We all agree the safeguarding of students must remain a non-negotiable priorityembedded at the heart of all protocols upheld by schools, HR, and recruitment agencies alike. It is a collective responsibility that requires vigilance, consistency, and a shared commitment to protecting every child in our care.
Recent meetings have raised serious concerns about the level of rigour applied to safeguarding and safer recruitment practices in schools. In many cases, there is a presumption that HR departments are fully trained and compliant with international best practice. In reality, many HR professionals have not received specific training in safer recruitment and this gap leaves schools exposed to significant risks.
There is also an assumption that external recruitment agencies bear full responsibility for vetting. However, many agencies are either untrained in international child protection standards or provide only a basic CV-forwarding service with minimal due diligence. This approach is alarmingly insufficient.
Key concerns observed include:
These oversights expose schoolsand criticallyyour students and staffto serious risks. While I understand the financial pressures many schools face, choosing to work with low-cost, CV-service only agencies or not training staff can create vulnerabilities that no savings can justify. When it comes to child safety, the cost of getting it wrong is profound and immeasurable.
If schools are engaging recruitment agencies, those agencies should be held to the same safeguarding standards that exist within the schools themselves. Regular audits or annual reviews of recruitment providers should be a non-negotiable part of maintaining strong safeguarding culture. While no system can ever be entirely risk-free, a robust and consistent approach can significantly minimise the likelihood of harm and act as a strong deterrent to those who may pose a threat.
Call to Action.
As the new academic year is underway, I strongly encourage school leaders and HR teams to work together and conduct a thorough review of both your internal and external recruitment protocols, including the compliance standards of any agencies you work with. Additionally, ensure that all staff involved in recruitment; whether in HR or leadershipreceive formal Safer Recruitment training aligned with international best practice.
It is our shared responsibility to ensure that every individual entering our schools has been rigorously and ethically vetted. Safeguarding is not a box to tick, it is a duty of care that must underpin every hiring decision.
Let’s work together to strengthen recruitment processes, close compliance gaps, and protect what matters most, our students.
Please do get in touch if you would like advice or support on your schools Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding compliance.
