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.

Thanks, they weren’t brilliantly supportive which is one reason I felt I was floundering a bit! But good point.

@friarca

It was a bit more than “a HR error” *@JurgensCakeBabyJesus*

I could have been anybody. My identity wasn’t checked, I could have been sacked from my last position for inappropriate behaviour around children, I could have sexual abuse convictions, violent convictions, I might not have been who I said I was.

It’s a bit chilling tbh.

I agree with you. The school was lax in the extreme. I’d definitely report them as who else have they employed without doing checks?

That was a safeguarding failure by the school and I think, despite the passage of time, it would be worth reporting. At least then you have done what you can to try and prevent it happening again. It's possible that the school has cleaned up its act since then, but also just as likely that they haven't, given all that has been going on.
Good on you for having the courage of your convictions and walking away from a job that wasn't right for you. I'm glad you managed to find another post and move on.

@Littlescottiedog

I had similar. I recently did supply in a school and at no point in the day did anyone ask to see any ID or my DBS. I did not always have another adult in the room with me and at lunch when I was in the room alone eating, the children had free reign to come in and out so I could have been alone with any of them at any moment (I wasn't, but if I had been I'd have left the room and gone outside into the playground, for my own sake).

OP, I'm also wondering if I should report it. Lovely school, but now I've read your dilemma I'm even more of a mind to say something. I know the chances of someone impersonating supply is slim (mainly because how would they know supply was needed at that school that day?) but what if it happened and I hadn't said anything?

The agency will probably have sent your photo over in the booking information, so when you signed in they may just have used that (unless you were wearing a mask).

Definitely a breakdown in controls - I'm the governor chair of the finance committee for a LA school and each year I review the list of current DBS certificates with the business manager to make sure it's complete compared to the staff list plus supply cover. It's one of the mandatory checks we are expected to have in place.

@friarca

I’m not on trial at the old Bailey, Butchy.

I didn't suggest you were. It was a simple enough question.