Summary of the recruitment process
A step-by-step guide to the recruitment process.
Step 1 – Advertisement
Any position can be advertised and the advertisement should be concise and easily understood.
As well as a description of the role, it should also state the Church's commitment to safe recruitment, including an explicit statement about the Church's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable groups.
It should advise, where required, of the need for PVG Scheme membership, a DBS check (Presbytery of England), a Basic Disclosure check and overseas police checks.
Examples of adverts
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City Centre Parish Church
Part-time paid youth worker is required for organising and leading youth groups (11-17yr olds).
An SVQ level 3 qualification is essential. For further information please contact the church office.
Please note this post is considered Regulated Work with children under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The successful applicant will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme Update Check prior to taking up post.
International Presbytery and the Presbytery of Jerusalem
The Safeguarding Service has produced a document – Appendix 6 – on the recruitment process for workers applying to carry out regulated work with children and/or protected adults in congregations in the International Presbytery and the Presbytery of Jerusalem. The document includes information on the appointment of a Locum.
The process states that the relevant criminal record checks are required every two years.
For workers already in post, we would advise that the individual applies for a criminal record check if this was not carried out at the time of recruitment.
The SG03-IP Self-Disclosure Form for the International Presbytery and Presbytery of Jerusalem can be downloaded from the Safe Recruitment section of the Church of Scotland website.
Presbytery of England
Please note that all of the above examples would also require a DBS check; however, the specific duties outlined in the job description will determine the check required.
Please see the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) England, Channel Islands and Wales section on the Criminal Records Checks page for more information.
Suburbia Parish Church
Volunteers are required to work with the children in the Sunday school each Sunday.
Experience of working with children is an advantage.
Please see Mary Brown (Safeguarding Coordinator) for further details.
Please note this post is considered Regulated Work with children under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The successful applicant will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme Update Check prior to working in the Sunday school.
The Village Green Parish Church
Volunteers are required to help with the Dementia Support Group.
The group meets every week and applications from volunteers who could help with transporting group members would be most welcome.
Experience of working with adults with learning difficulties or dementia would be an advantage. Please contact John Smith (Safeguarding Coordinator) for further information.
Please note this post is considered regulated work with Protected Adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007, and successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme Update Check prior to working with the group.
Step 2 – Role/Job Description
The Safeguarding Service has devised the SG01 Role/Job Description Form which should be completed for all volunteers and paid workers in congregations.
Please remember that the need for PVG Scheme membership or DBS check is determined by the duties that are outlined in the role/job description and not necessarily the role/job title. For example, an organist who only plays the organ during church services is not doing regulated work. An organist who has a responsibility for the children's choir would require PVG Scheme membership, or DBS check. This should be detailed in their role/job description.
Who is responsible for completing a role/job description?
This task should be led by someone in the Church who has a thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the post(s) under review. However, the Safeguarding Coordinator should ensure that a role/job description is developed and that copies of the forms are attached to the appropriate Application Form.
The role/job description should contain information about duties, role and responsibilities and have a person specification i.e., the experience, knowledge and/or qualifications required for the post as well as details of the support and training that will be provided. It should also contain a statement about the Church's commitment to Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
Step 3 - Application Form
All prospective workers must complete the SG02 Job/Role Application form. There must be no exceptions to this.
A focused but comprehensive application form can make a strong statement on rigour and commitment to safety and can also deter those who know their practice is unsafe whilst encouraging those who wish to work for the Church.
Step 4 - References
Two references must be requested for all new applicants, even for those who have been church members for years. References should be from an individual who is not a relative of the applicant. All requests for references should seek objective verifiable information as far as possible and not only subjective opinion.
Whenever possible, references should be provided by an individual or organisation outwith the local church community.
It is a good idea to include a copy of the SG01 Role/Job Description Form with the reference request so that the referee has an idea of the role being applied for.
If a reference is not forthcoming, the Safeguarding Coordinator should ask the applicant's permission to contact the referee or ask the applicant to provide details of another referee. The SG04 Reference Request and accompanying letter is available for use as a template, as well as SG04b Sample reference request cover letters.
Step 5 – Interview
The process should be structured and address the competencies in the job description and person specification. The purpose of the interview is to accomplish a ‘fit' by:
- Helping the applicant to decide if the role/organisation is right for them
- Finding out about the applicant's interests, abilities and motivation
- Ensure that the applicant has the required skills and experience and that these match the criteria for the role
- Identifying the applicant's training and support needs
- Answering any questions or concerns that the applicant may have about the role or organisation.
An interview ‘panel' of two or three people is ideal.
Interviewers should have understanding of relevant legislation including the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Equality Act 2010. All members of the interview panel need to be aware of the job description and person specification and see the applicant's application form and references.
It is important to ensure that all the members of the panel have a role.
To help the flow of the discussion, it is a good idea to have one person asking questions while another takes notes. The SG05 Interview Checklist and SG06 Interview Questions can be used for this purpose.
In advance of the interviews, panel members should:
- Reach a consensus about the required standard for the post
- Consider the issues to be explored with each applicant and who will ask about these
- Agree the assessment criteria in accordance with the person specification, and
- Agree how a record of the assessment will be taken.
It is important to clarify any gaps in someone's employment record and address any obvious areas of concern.
The record will form part of the individual's recruitment file kept by the Safeguarding Coordinator.
You might also want to include the Safeguarding Coordinator on your interview panel so that they can provide guidance about PVG Scheme membership, a DBS check, Basic Disclosure check and overseas police checks if appropriate and answer any questions the applicant might have.
Step 6 - Criminal records checks
More information about this step can be found in a separate section in this chapter.
Step 7 – Self-disclosure form
Applicants are required to complete the SG03 Self-Disclosure Form which will be contained in the recruitment package along with accompanying guidance notes.
A self-disclosure form allows the applicant to declare, and explain in their own words, any information that might appear on a PVG Scheme Membership Certificate, a DBS check or an overseas police check. It also allows the Safeguarding Service to establish if the applicant has any convictions, warnings etc. which may affect their suitability for work with children or protected adults.
Having a ‘spent' or ‘unspent' conviction, as defined under the relevant rehabilitation of offenders' legislation, will not automatically bar an individual from working for their Church. This will depend on the nature of the position applied for together with the circumstances and background to the offences.
Importantly, on signing the self-disclosure form, the applicant agrees to inform The Church of Scotland Safeguarding Service of any convictions that they receive in the future whilst in post as a paid member of staff or a volunteer doing regulated work in the Church.
The applicant should complete the SG03 Self-Disclosure Form or the SG03-IP International Presbytery and Presbytery of Jerusalem Self-Disclosure Form and return it to the Safeguarding Service by email as per the online PVG process, DBS process and International Presbytery and Presbytery of Jerusalem recruitment process.
Step 8 – Appointment
It is the Church of Scotland's policy that a worker must not be put into post until they have been fully recruited, appropriate criminal records checks have been carried out and a clearance email from the Safeguarding Service has been received by the Safeguarding Coordinator.
Where a PVG Scheme Record or DBS check has been completed by the Safeguarding Service, the Kirk Session will be notified via the Safeguarding Coordinator that a clearance email has been received. The Kirk Session will then be able to appoint the applicant to a position.
The Safeguarding Service will not issue clearance for Basic Disclosure checks. However, for cases where overseas police check(s) are required or conviction information is contained on overseas police check or Basic Disclosure Certificate, an applicant must not be put in to post until the Safeguarding Coordinator receives an email from the Safeguarding Service.
If the Basic Disclosure is clear, an applicant must not be put in to post until the Basic Disclosure Certificate has been received and viewed/checked by the Safeguarding Coordinator. The name of the worker should then be entered onto the SG07 Safeguarding Congregational Register.
Step 9 – Code of Conduct and Induction
A Church of Scotland worker has a responsibility to create and maintain a safe environment for children and protected adults at all times. The code of conduct for volunteers and paid workers will aim to set out appropriate and inappropriate conduct for workers to follow to ensure a safe church for all. The Code of Conduct should be provided to the worker after appointment at their induction.
The induction process for a volunteer/paid worker is to welcome a worker to The Church of Scotland and provide them with information and support to undertake their role. The induction process will provide the worker with information about The Church of Scotland, the congregation, the role they will undertake and policies and procedures. The process should be planned and the worker should be given the opportunity to ask questions.
The Church of Scotland Safeguarding Service has produced the SG26 Induction Checklist. A worker should sign the induction checklist to confirm that they understand their safeguarding responsibilities and a review date should be scheduled.
Other useful information
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Appeals process
An individual has a right to appeal the decisions of the Recruitment Sub-Committee. The intention to appeal should be intimated to the Principal Clerk within fourteen days of receipt of the Recruitment Sub-Committee’s decision.
An appeal can be brought only on one or more of the following grounds:
- That there were irregularities in the process whereby the Recruitment Sub-Committee reached its decision
- That the final decision of the Recruitment Sub-Committee was influenced by incorrect material fact, or
- That the Recruitment Sub-Committee in reaching its decision acted contrary to the principles of natural justice
Any disagreement as to the contents or accuracy of the PVG Scheme Record, Basic Disclosure Certificate or DBS check cannot be the subject of an appeal under this procedure and must be taken up by the person directly with Disclosure Scotland or the Disclosure and Barring Service through the procedures established by that body.
Risk Assessment and the Recruitment Sub-Committee (RSC)
The Recruitment Sub-Committee is a group formed by the Safeguarding Committee to risk assess conviction and vetting information in respect of those seeking to, or currently undertaking regulated work. It will also risk assess other information that might indicate a risk of harm to children and/or protected adults.
If an individual is barred from undertaking regulated work with children or adults or both, no risk assessment will proceed.
The Safeguarding Service administers this process on behalf of the Safeguarding Committee.
In the initial stages of the assessment, the Safeguarding Service will be in contact with the individual concerned to gather more information. The individual will be invited to attend the Recruitment Sub-Committee if they so wish.
The risk assessment process will consider what further information is required or should be considered.
If it is necessary to share information with other people (such as the person’s line manager or the Safeguarding Coordinator) the individual will be informed and it will be done on a ‘need to know’ basis giving due regard to the person’s right to have their information kept confidential.
The individual and any other relevant person will be informed of the outcome of the process – that is, whether their appointment is recommended or not.