Safeguarding for safer recruitment
The Faculty of Education is committed to safer recruitment, meaning that we consider trainees’/students’ suitability to work with children and people in a number of ways during the application process.
We ensure that all admissions tutors are trained in the principles of “Safer Recruitment” to help make sure that all applicants to our programmes are suitable to work with children and young people.
The Safeguarding checks that we will carry out during the application process include:
- Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
- Prohibition checks
- Overseas police checks
- Disqualification from childcare declaration – if working with children age 8 or under.
Continual evaluation of your suitability to work with children and young people
When you have enrolled on your programme, you are expected to demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct and are expected to maintain and model the highest standards of ethics and behaviours. This is covered in our Code of Conduct.
Therefore, we require you to be pro-active and let us know about any offence committed, caution, warning or reprimand you receive for the duration of the course.
If your programme is longer than one year, we will also ask you as part of the re-enrolment process, to confirm that there have not been any events which might impact on your suitability to teach or work with children and young people.
Failure to let us know will be considered a serious professional conduct issue which could result in being withdrawn from the programme.
If a trainee teacher is removed from a programme because they have harmed or pose a risk of harm to children, or if the University would have removed the trainee had they not left the programme, the University will seek guidance from the DBS service and inform DfE by contacting [email protected]
Breaches of conduct, excluding the non-disclosure of convictions and cautions will result in a range of actions, are included in the Fitness to Practice, Support to Study or Student Disciplinary Regulations.
Shelf life of DBS certificates
The DBS certificates you receive at the start of your programme will last for the duration of your studies unless you interrupt your studies or repeat the year. If you interrupt your studies, you will be required to apply for a new DBS certificate.
If your programme extends beyond three years*, but does not include a period of interruption, you will be required to apply for a new DBS certificate. This is irrespective of which programme you are studying, for example, an undergraduate or postgraduate initial teacher training programme.
*4 years for trainees on BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS 4 years School Based Route.
The charge for a new DBS will not be covered by the University. If you are experiencing money-related challenges, the Money Advice team are able to help.
We recommend that trainees sign up to the DBS Update Service, which extends the life of the DBS certificate and allows you to use the certificate after your leave us, as long as you maintain the subscription.