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Safe Recruitment and Safer Working Practice

A short guide for carrying out new section within Keeping Children Safe in Education

Online recruitment checks and shortlisting

Statutory guidance Keeping Children safe in Education 2022 has recently been updated to provide a consideration for conducting online checks as part of safer recruitment procedures. 

220. In addition, as part of the shortlisting process schools and colleges should consider carrying out an online search as part of their due diligence on the shortlisted candidates. This may help identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which the school or college might want to explore with the applicant at interview.

This means:

  • Online checks need to comply within Human Rights and Equalities legislation in terms of recruitment.
  • The checks must be proportionate. If you must ‘log in’ or create an account – then this would not be publicly available and not proportionate and may be unlawful. 
  • A simple ‘google’ search and any content derived from this, may help you ask questions at interview stage.
  • Search results on their own should never determine whether someone is recruited or not.
  • Ideally this should be undertaken by someone independent to the recruitment panel to ensure bias is mitigated.

Please note

A number of organisations are charging settings for completion of online searches which can lead to a significant cost. It is strongly recommended you consider the cost benefit before commissioning a service.