To think not checking references and a DBS before appointing to a school is pretty awful?

[friarca]

This happened to me and unsure whether to report or not.

I'm a bit surprised as a HOD you didn't challenge any of this before you started

I didn’t know. I had been there some four weeks before I was told that my DBS and references hadn’t been sent for.

Please don’t imply this was my fault. I did everything I was supposed to do.

Your first step would be to write to the HT and the Governor responsible for Safeguarding.

No teacher or support staff member starts at our Trust until the HT (or appointed delegate) signs off on all the SCR checks.

I have suggested actions they may have taken without you necessarily knowing, although it's unlikely.

You resigned from a head of department job because they didn’t get ask for your references or get your DBS sorted? Why didn’t you just ask them to do get it sorted asap?

Yes, but it was the HT who appointed me and didn’t follow it up.

@Howshouldibehave do you realise that this wasn’t a scatty oh, whoops sort of thing? They’d had months to sort it.

I was allowed into a school to teach and be alone with students, some of them very vulnerable, without my identity being checked, without knowing if I had any criminal convictions, without knowing if I had been dismissed for hitting students or sexually abusing them.

I could literally have been anyone. Too right I resigned. I realise you may be a lot younger than I am but don’t you know about the Soham murders?

Please don’t imply this was my fault. I did everything I was supposed to do.

That's not strictly accurate. This may be a major failure on the schools part.

As a teacher though you know that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility in a school. I am trying to understand why you said nothing before your start date, because most teachers wouldn't have set foot in the place.

I was working as a lecturer at a very well-known uni for over a year before HR asked for my references. I wouldn't report it though

Because I didn’t know, 100. I naturally assumed that I had done what I was supposed to do and the school had too.

Surely you receive your DBS check certificate etc. I've always been asked to provide these before starting, apologies if I'm wrong, but did that not raise flags for you?

If the HT did not engage with correct procedures your complaint should be the the Chair of Governors in the first instance so that an investigation can be made.

I’m not confident the CoG would deal with it. I was wondering more about OFSTED.

@100problems I am sure that there were things I could have done differently but while I realise kick the poster is a well established MN sport, it is actually advice I want here.

The COG is the correct process.

You can also seek guidance from the LADO.

I am advising you. If you've been in education long enough to be a HOD, you also know you too have an accountability for safeguarding, and that concerns should be raised immediately.

Right, well it is a bit weird that you resigned- but, at the same time, it also says a lot about a school.

I worked in a school where they failed an ofsted. It was an horrendous environment where children were not being effectively taught or making enough progress, but the trigger for the fail was ofsted finding out just what you've said. It is treated extremely seriously and, if you'd been sensible, you'd have notified them and I guarantee it would have triggered an inspection.

Tbh you probably don't need to bother. If a HOD resigned for that reason (are you even allowed to, by the way? Didn't you have to give a term's notice?) it would send any school I've even heard of screaming towards their filing cabinets to sort this out.

@friarca if they hadn't even been sent off then that is very, very poor.

Have they been Ofsted inspected since you left as they will have looked at the central record and seen that these checks had not been completed?

@100problems

The COG is the correct process.

You can also seek guidance from the LADO.

I am advising you. If you've been in education long enough to be a HOD, you also know you too have an accountability for safeguarding, and that concerns should be raised immediately.

Actually yeah. Very good point. You do have a duty to report any safeguarding concerns.

My start date was delayed by five weeks due to delays with DBS and references.

But op, after 2 years I'd let it go. You should have raised it back then.

I’m a bit stumped as to why my resignation is getting such a grilling. I didn’t want to work somewhere with such a lax attitude and I had a horrible start I didn’t see improving.

@100problems I am well aware but ultimately culpability here is not with me. I did what I was supposed to do. I probably should have passed it towards but I didn’t.

The CoG might be the ‘correct’ procedure but also a pointless one.

@Curioushorse going by resignation dates I should have left at Easter but I think they were delighted to get rid of me so I left at feb half term.

OP may have shown up during an inspection unless OFSTED also checked Leavers (which should also be on the SCR). But I'd bet if the school is as lax as alleged, her presence was never recorded on the SCR.

No, it wasn’t during an inspection. It was certainly extremely dodgy, though.

@friarca

I know what happened - that’s not in dispute. The school definitely just did not do the requisite checks. I’m just unsure about whether to follow it up, and if I can do so anonymously.

I’d say that if you do report it, who would you expect to take the blame? In most schools it would be the admin team or business manager. If you’re gunning for the SLT, that’s not going to happen.

I would 100% make ofsted aware of this.

You can do it anonymously.

Moving forward I doubt their lax attitude will change much and a child could be harmed massively.

My advice, whether you think it pointless or not is COG.

If they fail to engage then escalate to the LADO for guidance.

They will order an investigation, typically within 10 working days.

@friarca

I'm a bit surprised as a HOD you didn't challenge any of this before you started

I didn’t know. I had been there some four weeks before I was told that my DBS and references hadn’t been sent for.

Please don’t imply this was my fault. I did everything I was supposed to do.

Surely you would have known that at least your DBS hadn’t been applied for, as the certificate is sent to your home, not to school?

I don’t know that I’m ‘gurning’ for anybody but ultimately the responsibility for safeguarding procedures lies with the headteacher.

@Soontobe60 yes, this was why the school were absolutely adamant that actually it was my fault they didn’t send for my references or DBS

You can also add weight to your complaint by making a SAR to ask what data they do hold on you. Not sure if there is a time limit on that though.

And also check your email to see if you receive an online DBS application to complete. If you never completed it, you would have additional evidence against them for your complaint.