Appendix D - Safe Recruitment

Northern Ballet is committed to providing the best possible experiences to its participants and to ensure they are safe when engaging with us. To achieve this, it is of fundamental importance to attract, recruit, and retain employees of the highest calibre who share this commitment.

The Aims of Northern Ballet’s Safe Recruitment Policy

• To ensure that the best possible staff are recruited based on their merits, abilities and suitability for the position which includes their attitudes towards safeguarding and their ability to work with adults at risk in a way which promotes their safety and welfare
• To ensure that all job applicants are considered equally and consistently
• To ensure that no job applicant is treated unfairly in reference to any protected characteristic under the Equality Act (2010)
• To ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, recommendations, and guidance
• To ensure we meet our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk, by carrying out all necessary pre-employment checks

Everyone who is involved in the recruitment and selection of employees are responsible for familiarising themselves and complying with the provisions of this policy.

Employee Recruitment and Selection Procedure

1. Vacancies will be advertised in a variety of media and on Northern Ballet’s website, accompanied by a Job Description with a Personal Specification. Discretion not to advertise might be exercised in exceptional circumstances
2. Prospective applicants should apply, including information about their academic and employment history and their suitability for the role. Should there be any gaps in academic or employment history, a satisfactory explanation must be provided
3. All personal information will be removed from the application by the HR Manager. The recruitment panel will see only the applicant’s qualifications, employment history, skills, and personal statement. This is to ensure all applicants are treated on the same footing, regardless of any protected characteristic they may possess and to safeguard the processing of personal data
4. The panel will shortlist applicants against set criteria based on the Job Description and the Person Specification. We are a disability confident employer, therefore where an applicant has identified as disabled and meets the minimum requirements for the role, an interview will be offered, and any additional support required will be provided
5. Those shortlisted will be invited to attend an interview which may include a panel interview, one-to-one, tests, presentations, and class teaching/observation. All shortlisted applicants will be questioned at interview about their suitability to work with adults at risk
6. Notes of the interview, test scores and classes will be recorded. All applicants will be asked the same questions including questions about their motivations to work with adults at risk
7. The decision to appoint will be made by at least two members of staff. At least one person on any recruitment panel has undertaken safer recruitment training

Pre-Employment Checks

Any offer of employment will be conditional on the agreement of a mutually acceptable start date and the signing of a contract incorporating Northern Ballet’s standard terms and conditions of employment, and the following checks being completed satisfactorily. In addition to the checks set out below, Northern Ballet reserves the right to obtain such formal or informal background information about an applicant as is reasonable in the circumstances to determine whether they are suitable to work at Northern Ballet. In fulfilling its obligations, Northern Ballet does not discriminate on the grounds of any protected characteristics.

Verification of identity, right to work in the UK and qualifications

• Applicants will be required to provide acceptable original documents demonstrating their right to work in the UK, as per government guidance
• Manual three step identity checks are made against official documentation such as a passport, or other items deemed acceptable by the Employer’s Guide to Right to Work Checks
• Shortlisted applicants will be asked to provide documents confirming any educational or professional qualifications relevant to the role referred to in their application form
• Where an applicant claims to have changed their name by any means, they will be required to show documentary evidence of that change
• Proof of date of birth is necessary so that Northern Ballet may verify the identity of, and check for any unexplained discrepancies in the employment and education history of all applicants. Northern Ballet does not discriminate on the grounds of age

References

• We ask for references only after an offer of employment has been made
• A minimum of two references will be sought, one of which must be from the applicant’s current or most recent employer
• If the most recent employment does/did not involve work with adults at risk or children, the second reference should be from an employer with whom the applicant most recently worked with adults at risk or children (if applicable)
• For entry level roles where no previous workplace can be contacted; we will ask for an academic reference
• Neither referee should be a relative or solely a friend
• All referees will be sent the Job Description for the role and asked whether they believe the applicant is suitable for the role and whether they have any reason to believe that they would be unsuitable to work with adults at risk or children
• If the referee is a current or previous employer, they will also be asked to confirm:
  • the applicant’s dates of employment, job title/duties, performance, and disciplinary record
  • whether any allegations or concerns have been raised about the applicant that relate to the safety and welfare of children or adults at risk, or behaviour towards children or adults at risk, except where the allegation or concerns were found to be false, unsubstantiated, or malicious
• Northern Ballet will only accept references obtained directly from the referee and will not rely on open testimonials or references or those provided by the applicant
• Northern Ballet will compare all references with information on the application and will take up any discrepancies with the applicant before any appointment is confirmed

Disclosure and barring service

All staff working closely with children and/or adults at risk, who are likely to be placed in charge of a group or individual, must hold an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate registered on the update service.

This includes all staff working in but not limited to:

• Academy Department
• Learning Department
• Facilities Team
• Company Manager
• Studio Technical Manager

The status of every staff member’s DBS will be checked annually via the DBS updating service.

Currently checks will be performed by: Annemarie Donoghue - DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead)

To perform these checks, the following staff details will be stored securely:

• Name - as it appears on the member of staff’s DBS certificate
• Date of Birth
• DBS certificate number

Any member of staff whose certificate is no longer valid, or not available/registered on the update service will be notified immediately and if necessary, asked to apply for a new certificate. If a check highlights concerns regarding a member of staff, a DSL will contact them to discuss the matter further, and a decision will be made regarding the person’s suitability to work with children and adults at risk.

Freelancers are expected to hold a DBS, registered with the update service, and must agree to providing their full name and date of birth to Northern Ballet to check the certificate.

Referrals to the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)

Making barring referrals to the DBS - GOV.UK

Northern Ballet has a legal duty to make a referral to the
DBS in prescribed circumstances where an individual:

• has applied for a position at Northern Ballet despite being barred from working with adults at risk or children,
• has been removed by Northern Ballet from working with adults at risk or children (whether paid or unpaid), or has resigned prior to being removed, because they have harmed, or pose a risk of harm to an adult at risk or a child; or
• Northern Ballet becomes aware that an ex-employee has fulfilled either of the above criteria