Recruiting and managing staff
2. Recruiting safely
All those responsible for recruiting new staff to your setting must be fully aware of employment law and national safer recruitment guidance. To become more confident in the skills and knowledge required to safely and fairly recruit new staff members to your setting, we would advise you complete our Recruiting Safely training or the NSPCC safer recruitment e-learning training.
Pre-employment checks, staff suitability and disqualification
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevents unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. DBS checks must be completed on all employees and volunteers, usually prior to them starting work with you.
If your potential volunteer or employee has spent time living outside the UK as an adult you can check what to do on GOV.UK.
Anyone who is part of the 'registered person' must have their suitability (including a DBS check) checked by Ofsted, government guidance is available: childminders and childcare providers: register with Ofsted on GOV.UK.
Find an umbrella body (on GOV.UK) who can do DBS checks for staff and volunteers on your behalf (childminders must undertake DBS checks on staff through Ofsted and cannot use an umbrella body).
The Ofsted Factsheet - Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks: childcare providers sets out Ofsted's expectations including around agency staff and volunteers.
The Ofsted Guidance – Inspecting Safeguarding in early years, education and skills includes information on safer recruitment and DBS checks.
DBS checks are only part of the safe recruitment process and you must also ensure that you have robust recruitment systems including taking up at least 2 appropriate references and checking any gaps in employment history.
The Children's Safeguarding Assurance Partnership (CSAP) online procedures has a chapter on a Safe work force that includes safe recruitment, allegations and whistleblowing.
Make sure that you have a recruitment of ex-offender's policy to make sure you treat applicants who have a criminal record fairly. There is a DBS sample policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders on GOV.UK.
Once employed you should undertake a thorough Induction with them. Our Bitesize training videos could be ideal for new staff, and a Reflective Induction Journal that can support you provide a highly effective Induction. The journal is sent to you electronically so can be amended to suit your setting and be used again and again. Both can be purchased from our Publications section: Publications for sale - Lancashire County Council
Additional information for childminders
The other information within this webpage applies to recruiting childminder assistants or other childminders but you must also consider:
- Employing additional adults and/or increasing the number of children cared for may require planning permission. You will need to check with your local council.
- You must follow the guidance on GOV.UK for informing Ofsted of any new adults in the home, including employees, so that Ofsted can check their suitability. This includes how to obtain DBS checks.
Recruiting an apprentice
If you're thinking about recruiting an apprentice, there is detailed information on the following link:
Get detailed information on GOV.UK Apprenticeships
How to take on an apprentice on GOV.UK
Right to work in the UK
You have a legal duty to check that a job applicant is allowed to work in the UK before you employ them. You can find information about checking a job applicant's right to work on GOV.UK.