Aim

The nursery’s policy for the screening of new employees and volunteers the UAE Ministry of Labour guidelines and UAE Ministry of Education guidelines

FALCON BRITISH NURSERY is committed to safeguarding the safety and welfare of all its students. In this context, our aim is to ensure that the policies and the procedures we follow in the selection and appointment of staff and volunteers comply with the latest regulations and guidance on safer recruitment.

This policy aims to ensure that the selection and appointment of all staff and volunteers is both fair and safe by:

  • helping to attract the best possible candidates;
  • deterring prospective candidates who are unsuitable from applying for vacancies;
  • identifying and rejecting any candidates who may be unsuitable to work with children and young people.

The policy reinforces the principles set out in the staff handbook, including the nursery’s Whistleblowing policy and the emphasis on the active promotion of Fundamental British Values as well as the values of the UAE. As part of their induction, all successful candidates for paid or volunteer employment will receive training on the nursery’s Safeguarding policy and procedures by the HR manager, including the staff handbook.

Police checks

Nursery Employees

In line with international best practice FALCON BRITISH NURSERY require staff to have a full and unbroken criminal-record history.
All new employees who are already resident in Abu Dhabi, must provide a police clearance from the UAE.

Others who work or volunteer at the Nursery

All contracting or supplier companies who provide contracted services to the Nursery will be responsible for conducting a police clearance check on their employees as well as ensuring all necessary licenses are up to date. The accountant will get updated licenses when necessary.
The Nursery does not conduct Police checks on volunteers. This is because volunteers are never alone with children.

Advert safeguarding

Advertisements for staff appointments will normally include the following statement:
‘FALCON BRITISH NURSERY is committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of all its students. A police clearance certificate is required for all new appointments.’

Training in Safer Recruitment

ï The HR manager will go on Safer Recruitment Training at least once every 5 years.

Information for prospective applicants

ï Prospective applicants will find a detailed job description on the recruitment page of the website.
The HR manager will provide a copy of the :

  • nursery’s application form;
  • the nursery’s Safeguarding policy and Whistleblowing policy;

Before the interview, the prospective candidates will be asked read over the policies.

The recruitment process

The following procedures will be adopted for all staff employed by FALCON BRITISH NURSERY:

All prospective staff members are required to submit

  • a completed FALCON BRITISH NURSERY application form,
  • a copy of their CV and a covering letter.

These will be checked by the HR Manager of FALCON BRITISH NURSERY for any gaps or discrepancies will be followed up.

The application form will be kept on file.

Original copies or attested copies of relevant will need to be submitted

All prospective staff must provide the HR manager with names and contact details of at least two referees, one of whom must, wherever possible, be the most recent employer.

Formal, written references will be sought directly from the referees by the HR manager.

Among other things, referees will be asked specific questions about the following by the HR manager:

  • the candidate’s suitability to work with children and young people;
  • any substantiated allegations;
  • any disciplinary warnings, including time-expired warnings, relating to the Safeguarding of children and young people;
  • the candidate’s suitability for the post.

Wherever possible, references will be requested in advance of interview. All references will be kept on file by the HR manager.

An identity check is carried out on all candidates who come for interview by requesting a copy of the emirates ID.

If there is a break in employment of more than three months for a member of staff, an explanation will be required by the HR manager before the interview is confirmed.

Successful candidates are sent a Health questionnaire and staff just arriving in the country will need to provide a medical to ensure they are healthy to work with children.

The procedures set out above will not normally be necessary for:

  • visitors to the nursery
  • contractors
  • volunteers
  • Work experience students

as these people will never be left alone with the children.

Regulated Activity

  • ï As per the definition given in Keeping Children Safe in Education, July 2015, a member of staff will be considered to be engaging in ‘regulated activity’ if as a result of their work they:
  • will be responsible, on a regular basis in a nursery or college, for teaching, training instructing, caring for or supervising children; or
  • will carry out paid, or unsupervised unpaid, work regularly in a nursery or college where that work provides an opportunity for contact with children; or
  • engage in intimate or personal care or overnight activity, even if this happens only once.

Regulated activity includes:

  1. (a) teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children if the person is unsupervised, or providing advice or guidance on well-being,
  2. (b) work for a limited range of establishments with the opportunity for contact with children, but not including work done by supervised volunteers;

Work under (a) or (b) is regulated activity only if done regularly.

Safeguarding-related questions during the selection process

In the course of selection interviews, and among other things, candidates will be expected to be ready to:
a)explain any gaps in employment;
b)explain satisfactorily any anomalies or discrepancies in the information available to the panel;
c)declare any information that is likely to appear on the Police disclosure;
demonstrate their ability to safeguard and protect the welfare of children and young people and their ability and willingness to promote fundamental British values.

Employment checks

An offer of appointment will be conditional and all successful candidates will be required to:

  • provide proof of identity;
  • obtain a relevant police check;
  • provide proof of professional status / qualifications;
  • complete a health questionnaire;
  • provide proof of eligibility to live and work in the UAE;

Record Keeping

The Master list of Employees will be held in the Server and will be maintained by the HR manager.
ï The Register for Contractors, teachers, club staff, suppliers will be held in the server and updated by the accountant

Files on all staff are held centrally and securely in the HR Manager’s filing cabinet.

ï Police clearance checks will be carried out by the HR Manager.

ï All documentation given to HR for processing will be returned to her usually within 1 week of receiving it.

The HR Manager is also responsible for a regular check of the HR section of the FALCON BRITISH NURSERY server and for chasing up any documentation that may be missing on a weekly basis.
All the above information will be retained in individual files of evidence for each member of staff.

Allowing a new member of staff to start work before receipt of police clearance, signing the non disclosure policy and providing the medical approval
There is a statement in all our offers of employment. It makes clear that the appointment is not definitively confirmed until such time as the clearance, non disclosure has been signed and medical approval has been received.

Starting work

The appointment will not be confirmed, in the sense that it will explicitly remain subject to a satisfactory outcome of the police clearance. A medical approval has to be received.
Also, at least two satisfactory references must have been received and verified.

Induction

As part of their induction, the HR manager provides all new members of staff and volunteers information on the nursery’s Safeguarding policy, including the policy and procedures relating to Whistleblowing and guidance on safer working practices as set out in the staff handbook.

Substitute and Contracted staff

All substitute and contracted staff are subject to the standard relevant checks, including a satisfactory police clearance.
The HR manager will carry out identity checks when the individual arrives at nursery.