Safeguarding

Safer Recruitment, Safeguarding and Additional Requirements

At Bournemouth Bay Teacher Training Partnership, we take our responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare, safety and wellbeing of our trainees, and of the children and young people in all of our placement schools, very seriously. We are committed to working collaboratively with our trainees and placement schools to create a supportive, inclusive and high-quality training experience, while maintaining the highest standards of safeguarding and professional conduct.

Our safeguarding arrangements are overseen by a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). The SCITT Director currently acts as the DSL and is responsible for ensuring that appropriate safeguarding procedures, policies and processes are in place and followed throughout the Partnership.

All applications are subject to rigorous safer recruitment checks. These checks are undertaken to help ensure the suitability of applicants to work with children and young people and may include identity verification, references, scrutiny of employment and education history, and appropriate criminal record checks.

As part of our safer recruitment process, online searches will be conducted for shortlisted applicants. These searches are undertaken in accordance with safer recruitment principles and are intended to identify any publicly available information that may be relevant to an applicant’s suitability to work with children and young people. Applicants will have the opportunity to discuss any information identified through the recruitment process where appropriate.

References are requested through the Department for Education (DfE) Apply for Teacher Training system as part of the application process. Applicants are required to provide the details of their referees through the Apply system, and references are requested and considered as part of our safer recruitment checks. Where necessary, additional references may be requested to clarify an applicant’s employment, education, training or other relevant history. Any gaps or unexplained periods in employment or education may be explored as part of the recruitment and selection process. Providing false or misleading information during the application or recruitment process may constitute an offence.

If you are offered a place following interview, you will be required to successfully complete the following additional checks and requirements before commencing your teacher training:

• Enhanced DBS check: You will be required to obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The cost of the DBS check will be covered by the applicant. If you interrupt your studies and subsequently return in a later academic year, you may be required to complete and pay for a new DBS check.
• Overseas criminal record checks: If you have lived outside the UK for more than six months continuously during the previous five years, you may be required to obtain criminal record checks from each country in which you lived for more than six months. Obtaining overseas criminal record checks can take some time, and applicants are expected to provide the required documentation as soon as reasonably possible.
• Occupational health assessment: You will be required to complete an occupational health assessment to confirm that you are fit to undertake teacher training and the responsibilities associated with teaching in a school environment.
• Teacher Prohibition Orders: All applicants will be subject to checks against the Secretary of State’s Teacher Prohibition Orders to confirm that they are not prohibited from teaching.

These checks form an essential part of our commitment to safer recruitment and safeguarding. Where appropriate, any concerns identified through the recruitment and checking process will be considered carefully and in accordance with relevant legislation, statutory guidance and Bournemouth Bay Teacher Training Partnership policies and procedures.

The DSL promotes and implement the safeguarding policy which can be downloaded by clicking on the link.

Additionally all staff working with the SCITT are trained in safeguarding and are able to access additional information, advice and training where appropriate.

We will:

• ensure that trainees and partnership schools are aware of their safeguarding obligations
• provide safeguarding training for all SCITT trainee teachers
• ensure that all trainee teachers (and SCITT staff) are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, along with a prohibition from teaching check

Our partner schools have a duty to comply with all current UK legislation and statutory responsibilities. This means that they will take appropriate steps to ensure that there is a clear understanding of what this means in practice in the context of the responsibilities we have for trainee teachers.

We are required by statutory guidance to make specific safeguarding checks on all trainee teachers including:

• ID checks (passport, driving licence, birth certificate etc)
• Right to work in the UK (passport, EU national ID card, birth certificate, residence permit etc)
• DBS check
• Overseas police check (if applicable – to be obtained by the applicant)
• Barred list check
• Prohibition from teaching check

As part of the counter-terrorism and security act 2015, SCITT providers are required to pay “due regard to the need to prevent individuals from being drawn into terrorism”. All trainee teachers studying on the programme will be expected to attend a compulsory session in which these issues will be covered (known as “Prevent”). An important part of Prevent is also the promotion of fundamental British values. These are the norms which shape our society and which are enshrined in law, through legislation such as the Equality Act 2010. British values are described as:

• democracy
• the rule of law
• individual liberty and mutual respect
• tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs

Trainee teachers are encouraged to explore ideas in a context where these values are recognised and respected.

As well as meeting the needs of children and vulnerable adults we consider safeguarding in its broadest term as covering the general welfare of our community. Whilst all our staff have a duty to respond to any safeguarding concerns, our Designated Safeguarding Lead, supported by colleagues in the safeguarding team, holds overall responsibility of all Trainees at BBTTP.

Issues that may fall directly under Safeguarding regulations, relating to children and/or vulnerable adults, should be reported to safeguarding@bournemouthbay-partnership.com so that these can be followed up appropriately.

You can also watch the Dorset and BCP Safeguarding Adults Board video, which gives information about how to report any concerns: