Team Domenica Safer Recruitment Policy
Author: Beverley Rosling, Head of HR
Approver: Lisa Campbell Squires, Programme Director
Reviewed by: Carolyn Eyre, Safeguarding Consultant
Review date: 1 September 2026
We have a stringent Safer Recruitment Policy to ensure all staff members are carefully selected and screened before joining Team Domenica.
This policy is intended to underpin the safeguarding procedures established by the Charity.
Scope
This policy applies to all staff members, trustees, volunteers and contractors. The strategic responsibility for the safer recruitment and vetting process lies with the trustees. The operational responsibility sits with the Senior Leadership Team – SLT (which includes the Designated Safeguarding Adult Lead – DSL, the Head of Department and the Head of HR
Legal and regulatory Framework
This policy aligns with:
- Care Act 2014 and statutory guidance on safeguarding adults at risk
- Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (regulated activity)
- Equality Act 2010
- Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Code of Practice
- Local Safeguarding Adults Board procedures and Prevent Duty guidance.
Ongoing culture of vigilance
All prospective applicants seeking employment with Team Domenica take note that everyone involved in the Charity along with our young adults themselves, promote ongoing awareness and vigilance about welfare and safety.
There is an awareness by all that individuals who may want to harm our young adults could seek to work in or gain access to our Charity, or that those who currently work at Team Domenica could create circumstances where our young adults come to harm. There are clear and well promoted procedures for raising concerns, including whistleblowing and the culture of the Charity is open and reflective.
There are regular mechanisms such as training, coaching, surveys and proative-based discussions to explore and develop practice, knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Pre-recruitment process
- Hiring Request Form
The hiring manager must complete a request form, to be approved by the appropriate CEO. This form states the reason for recruitment, whether it is a replacement or new position. The job title, salary and contract basis are all included.
- Job Description and Person Specification
Before advertising the job description and person specification will be reviewed and if required amended by the hiring manager, with the support of the Head of HR.
- Advertising the vacancy
The role will be advertised internally in the first instance and all internal applicants will be offered an interview. We will always promote internally, where appropriate to allow internal applicants to develop and grow their skillset. In the event of few internal applications, we may need to advertise externally. In order to have a pool of applicants and to ensure the most suitable individual for the role, advertising will be placed on Indeed, the Team Domenica website and for Education roles, TES. Adverts include a safeguarding statement and specifies which level of DBS check is required.
- Shortlisted applicants
All internal applicants are shortlisted and provided with an interview. External applicants are shortlisted against the Job Description and Person Specification as to their suitability for interview. The Hiring Manager will shortlist with the support of another panel member. HR will support in this process.
- Pre-Employment Forms
For external shortlisted candidates, an application form, criminal disclosure form and EDI form is emailed to the applicant, to be completed prior to interview. An application is used to obtain a common set of core data from all applicants including questions about how they meet the essential criteria for the role and will highlight any gaps in employment, which will be queried at interview. It is also used to obtain the contact details of two referees, which HR use to gain references prior to employment. The application form will include information regarding the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975) (as amended 2013, 2020, 2023) as required by Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) code of practice.
Interview process
- Interview Invite
HR will email the applicant the interview information including the date, time, location, asking if there are any reasonable adjustments that need to be made and the agenda for the interview, which may include teaching a class or other relevant task to demonstrate capability for the role. The applicants will be advised of the id and relevant qualification certificates (if applicable) that they need to bring to the interview. They will be provided with a checklist of acceptable id to perform the necessary pre-employment checks.
- Prior to the Interview
The Hiring Manager, with the support from Head of HR, agree on the questions to be asked at interview; these will be a combination of general, competency and safeguarding questions. HR will prepare interview packs for the panel and organise the room in readiness, ensuring any reasonable adjustments are put in place, if required.
- The Panel
There are always at least two members of staff on the panel, one of which will be the Hiring Manager. We would normally have three members of staff on the panel to include HR. Before the interview, the panel will discuss the interview format and who will be asking which questions. They will review the applicants’ applications and any additional questions that need to be asked such as gaps in employment. There is an Interview Scoring sheet, on which the panel will score each question and at the end of the interview will add up the points to produce a total. No conferring or discussion will happen until each panel member has independently marked each applicant.
- Identity check and Retention of information
Within the interview process, the HR representative will see original copies of the applicant’s identity documents, they will take copies of these in readiness to carry out pre-employment checks on the successful applicant. Copies of identity documents of unsuccessful applicants will be safely destroyed, using our confidential waste.
Unsuccessful applicants’ interview paperwork will be kept for 6 months, then destroyed. Successful applicants interview paperwork will be kept on their HRIS profile.
- Safer Recruitment Training
All Hiring Managers and HR staff will have completed our online Safer Recruitment Training. This is repeated annually. At least one member of the interview panel will have completed the training.
Offer stage
- Verbal offer of employment
A verbal conditional offer will be made to the successful candidate by the Hiring Manager. The Hiring Manager will then confirm to HR either the acceptance or decline of the offer.
- Conditional written offer of employment
If the successful applicant verbally accepts, HR then email them a written conditional offer, contingent on the receipt of the appropriate level of DBS check (Enhanced or Basic), depending on if the applicant is employed for our pub or our charity. All applicants need to provide two suitable references and complete a successful Right to Work check.
– If applicable, verification of professional qualifications, where requested,
– If applicable, a Prohibition from Teaching check.
– Acceptance of offer
When the applicant has emailed their acceptance to HR, HR will send reference requests to referees and start the DBS process (in line with the most recent DBS terms and conditions) with the supplied id from the interview. Original id will always be seen prior to the initiation of a DBS check.
- Enhanced DBS check
All charity staff will have an Enhanced DBS application, as they work within an exempt role. HR will be notified of the progress of the DBS check and keep the applicant informed. When the DBS certificate is received, the new starter must bring in the original paper copy on their first day or before. No employees within the Charity must start in role until a DBS paper copy certificate is seen. Any staff that are in regulated activity with adults will have an enhanced DBS certificate with adult barred list check.
- Reference Checks
All staff will have to provide two satisfactory references, prior to their start date. One reference needs to be from the applicant’s current employer. The two references need to be from two different organisations/employers. References will also be verified by HR to ensure they can confirm there are no safeguarding concerns.
Prior to Employment
Prior to the successful applicants start date, HR will email them mandatory training to complete, which includes Safeguarding with Adults (From our online training provider) and Prevent Training (from the Government website). The time taken to complete this e-learning will be re-imbursed in the successful applicant’s first payroll.
Successful applicants are required to attend Team Domenica’s face-to-face safeguarding induction within their first month of employment.
Related Policies
- Employment of ex-offenders (EEO)
Team Domenica has a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders which is available from the beginning of the recruitment process to all applicants/ potential applicants. Information about the filtering of criminal records and contact details for organisations that offer impartial advice is also made available to all applicants.
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
Team Domenica will monitor the effectiveness of its EDI policy within the recruitment procedure by collecting relevant information on gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, learning difficulties, ethnicity, religious beliefs and marital status in order to promote and celebrate diversity within our workplace.
Applicants are asked to complete an EDI monitoring form, which is optional to complete and the data is used for purposes of equal opportunities monitoring only.
Read the rest of our organisational policies
