§ Guide · Safer recruitment
Safer recruitment checklist for early years settings
Last updated
Safer recruitment is one sequence, from writing the advert to the end of induction. Miss a step and it shows up twice: once as a risk to children, and once as a gap on your single central record that an inspector will find in minutes.
This guide walks through each step, what good evidence looks like, and where it is recorded. There is a free fillable safer recruitment checklist you can complete for each new starter.
The safer recruitment sequence, step by step
| Step | What it involves | Where it is recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Advert and job description | State that the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, that an enhanced DBS check with a barred list check is required, and that the setting is committed to safeguarding. | Keep a copy of the advert and job description on file. |
| 2. Application form | Ask for full employment history with dates, reasons for leaving, and any gaps explained. Do not rely on a CV alone. | Application form retained in the staff file. |
| 3. Shortlist and interview | Explore gaps and reasons for leaving at interview, and include at least one question about attitudes to safeguarding and child protection. | Interview notes and the panel's decision. |
| 4. Identity | See original photographic identity documents and proof of address in person. Never accept photocopies or scans alone. | SCR column: identity confirmed, date and who checked it. |
| 5. Right to work in the UK | Check and record right to work before employment starts, using the Home Office online service or original documents. | SCR column: right to work, date checked. |
| 6. Enhanced DBS and children's barred list | Apply for an enhanced DBS certificate including a children's barred list check. If the person is on the DBS update service and you have consent, carry out a status check instead. | SCR columns: DBS certificate number and date, barred list or update service check. |
| 7. References | At least two, including the most recent employer, requested by you and received directly. Follow up anything vague or inconsistent. | SCR column: references received, dates and who verified them. |
| 8. Qualifications | See original certificates for any qualification you are relying on for ratios, including paediatric first aid, and check they are full and relevant. | SCR columns: qualification level verified, first aid expiry date. |
| 9. Overseas checks | For time lived or worked outside the UK, obtain a criminal records check or certificate of good conduct where one is available from that country. | SCR column: overseas checks, with a note where a check was not available. |
| 10. Health and suitability declaration | Confirm the person is mentally and physically suited to the role, and take a signed disqualification declaration covering the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations. | SCR column: disqualification declaration, plus the signed form in the staff file. |
| 11. Offer and start | Make the offer conditional on the checks. If someone must start before a certificate arrives, complete a written risk assessment and arrange supervision so they are never alone with children. | Supervision decision log on the SCR template. |
| 12. Induction and probation | Cover safeguarding and child protection policy, the designated safeguarding lead, whistleblowing, low-level concerns, allergies and medication, fire procedure and intimate care before the first unsupervised shift. | Signed induction record, dated. |
The order matters less than the evidence. What an inspector wants to see is that the decision to employ someone was made on the basis of completed checks, and that the record shows it.
DBS checks for nursery staff
Working with children in a nursery is regulated activity, so the check you need is an enhanced DBS certificate that includes a check of the children's barred list. A basic or standard check is not enough, and a certificate from a previous employer is only usable through the DBS update service, with the person's consent and a status check carried out by you.
Record the certificate number and the date of issue rather than keeping a copy of the certificate itself. The EYFS also requires providers to obtain an enhanced check for anyone living or working on the premises where childcare takes place, which catches domestic premises and some family-run settings.
There is no statutory re-check interval for early years, so decide your own rhythm, write it down, and use the update service where you can. Whatever you choose, the single central record is where the dates live.
Disqualification and suitability declarations
Under the Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations, a person can be disqualified from working in childcare by certain convictions, cautions or orders, or by being barred from working with children. Providers must not employ someone who is disqualified in a role covered by the regulations.
Take a signed declaration at recruitment, remind staff to tell you if anything changes, and repeat the declaration annually so the record does not go stale. Disqualification by association no longer applies to staff in non-domestic settings, but it still applies where childcare takes place in domestic premises.
How each check lands on the single central record
The single central record is the summary an inspector reads first. It is one row per person with a column for each check: identity, DBS number and date, barred list, right to work, references, qualifications, first aid expiry, overseas checks and the disqualification declaration.
Keep the evidence in the staff file and the dates on the record. Our free single central record template uses exactly those columns, and the SCR guide explains what is statutory for early years and what is borrowed from schools guidance.
Where settings usually come unstuck
- References collected but never verified, or accepted as an open letter from the candidate.
- Employment gaps noted on the application form and never asked about at interview.
- A start date before the risk assessment and supervision plan were written down.
- Overseas time not checked, or checked and not recorded.
- Paediatric first aid certificates expiring quietly, then counted towards ratios anyway.
- Induction delivered verbally with nothing signed.
What this looks like at inspection
Inspectors judge safeguarding on whether the arrangements work in practice, not on whether a folder exists. Expect them to pick a recent starter, follow the checks through from the record to the file, and ask a manager to explain a decision.
For the wider picture, read the September 2026 early years inspection toolkit guide, and work through the Ofsted inspection checklist for the rest of the evidence inspectors ask for.
Sources
- EYFS statutory framework (GOV.UK) - section 3, suitable people and staff qualifications.
- Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 (GOV.UK)
- DBS check requests: guidance for employers (GOV.UK)
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (GOV.UK) - applies to schools and colleges, including school-based nurseries.
Frequently asked questions
What is safer recruitment in early years?
Safer recruitment is the sequence of checks and decisions that makes sure everyone working with children is suitable: a clear advert and job description, identity and right to work, an enhanced DBS check with a children's barred list check, references, qualifications, health and a disqualification declaration, all recorded before or as the person starts.
Do nurseries need an enhanced DBS check with a barred list check?
Yes. Work with children in a nursery is regulated activity, so staff need an enhanced DBS certificate that includes a check of the children's barred list. The EYFS requires providers to obtain an enhanced DBS check for anyone working directly with children.
Do early years settings have to follow Keeping Children Safe in Education?
Schools and colleges must follow KCSIE, and so must school-based nurseries as part of the school. A standalone private or voluntary nursery is not bound by KCSIE, but the EYFS still requires evidence that every person is suitable, and many settings use the KCSIE recruitment steps as a model because inspectors recognise the format.
How many references should a nursery take?
Take at least two references, ask the most recent employer directly, and verify them yourself rather than accepting a reference handed over by the candidate. Follow up any gaps in employment history and any concern in writing.
What checks are needed for someone who has lived or worked overseas?
A UK DBS check only covers UK records, so for time spent abroad you also need a criminal records check or certificate of good conduct from that country where one is available, and you should record what you obtained and any reason a check could not be completed.
Can someone start work before the DBS certificate arrives?
Only where you have completed the other checks, obtained a separate barred list check, carried out a written risk assessment and put supervision in place, and the person is never left unsupervised with children. Record the decision and the supervision arrangements, and review them when the certificate arrives.
Get the safer recruitment checklist
A free fillable checklist for every new starter, from advert to induction, with the columns that match your single central record.