All Employees and Volunteers serving in a role with children or adults at risk are to be appointed using the GCB Safer Recruitment process.
Our Safer Recruitment process has been put in place to minimise the risk of unsuitable people being approved to work with vulnerable groups within our Church. Until this process has been completed in respect of a person, and a satisfactory DBS certificate has been issued to that person, he or she will not be allowed to serve in any Regulated Activity role with either children or adults at risk.
Unless there are clear and justifiable reasons, we require that any person working with any group involving school children must be an active member of one of the Church’s small groups. This is to ensure spiritual and personal accountability within the Church body.
All applicants must follow this process:
Complete an application form (applying for the role)
Complete a self declaration form (declaring they have no convictions barring them from this role)
Obtain at least 2 References (as specified in the specific recruitment process)
Attend an interview
Be subject to a DBS check (or give permission for a check via the DBS Update Service if they have subscribed and have a previous check for a similar role)
If any issues are identified the Trustees will ask the Safeguarding Coordinator for advice on whether this affects the recruitment decision through the completion of a risk assessment
Sign the code of conduct
Start in the role
Attend the next available safeguarding training session
Volunteers will:
Have been part of one of GCB's small Groups prior to being considered for a role requiring a DBS check
Complete a self declaration form (declaring they have no convictions barring them from the role and agreeing to provide References where deemed appropriate by GCB)
Be subject to a DBS check, or give permission for a check via the DBS Update Service if they have subscribed and have a previous check for a similar role
Sign the code of conduct before starting in the role
Attend the next available safeguarding training session
When a person (“the Candidate”) is identified to serve in a Regulated Activity role at Church as either a paid Employee or as a Volunteer, we will carry out the following process.
The Ministry (Rota) leader will:
Speak to the Candidate (who must be 18 years or older) about what the role entails, confirm their small-group involvement and explain the importance of Safeguarding.
Provide the Candidate with [a job description, and] a brief explanation of our Safer Recruitment process, specifically the need for a DBS check and tell them to expect an email from the Safeguarding Team to initiate the process.
Inform the Safeguarding Team so that they can set the process in train.
The Safeguarding Team will then oversee and monitor the Safer Recruitment Process in respect of each Candidate until the process has been completed.
The process is managed via a Work Flow established on ChurchSuite (the secure database which GCB uses for church admin) with the following stages:
The Candidate is sent an email (DBS 1) asking them to read the GCB Safeguarding Policy and complete and return an on-line Self-Declaration (SD) Form (The ChurchSuite work flow moves them automatically to the 'Awaiting SD Form' stage and the Tag 'DBS in progress' is added to their record in the Address Book).
Once the Self-Declaration Form is received and checked -
if they are subscribed to the DBS Update Service the Safeguarding Team will perform an on-line check.
if not, their details are input to the Christian Safeguarding Services (CSS) DBS Portal which sends them a link to a DBS application form. The individual is moved to the 'Awaiting DBS Application' stage in the ChurchSuite workflow which generates an email (DBS 2) advising them to complete the on-line DBS check sent from CSS.
Once confirmation received from CSS that the DBS application has been submitted - the individual is sent an email (DBS 3) asking for ID. (ChurchSuite moves them to the 'Awaiting ID Check' stage').
Once the Candidate has brought in their ID to be checked against their DBS form - assuming all OK - they are moved onto the next stage which generates an email (DBS4) asking them to show their Certificate once it arrives. (ChurchSuite moves them to the 'Awaiting Certificate' stage).
Once the volunteer's DBS certificate has arrived - and everything matches with what's expected - they are moved to the next stage which sends an email (DBS 5) asking them to register for the DBS Update Service and confirm when sucessfully done. (The ChurchSuite workflow moves them to the 'DBS Update Service' stage and a Tag is added to their record in the Address Book showing 'DBS Approved'
Once they confirm they have Registered for the DBS Update Service process they are moved to the to the next 'DBS Complete' stage. ChurchSuite updates their record in the Address Book from 'DBS in Progress' to 'DBS Complete' and sends them an email (DBS 6) confirming the process is complete and asking them to attend the next Safeguarding Briefing session.
For as long as the individual continues to serve in the same or similar role, the DBS Update Service is checked at regular intervals (at least every 3 years). If an individual did not subscribe to the Update Service , a new check is initiated at the 3 year point.