Safeguarding

One of the key benefits of the Service is that it will improve the quality of supply teachers, especially with regard to safeguarding children. The process below aims to increase confidence that all temporary staff meet safeguarding requirements by enforcing standards of best practice and ensuring current legislative requirements are fulfilled.

1. Agencies will ensure that all candidates they put forward for supply vacancies through the Comensura Education system have satisfactorily completed pre-employment checks. This includes: identity checks, medical checks, check on permission to work in the UK, completion of the appropriate CRB check (either standard or enhanced disclosure), a check of List 99 (ISA Barred List) and professional status where applicable. For each candidate an agency submits, they will be required to tick a check box to confirm that these checks have been completed in line with the requirements.
   
   
2. Supply agency performance is continually monitored and gives each agency a rating to enforce suppliers to be competitive on quality. They are also audited twice a year to check that they are fulfilling their legislative requirements.
   
   
3. The CRB check reference number and issue date for each candidate will be available on the system for schools to view prior to making a booking, as well as a scanned copy of the CRB declaration. Where there is disclosed information on the CRB check, this will be flagged on the system and the school can request a copy of the CRB from the agency prior to employment.
   
   
4. A school can view a candidate’s CV on the system prior to booking which will include their contact details, relevant qualifications (including GTC registration number where applicable), full employment history including a list of previous supply placements, references from previous employers that agencies will have verified and details of any gaps in the CV that agencies will have checked.
   
   
5. The system includes a photo of each candidate to enable easy identification of the temporary worker when they arrive at the school.
   
   
6. The service allows schools to give feedback on all workers enabling agencies to only put the best candidates forward for temporary vacancies.
   
   For more information about safer recruitment and pre-employment checks, see Safeguarding Children & Safer Recruitment in Education.pdf (1Mb)' (DCSF, 2006).
   
   

Schools and Local Authorities are eligible to sign up to Comensura Education. If you are interested in using the service, please Contact Us for more information.