Safer recruitment is not just about the Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS), which checks criminal records, but ensuring the right people are involved in working with, supporting children, young people and Adults at Risk. The Archdiocese of Southwark is committed to ensuring that safer recruitment is complied with as part of creating safer environments.
Following national procedures, there must be a robust selection and appointment process when applying to minister or volunteer/work with children or Adults at Risk. Enhanced DBS checks are required for specific roles which participate in “regulated activity”. Advice should be sought from a PSR or the Archdiocese safeguarding team to determine whether an enhanced DBS will be required and any general queries regarding safer recruitment.
It is the policy of the Archdiocese that all individuals undertaking regulated activity, must have a disclosure check appropriate to their role.
In line with our safer recruitment and safeguarding policies, an individual must not undertake a role until they have successfully
- completed the relevant recruitment checks for that role; and
- completed the required training for that role
In addition, no individual should be expected to undertake a role that they do not feel comfortable with.
Regulated activity with children comprises;
- Unsupervised activities: teaching, training, instruction, care or supervision of children, provision of advice/guidance on well-being or driving a vehicle only for children.
- Work for a limited range of establishments (‘specified establishments’), with an opportunity for contact with children e.g. schools, children’s homes, childcare premises. This does not include work by supervised volunteers. Those who are in paid posts working ‘frequently’ in a specified establishment are still deemed to be in Regulated Activity
Frequency is defined as work carried out by the same person more than 3 times a month with children or overnight between 2am and 6am, where there may be face to face contact with children and the work involves teaching, training, supervising, advising, guiding or caring for children.
Supervision means “day to day supervision” as is reasonable in all the circumstances for the purpose of protecting any children concerned”. Relevant unsupervised work is only considered Regulated Activity if it is carried out ‘frequently’.
Regulated Activity with adult’s comprises of 6 specific categories:
- The provision of health care by any health care professional to an adult, or the provision of health care to an adult under the direction or supervision of a health care professional.
- The provision of personal care which is defined as physical assistance with eating, drinking, toileting, washing, dressing, oral care or care of skin, nails or hair (but excludes hair cutting) because of the individual’s age, illness or disability. This also extends to those training, instructing or providing advice on personal care provision and those who supervise the adult to do so.
- The provision of social work (meaning a social care worker under the Care Standards Act 2000).
- Assisting with general household matters for example assisting with managing a person’s cash, paying a bill on someone’s behalf or shopping due to the adult’s age, illness or disability.
- Assisting in the conduct of a person’s own affairs by virtue of a lasting power of attorney.
- Conveying adults to, from or between places where they would receive the above categories of service.
There is no ‘frequency’ criteria in respect of working with adults (people aged 18 years and over). The first time any of the above activities are engaged in it becomes “Regulated Activity” and the barred status of the person undertaking such activities must be checked before they provide the activity/service. Those who provide the day to day management or supervision of a person engaging in “Regulated Activity” with adults are also in “Regulated Activity”. For further details please contact the Archdiocese safeguarding team or follow link-https://www.csas.uk.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Policy-and-procedure-for-Safer-Recruitment.pdf
Where the Archdiocese safeguarding team holds safeguarding information relating to an individual that meets the threshold or on request of the LADO or statutory agency, a referral to the DBS or other disclosure authority will be made.
