Single Central Record Checklist background
The legislation concerning single central records for schools and colleges in the UK was drawn up to help educational institutions safeguard the welfare of the children in their charge. By ensuring that all employees are thoroughly vetted during the recruitment process, your school can provide the maximum protection possible for each and every one of its pupils. You will also remain in full compliance with government regulations.
The concept and aims of the single central record system are well understood by education professionals in the United Kingdom but to help you ensure that complacency does not cause standards to slip. In this article we have outlined a few of the most common mistakes that school administrative departments make with regards to the operation and maintenance of their single central records.
Single Central Record Checklist - the most common mistakes
- Giving One Member of Staff Sole Responsibility of the single central record. This might sound like a good idea in theory but in practice, you will find it much easier to maintain your school SCR if several members of staff are involved in its administration. The main problem with tasking a single member of staff with the job of maintaining your single central record is that no other staff members will have the knowledge and experience to take over the job in the event that person is absent or decides to leave.
- Omitting the Date of Checks and Enquiries. In order to remain in compliance with SCR regulations, you need to make sure that the date of each check made and certificate obtained is noted in the single central record. These dates must be accurate: your school could run into difficulties in the event that mistakes or inaccuracies are discovered during an SCR audit.
- School have missing data such as DBS disclosure numbers, issue/evidenced by dates, recording the issue dates only.
- Some schools renew checks and find it hard to keep on track of renewal dates.
- Schools failing to carry out List 99 Checks on Staff commencing work at the school before their DBS has been disclosed.
- Failure to Record Prohibition from Teaching Checks - When Keeping Children Safe in Education (2015) was published, schools were to back date this check for permanent teaching staff from 1st April 2012, the facility to carry out the check became available in 2014 for schools by logging into Secure Access – Teacher Regulation Agency.
- Failure to Record Section 128 Checks for Governors in Maintained Schools- When Keeping Children Safe in Education (2018) was published, schools were reminded that the s128 order applies to maintained schools as well as independent schools (including academies and free schools).
- Overseas criminal record checks and EEA Checks if applicable not being carried out.
- Qualifications not being recorded were applicable.
- Failing to carry out QTS Checks on members of staff with a TRN number.
- Failing to record Right to Work or evidencing ID documents seen.
Our online SCR software solution is the easiest way to avoid administrative errors and omissions where your single central record is concerned.
Tel: 0151 606 5101 – info@onlinescr.co.uk
