NCVO publish guidance on safely recruiting staff, volunteers and trustees

NCVO’s Knowhow site offers advice and support for voluntary organisations on a range of subjects. From information on setting up a charity to developing effective teams, the site is full of helpful tools and resources.

This week, NCVO have published their safeguarding resources. Developed collaboratively by an NCVO-led partnership, they outline the steps that voluntary organisations in England can take to ensure they’re run in a way that actively prevents staff, volunteers and everyone they come into contact with from suffering harm, harassment, bullying, abuse and neglect.

The section on safeguarding during recruitment provides detailed guidance on checking criminal records and includes Unlock’s guide to working with people with a criminal history

Crucially, NCVO’s guidance makes clear that organisations should only ask about the criminal record of a potential new staff member or volunteer after making a conditional offer. Collecting criminal records information from all applicants is unnecessary, and may put your organisation at risk of collecting excessive data.

If your organisation asks about criminal records at application, consider removing this question and instead asking later in the process. You could also consider joining more than 135 other employers and banning the box.

Read more about recruitment in charities.

We can provide:

  1. Bespoke support in developing policies and practices that reflect a fair approach to people with a criminal record
  2. Training for staff involved in recruitment decision making
  3. Links to established employer networks such as the ‘Employers Forum for Reducing Reoffending’ and the ‘Ban the Box’.

For more information, contact recruit@unlock.org.uk

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