their progress.
Staff will be made aware of the positive ethos of their working environment in relation to safeguarding.
All staff will be made aware that children’s needs are paramount and the voice of the child is valued and listened to.
All staff will be made aware of how to report a concern or make a complaint about the well-being of a child or the behaviour of a colleague / visitor / parent / carer.
All staff are made aware of the preschool code of conduct. Management must show how this is embedded into the workplace culture, appraisal process and performance management.
Staff are aware of the whistleblowing policy and how to express concerns or make complaints. Reports are acted upon quickly and the employee is given assurance that there is no recrimination on the whistle-blower provided the allegation is not in any way unfounded or malicious.
All new members of staff will be asked for information related to payroll, such as P45, banking details, tax codes, national insurance numbers etc.
ON-GOING SUPPORT AND CHECKS
All members of staff will update a status check questionnaire on an annual basis to ensure management have a good knowledge of any changes that may require support or additional resources to aid them to carry out their day-to-day duties.
All staff are responsible for notifying the manager in person should any circumstances arise that may affect their suitability to work with children. This will include any incidents occurring outside the nursery. Staff will face disciplinary action should they fail to notify the manager in a reasonable timescale.
Each member of staff will receive termly one–to-one supervisions, This will provide an opportunity for the manager and member of staff to discuss training needs etc…
The manager, deputy and room leaders will be responsible for any support the staff team may have between these reviews. This includes mentor support, one-to-one training sessions, on-going supervision, work-based observations and constructive feedback.
Safeguarding training is mandatory for all staff and will be updated every 12 months.
Managers and other appointed staff will receive on going recruitment training.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
The preschool abides by all legal requirements relating to safe recruitment from the Early Years Foundation Stage/National Minimum Standards.
The preschool also abides by the employer’s responsibilities relating to informing the Independent Safeguarding Authority of any changes to the suitability of their staff, whether this member of staff has left the nursery or is still under investigation. Please refer to the child protection/safeguarding policy for further information.
MONITORING AND SELF-EVALUATION
The Recruitment Policy will be audited each year.
Audit findings and action plans will be recorded and revised within agreed time limits.
FORMS TO BE USED IN RECRUITMENT PROCESS
This policy
Recruitment checklist
Request for recruitment
Recruitment enquiry form
Application form
Letter inviting candidate to interview
Job descriptions
Code of conduct
Safeguarding statement and checklist
Interview form and scoring
Reference request - questionnaire
Reference request letter or email
Staff induction checklist by senior – including Health and Safety
Staff induction checklist by Manager
Staff HR file checklist
Contract of Employment
Staff annual status check
Camera, phone and media policy
Whistleblowing policy
Safeguarding policy
Equal opportunities and diversity policy
Confidentiality policy
Unsuccessful candidate letter
TRAINING AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Our manager and Deputy hold at least a CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce or an equivalent qualification and at least half of our other staff members hold the CACHE Level 2 Certificate for the Children and Young People’s Workforce or an equivalent or higher qualification.
We provide regular in-service training to all our staff
- whether paid staff or volunteers
- through the Pre-school Learning Alliance and external agencies.
Our budget allocates resources to training.
STAFF TAKING MEDICATION / OTHER SUBSTANCES
If a member of staff is taking medication which may affect their ability to care for children, we ensure that they seek further medical advice. Our staff will only work directly with the children if medical advice confirms that the medication is unlikely to impair their ability to look after children properly.
Staff medication on the premises will be stored securely and kept out of reach of the children at all times.
If we have reason to believe that a member of our staff is under the influence of alcohol or any other substance that may affect their ability to care for children, they will not be allowed to work directly with the children and further action will be taken
MANAGING STAFF ABSENCES AND CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR EMERGENCIES
Dragonfly preschool is a term time only setting and our staff take their holiday breaks when the setting is closed. Where a staff member may need to take time off for any reason other than sick leave or training, this is agreed with our manager with sufficient notice.
Where our staff are unwell and take sick leave in accordance with their contract of employment, we organise cover to ensure ratios are maintained
Sick leave is monitored and action is taken where necessary, in accordance with the individual’s contract of employment.
We have contingency plans to cover staff absences, as follows: To contact members of Agency staff. If this is not possible we would try and get a parent to come in and help (they would never be left alone with any child) and an application of a List 99 check would be put in immediately.
The Manager would be called to see if they could find another member of staff to work in the preschool for the session