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Safeguarding

Please note this page was updated on 13 June 2024. If you have applied for a DBS check before this date we will be in contact with you individually to advise on next steps.

The University of Nottingham ITE Partnership is committed to safer recruitment. This means we will evaluate your suitability to work with children and young people in a variety of ways. As an offer holder this evaluation has already begun during the application process when you have offered information on your application form and during your interview.

There is a range of safeguarding checks that we will carry out, please click the links to jump to that section:

• Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Overseas police check where you have spent time outside of the UK
• Prohibition checks
• Disqualification from childcare declaration – primary students only 

1. Enhanced DBS check

Now that you are a firm offer holder for your teacher training course you need to arrange a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. This checks your UK criminal record and is essential so that you can carry out the placement which is part of your programme.  

All offer holders need to complete an application for a new DBS certificate unless you already have an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate for Child Workforce and subscribe to the Update Service. We are not able to use a certificate that covers both the child and adult workforces. If you subscribe to the Update Service please contact our Professional Practice and Partnership Lead, Paula Hancock paula.hancock@nottingham.ac.uk who will be able to advise you on the next steps to take. 

Further information about the DBS process can be found on the UK Government's DBS website.

The University of Nottingham works with Know Your People (KYP) to complete DBS checks and there is no cost to you.

Completing your application

You will receive an email directly from Know Your People (KYP), 

from

the beginning of June 2024 onwards inviting you to register with them and complete a DBS application. 

It is essential that you complete the actions in the email as soon as possible in order to avoid any delays with your clearance

.

Providing documents 

For a DBS check to be completed, you will need to provide evident of your identity. The documentation you provide falls into three groups:

• Group 1 - primary identity documents
• Group 2a - trusted government documents
• Group 2b - financial and social history documents 

For an enhanced check you will ideally provide one document from Group 1 and two other documents from any group, one of which must include proof of address. If you are having difficulty in providing the required identity documents please contact our Professional Practice and Partnership Lead, Paula Hancock paula.hancock@nottingham.ac.uk who will be able to advise you on the next steps to take.

Disclosing a caution or conviction

You should be aware that you have to provide information with regard to any previous criminal convictions.

Please remember that it is essential that full details are given of any criminal offence, including those that would not be filtered in line with current guidance. Any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings that are not ‘protected’ as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013)* must be declared.

If the required information is not provided and details of an offence subsequently emerge during a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, it is likely that the offer of a place will be withdrawn.

If a DBS certificate has details of offences/cautions, the outcomes can be as follows:

• the offer holder will be refused registration on the course and informed in writing
• following a meeting with the Director of ITE and the Professional Practice and Partnership Lead and the offer holder to discuss the relevant issues the Professional Practice and Partnership Lead will discuss the disclosure with a school based partnership colleague. The discussion will be anonymised. A letter will be sent to the offer holder confirming that the offence has been considered by the Partnership and registration will be permitted. 

The university’s decision on these matters will be final.

Details of the content of the disclosure will not be disclosed to any outside person or body, without the written permission of the offer holder.

DBS certificate - keeping and showing

Your paper DBS certificate will be sent to you. You are responsible for keeping your DBS Certificate safe. Please note your placement school can ask to see a copy of the certificate, you may not be able to start your placement without your certificate.

The university has access to an online tracking system, for new applications, we do not need to see your paper certificate.

Obtaining certificate before course starts

If you have not completed a DBS application by the beginning of the course, you will be able to attend the registration day but will not be fully registered until you receive the certificate. It is your responsibility to ensure that the certificate is received as soon as possible after the registration date.

In addition, European Union and Overseas offer holders must obtain a ‘Certificate of Good Conduct’ from the appropriate authority in their own country. Please visit the UK Government's Criminal Records Checks website for more details.

Disclosing during the course

It is a requirement for the course that any offence committed, caution or reprimand issued during the duration of the course that has not previously been disclosed be disclosed to our Professional Practice and Partnership Lead, Paula Hancock paula.hancock@nottingham.ac.uk. Any failure to disclose an offence that affects a offer holder’s place on the course will result in the termination of the course.

2. Overseas police check

DBS checks are only able to review UK police records for convictions and cautions, therefore if you have any time living or working abroad you must arrange for evidence of your good conduct from the country you were living or working in. Please complete this form to allow us to assess if you require an overseas police check and provide the necessary information. If a check is needed information will be sent to you as soon as possible.

3. Prohibition checks

The School of Education is able to access information on individuals who are prohibited from the profession for a range of reasons which are not related to criminal convictions or cautions, so would not be noted on a DBS certificate. Prior to the course your name will be checked against this information to ensure you are suitable to join the course and train as a teacher.

4. Disqualification from childcare declaration – primary students only

All students joining our primary courses will be asked to complete a declaration.