Frequently asked questions for Safer Recruitment

Why has Safer Recruitment become a Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) programme?

In 2005, the National College was asked by the then Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Education, DfE) to develop Safer Recruitment online training for headteachers and chairs of governors. This training was one of the key recommendations of the Bichard Inquiry and was created to improve the safety of children in our schools.

The College took on this activity utilising the relationships it had established with school leaders in English schools to successfully deliver the online training to over 18,000 members and to train over 1,000 trainers in local authorities to deliver a face-to-face equivalent of the training locally.

However, the face of schools is changing, something which the College has championed, and other support staff in schools and local authorities are now undertaking the majority of recruitment within schools to enable headteachers in particular to concentrate on leading learning.

For this reason, CWDC was asked by the government to take forward the provision of Safer Recruitment training for schools to accompany the training package which they are currently developing for the wider children’s workforce. This will enable anyone who recruits staff to work with children to undertake Safer Recruitment training, regardless of sector or role, via a single training portal made available by one provider.

What does it mean for me?

Anyone who has completed the training and assessment and gained their certificate with the College will not be required to retake the training as a result of this change .Your certificate will remain valid with CWDC.

If you have not yet undertaken the Safer Recruitment training, please contact CWDC.