Hempsted Playgroup and Toddlers
Staff Recruitment Policy

​

 

If a vacancy arises in playgroup, the following steps will be taken

 

 

Advertise the vacancy

Details of the application should contain the job title, hours of work, salary and state that DBS checks are necessary. Contact name and telephone number. There should be a closing date for application. The advert is to be placed

On the PATA website at www.pataglos.org.uk

​

Send Application Packs

Upon receiving a request for an application form, the Manager should send application packs: Safeguarding statement, Application form, Role description,Person specification, Self-disclosure and Reference form, with a covering letter reminding the applicant of the closing date.

Ethos of setting.

 

Sort through the applicants

We welcome applications from all sections of the community. Applicants will be considered on the basis of their suitability for the vacancy, regardless of age, gender, culture, religious belief, ethnic origin, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, marital status or civil partnerships. (inclusion, Diversity and Equality policy)

The chairperson, secretary and treasurer need to sort through the applications after the closing date and decide which applicants seem most suitable for the vacancy.

 

References

 

The Manager should contact both referees whom the applicant has named, and find out about the applicants previous working relationships and effectiveness of their work. If all references are good, the applicant is contacted to arrange an interview date.

 

Safer Recruitment and Suitability checks

 

All people who work directly with children will be expected to declare convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands or warnings which may affect their suitability to work with children (whether received before or during their employment at the setting (Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2017 section 3.11) 

Any successful candidate will undergo a vetting process to safeguard the children.  All recruitment procedures will follow those outlined in the safer recruitment documentation and training approved by GSCE.

 

All references will be checked prior to interview.

Candidates will be appointed with a three-month or term probation period.

They must provide proof of their right to work in this country. 

 

Examples are: 

• A passport that proves the holder is a British Citizen or has the right to live in the UK

• A passport or national identity card showing that the holder is a national of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland.

• A document giving the person’s permanent National Insurance Number and name (i.e. P45,P60 or National Insurance Card plus either a full birth certificate issued in the UK which includes the names of the holder’s parents or birth certificate from the channel Islands, Isle of Man or Ireland

 

DBS and other suitability checks will be required for a manager or nominated person and a Health declaration. All staff will require an enhanced DBS Disclosure.

 

Arrange an interview

The most suitable applicants are contacted by the Manager and given a time for interview. Applicants must be asked to bring along their existing enhanced DBS certificates if they have one.

 

Interview

The interview panel should consist of the play leader, chairperson, secretary, and an independent witness. The applicant is given a brief background of the setting i.e. how many children/ members of staff/ Ofsted inspections etc. The applicant is questioned for roughly 40 minutes, and the interview panel should have at least 10 minutes after each interview to discuss each applicant. At the end of the interview the applicant should be asked whether they still wish to be considered, subject to satisfactory references, and advised on when they will be notified of the outcome of the interview.

 

Decision

The interview panel should make a unanimous decision about which 3 applicants are most suitable, and these 3 are asked to attend a playgroup session to meet the staff and children on separate days. The staff then should feed back to the chairperson which applicant seems most suitable. The final decision should then be made, and should be unanimous. These applicants are then contacted by the manager and told of their success, and reminded that it is dependent on good references. They are told when they are needed to start work and that a confirmation letter is on its way in the post.

We make decisions of suitability using evidence of

DBS

References

Full employment history

Qualifications

Interviews

Identity Checks

Medical suitability

We expect all candidates and people who work with the children to declare all convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings which may affect their suitability to work with children.

 

Appointment Confirmation

A letter/email of appointment is sent to the successful applicant stating

Start Date

Salary

DBS to be completed

Two copies of a contract (one for the new member of staff to keep and another to sign and bring in on their first day).

3 month probationary period

A request for an acceptance letter should be made.

 

 

New staff should read all policies in the first week of work

 

 

After 3 months of work, the new member of staff will be reviewed by the committee, and any problems brought to either parties attention.

 

They will complete the staff induction process at the start of employment and all mandatory courses as appropriate.

​

Any appointment will be subject to satisfactory references, DBS and Health Checks and period of probation. 

​

All information regarding to DBS disclosure number and other identity/right to work checks made prior to employment will be recorded on a single central record kept in a secure location on the playgroup premises.

​

Information will include DBS reference number, date it was obtained and details of who obtained it.

​

Committee volunteers that also have DBS checks will have disclosure numbers recorded once the original certificate has been seen.  

 

Disqualification

Hempsted Playgroup will not employ anyone who is found to be disqualified to be working with children.

If Hempsted Playgroup become aware of relevant information which may lead to disqualification of an employee, appropriate action will be taken to ensure the safety of children.

 

Safer working practice

All staff are given information in writing to read about safer working practice (Guidance for safer working practice for Adults who work with children and Young people2019). A copy of this document is kept at playgroup for reference.  

 

 

Staff taking medication/other substances

When working with children, no adult will be under the influence of alcohol or any other substance which may affect their ability to care of children.

Staff or volunteers taking medication which they believe may affect their ability to care for children should seek medical advice and only work directly with children if that advice is that the medication is unlikely to impair their ability to look after children.  Staff medication on the premises must be securely stored and out of reach of children at all times

 

 

 

Reviewed August 2022

​

​

​