Schools and colleges

Safer recruitment starts with knowing who replied

Keeping Children Safe in Education asks schools and colleges to satisfy themselves that an electronic reference comes from a legitimate source. PreHire establishes that, and produces a record for the recruitment file.

What the guidance asks for

Part three of Keeping Children Safe in Education asks that references are sought on shortlisted applicants before interview, requested directly from the employer rather than accepted from the applicant, and scrutinised on receipt — with any discrepancy resolved before an appointment is made.

It also asks, of a reference that arrives electronically, that the school or college satisfies itself the reference comes from a legitimate source. A reply is easy to produce; a reply from the employer named on the application form is the part that has to be established, and nothing in a returned form establishes it.

Where a returned form falls short

The address is personal, not the school’s

A reply from a free webmail account is not, by itself, evidence of anything — but you should know it before interview, and it should be on the file.

The employer cannot be found

An organisation that is dissolved, or cannot be traced at Companies House, is worth knowing before an appointment rather than after.

The dates do not agree

Where an applicant and a referee give different dates, the discrepancy itself is the finding, and KCSIE asks that it is explored at interview. We show both values.

What you get on file

Questions from designated safeguarding leads

When does KCSIE expect references to be obtained?
Keeping Children Safe in Education asks that references are sought on shortlisted applicants before interview, so that any discrepancy or concern can be explored with the applicant at interview rather than after an offer has been made.
Can a reference the applicant supplies be accepted?
No. KCSIE asks that references are requested directly from the employer, and that open references — a testimonial addressed to whom it may concern, or one handed over by the applicant — are not relied on. The request goes to the organisation, and the answer comes back from it.
What does KCSIE say about references that arrive by email?
Where a reference is received electronically, a school or college is expected to satisfy itself that it comes from a legitimate source. That is a question about the sender, not about the answers, and it is the question PreHire is built to answer.
Do references go on the single central record?
The single central record covers identity, right to work, barred list, enrolment and prohibition checks. References are not one of its columns — they belong in the recruitment file, which inspectors also ask to see. PreHire produces a record sized for that file.
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This page describes PreHire’s understanding of the guidance and is not legal or regulatory advice. Schools and colleges remain responsible for their own compliance. Source: Keeping Children Safe in Education, part three (safer recruitment), Department for Education.