Child safe recruitment is one of the most effective preventative measures and risk controls in early childhood education and care. It ensures that only people with strong child safe values join your service to prevent harm to children – it’s your first step to welcoming the right people into your service.

Here are 8 steps approved providers and early learning services should take to attract and employ child-safe staff and volunteers.

1. Include child safe criteria in the role description

Role descriptions set the tone for all recruitment activities and are the first step in attracting applicants whose experience, qualifications, skills and beliefs align with your service’s values and culture.

When developing a role description, you should make it clear that child safety is a priority at your service and safeguarding children is a core responsibility of all staff and volunteers.

For example, you can do this by:

• listing a commitment to child safety as a key requirement of the role
• stating that all employees must understand and commit to upholding and maintaining a child-safe environment
• detailing child safe behaviours and practices the successful candidate is expected to demonstrate
• outlining all required child safety skills, qualifications and checks staff must have.

Keep a copy of the job description for record-keeping purposes.

Download the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian’s (OCG) role description template and Child Safe Recruitment and the Working with Children Check handbook for more guidance on what to include in a role description.

2. Emphasise your commitment to child safety in the job advertisement

Including a commitment to child safety in your job advertisement sets an expectation from the outset that child safety is a non-negotiable condition of employment at your service. It can help deter unsafe and unsuitable applicants, who are more likely to look for employment at organisations that do not prioritise or promote child safe principles.

Demonstrate your service’s commitment to child safety in job advertisements by:

• stating that staff are required to demonstrate child safe values, behaviours and practices
• clearly outlining the role and responsibilities of staff in keeping children safe and championing child safe principles
• encouraging applicants with demonstrated child safe skills and values to apply.

Examples

Compare the 2 examples below. Which job ad is more likely to attract child safe applicants and why?

3. Choose your shortlist carefully

It’s now time to review all resumes and written applications and create a shortlist of preferred candidates to interview.

When assessing the suitability of a candidate, check they:

• hold the required qualification/s for the role (for example, a Bachelor’s Degree, Diploma or Certificate III) and that the qualification is NQF-approved
• have the required skills and relevant experience working in early learning or other child-related roles
• demonstrate a strong understanding of and commitment to child safety
• demonstrate a professional and safe approach to working with children.

Red flags

Possible ‘red flags’ to be aware of include unexplained gaps or frequent changes in employment, or multiple short-term roles in child-related work.

While an applicant may have legitimate reasons for these, they can also be an indicator that someone may not be safe or suitable to work with children. For example, an unsuitable candidate may remove an employer from their work history if a child safety-related incident occurred or concern was raised during their employment.

If you spot any potential red flags, contact the applicant with clarifying questions. If they don’t adequately address your concerns, do not invite them to interview for the role.

4. Ask interview questions about child safety knowledge and attitudes

When preparing your interview questions, include scenario-based and behavioural questions relating to child safety. These types of questions allow you to assess a candidate’s experience of working with children, attitude towards child safety, understanding of their safeguarding obligations and how they would respond in situations involving child safety concerns.

Ask candidates about any prior disciplinary matters relating to child safety or inappropriate conduct to a child.

Make sure all interviewers have a strong understanding of child safe behaviours and child protection requirements. It’s also important to understand manipulative or grooming behaviours unsafe applicants may use.

Refer to ACECQA’s NQF Child Safe Culture Guide for more practical tips on preparing for and conducting interviews and sample questions (PDF 163 KB).

5. Conduct at least 2 referee checks

Once you’ve chosen a preferred candidate, contact at least 2 referees to verify the candidate’s work history, experience and attitudes towards child safety. Their current employer or manager should be included as one of the referees wherever possible.

While professional references should be preferred wherever available, a character reference may be accepted in exceptional circumstances where a reference from a current or former employer cannot be obtained. A character referee should be someone who can provide meaningful information about the applicant’s character and integrity.

Verbal references are the most effective way to get authentic responses from referees about a person’s suitability to work with children. Ask behaviour-based questions and whether the candidate:

• has been the subject of disciplinary action, reportable allegations or concerns related to child safety or misconduct
• has engaged in any concerning or inappropriate conduct.

We have developed a referee check template (DOCX 40 KB) you can customise and use when conducting reference checks. The OCG and ACECQA have also developed resources to support this process.

Keep a secure record of all documents relating to referee checks, including notes taken during referee check conversations and any written references provided.

6. Complete comprehensive pre-employment screening

Before making a job offer to your preferred candidate, conduct background screening checks to verify their identity, qualifications and suitability for the role.

Some background checks are mandatory under legislation, while others are recommended as best practice.

Background checks to conduct

Read Conducting background checks for more guidance and scenarios.

7. Reinforce child safety during onboarding

You’ve completed all background screening checks and made a job offer to the successful candidate – now it’s time to onboard your new employee.

Your onboarding program should support new staff to understand and uphold your service’s commitment to child safety and their safeguarding obligations. It should include:

• an induction pack with all service policies, procedures and other key documents, including your child safe risk management plan and code of conduct
• a comprehensive briefing on policies, procedures and legislative obligations, including child protection awareness and understanding, and reporting obligations
• a tour of service facilities and any other key locations your service operates
• training, including mandatory national child safety training and child protection training (where relevant).

Consider partnering your new employee with a buddy or allow them to shadow another staff member to support their transition into your team, observe your service’s child safe values in practice and reinforce expectations for behaviour.

Download the OCG’s child safe induction checklist (PDF 199 KB) and read our article on what to include in your onboarding program for further guidance.

Ensure the employee’s staff record is complete, accurate and includes the details of all required checks and verifications, qualifications and other training before they start working with children. You must also add their details to the National Early Childhood Worker Register within 14 days of their employment start date.

8. Embed child safety in ongoing employment practices

Child safe recruitment doesn’t end once staff are onboarded – you must ensure that all staff continue to be child safe and build their knowledge and capabilities to protect children from harm.