Promoting Safer Recruitment

At Emerald Safeguarding, we are committed to promoting safer recruitment and supporting organisations through training and guidance. As we deliver safer recruitment training this week and assist several organisations with their recruitment processes, we wanted to share an important safeguarding reminder for schools and clubs recruiting staff who have lived or worked overseas.

🏫 Safer Recruitment in Schools – Overseas Criminal Record Checks

When recruiting new staff, schools have a duty to ensure robust safeguarding procedures are in place. One important part of this process is obtaining overseas criminal record checks, sometimes called Certificates of Good Character, for applicants who have spent significant time living abroad.

Here are some key points to keep in mind:

✅ There is no single international criminal record check - Schools must obtain certificates directly from each country where the candidate has lived or worked.

✅ Checks are required in certain circumstances - If a candidate has lived overseas for 12 months or more (in total) within the last 10 years, from the age of 18, an overseas check should be considered.

✅ Overseas checks do not replace a UK DBS check - These checks should be used alongside, not instead of, the appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check.

✅ They are particularly important for regulated activity roles - This includes staff working in EYFS, teaching roles, and support positions where safeguarding responsibilities apply.

✅ If a certificate cannot be obtained, record the rationale - Where overseas clearance is unavailable, schools should document a clear, risk-assessed explanation within the Single Central Record.

The 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ez_rSMag website provides country-by-country guidance, making it an essential resource for Headteachers, DSLs, HR teams, and SCR leads navigating safer recruitment responsibilities.

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