Safer Recruitment Policy

Teach For Life | Executive Search is committed to creating a culture that safeguards and promotes the welfare of children and adults at risk. In order to achieve this culture, we adopt robust recruitment procedures that deter and prevent people who are unsuitable to work with children from applying for or securing employment.

All children have equal rights to be protected from harm and abuse.

Everybody has a responsibility to support the protection of children.

All schools have a duty of care to children enrolled in the school and those who are affected by the operations of the school.

A values statement about the rights of the child has been developed and formally adopted by the client school that is aligned with the responsibilities set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and reinforced by the UAE Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 (Wadeema Law).

Under UAE Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 (Wadeema Law), all adults, including employers, recruitment agencies, and individuals—are legally obligated to report any suspected or actual child abuse or neglect. Failure to report such cases may result in legal consequences, including fines or imprisonment. Teach For Life upholds this legal duty and ensures that all staff, contractors, and client partners are fully informed of their responsibilities under this law.

Legal and Regulatory Framework

UAE Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 (Wadeema Law) – UAE Child Rights Law which mandates that all adults, including educators and employers, must report suspected abuse or neglect. Failure to report may lead to criminal penalties, including fines or imprisonment. The law reinforces the right of every child to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, and exploitation
UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 – Data Protection
UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021): For compliance with employment contracts, non-discrimination, and fair hiring practices.
Cabinet Resolution No. 52 of 2018 – on child protection responsibilities of educational institutions.
Ministry of Interior’s Child Protection Centre – reference their oversight role and integration with reporting mechanisms in schools.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – for international data processing KHDA, ADEK, and MOE – UAE school regulatory standards
Keeping Children Safe in Education (UK, 2023)
Council of International Schools (CIS) & COBIS standards
International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP) protocols

Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to anyone engaged by Teach For Life | Executive Search including our directors, staff, contractors and any work placement/volunteers.

All employees will be supplied with copies of the Safeguarding Policy, Safer Recruitment standards, Letter of Assurance, Recruiters Code of Conduct and trained on a regular basis annually to ensure compliance.

We will partner with Leaders In Safeguarding (UK) that support these standards and ensure compliance and adherence to legislation through auditing.

Safer Recruitment Standards

We prefer to work with schools that are accredited and have safeguarding positions of responsibility in place and are held to account for student wellbeing and adhere to child protection requirements with nationally and internationally. We support schools to adhere to international rigour with a specific focus on ITFCP that support CIS and COBIS with a focus upon staffing and recruitment requirements.

International Task Force Child Protection

Schools have a duty of care to protect children and prevent them from harm, and act with a sense of urgency if a child is at risk of harm.

We prefer to work with organisations that promote and actively support safeguarding and have available for us the following:

A definition of child protection
Annual audit compliance of all requirements
Policy
Procedures
Training
Reporting processes
Designated Child Protection Officer

Council of International School (CIS) standards

The educational organisation is characterised by openness, fairness, trust, and mutual respect to support students’ learning and well-being, listen to their views and develop their leadership qualities.

The educational organisation has documented effective written policies to safeguard and promote the welfare of all enrolled students.

The educational organisation implements policies and procedures in relation to anti-bullying, child protection, complaints, security, safeguarding, behaviour, discipline, sanctions, rewards and restraint, health education and health records

COBIS Standards

The standard highlights the school’s strong focus on safeguarding students and staff through fair recruitment and robust child protection. It requires transparent hiring practices, verified staff records, and regular policy reviews. All personnel must follow clear safeguarding procedures, receive ongoing training, and have secure management of protection records. Special attention is given to diversity and safely checking external providers.

Fair and transparent recruitment for all staff and governors.
Verified staff files and regular DEIJB-aligned policy reviews.
Clear child protection policies known to the school community.
Mandatory safeguarding training for all staff, including new hires.
Secure child protection record-keeping.
Proper checks on external providers working with children.
Policies address diverse student needs.

Roles and Responsibilities

Teach For Life | Executive will:

Prevent people who pose a risk of harm from working with children by having effective policies and procedures in place for the recruitment of staff and volunteers in accordance with the UK guidance and recommendations for Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 and international standards.

Ensure that it meets its commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people by carrying out all necessary pre-employment checks.

Ensure that candidates placed in UAE-based roles comply with school regulatory requirements (e.g., ADEK’s Irtiqaa framework, KHDA’s DSIB, or MOE standards), including safeguarding training, licensing, and adherence to local staff code of conduct and professional ethics frameworks

Recruitment and Selection Process

All those involved with the recruitment and employment of staff to work with children will be trained to a recognised standards in safer recruitment.

Teach For Life | Executive Search

ensures at least one person who conducts an interview has completed training in safer recruitment.
uses a deter statement with each advertisement
Asks a child protection question at screening
Asks a child protection question within the application form
Requests police checks/good conduct certificate globally and confirms previous addresses
Confirms identity with a drivers licence and passport
Checks all qualifications
Checks if documents are attested (where necessary)
Uses reference checks
Suggests further checks are conducted by the school with registered organisations

Teach For Life | Executive will designate a Safeguarding lead who will:

Be trained in safeguarding, child protection and safer recruitment
Ensure compliance across the company
Complete internal audits on processes
Ensure an annual plan for the company
Conduct annual risk assessment in this area

Recruitment Training

All staff involved with recruiting and selecting staff are trained in child safeguarding and the requirements and behaviours required to ensure safe and fair recruitment.

This formal training, with a specialist company, includes the principles and procedures set out in this policy.

Recruitment procedures

Recruitment advertising includes a role description including the qualities and standards required in the successful candidate, and details of the checking procedures to be carried out.

Application/Registration Forms will include safeguarding questions for the candidate
Reference forms used will address safeguarding training, reporting, offences and any disclosures
A Personal declaration will also address any concerns and will allow for self-reporting and updating since the last police check

As part of your application for leadership roles in the UAE, you will be required to comply with local safeguarding, licensing, and background screening laws. This includes submitting attested academic documents, police clearance certificates, and possibly medical clearance. Teach For Life | Executive will guide you through this process, but it is your responsibility to ensure all legal requirements are met to proceed to final hiring stages.

Teach For Life | Executive will also ensure that all prospective applicants provide the following:

Personal details, current and former names, current address and national insurance number; details of their present (or last) employment and reason for leaving;
Full employment history, (since leaving school, including education, employment and voluntary work) including reasons for any gaps in employment. This may be detailed on curriculum vitae; qualifications, the awarding body and date of award;
Details of referees/references
Teach For Life accepts Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a completed application form is required; the 2 documents are used in conjunction with each other.

Shortlisting

In order to ensure that candidates have the opportunity to share relevant information and allow for this to be discussed at interview stage, all shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a self-declaration.

Additionally any areas that cause concern are raised and that reasons are given for any inconsistencies and for gaps in employment and reasons given for them; and all potential concerns are explored.

Employment History and References

All offers of employment made by Teach For Life will be subject to the receipt of a minimum of two written professional references, this will include from the most recent assignments.

Teach For Life | Executive Search follows strict standards and therefore will:

· Accept open references as additional to referees listed including supervisors, but not in place of.

· not rely on applicants to obtain their references;

· ensure any references from the candidate’s current employer have been completed by a senior person with appropriate authority (if the referee is school or college based, the reference should be confirmed by the headteacher/principal as accurate in respect to disciplinary investigations);

· obtain verification of the individual’s most recent relevant period of employment where the applicant is not currently employed;

· secure a reference from the relevant employer from the last time the applicant worked with children (if not currently working with children), if the applicant has never worked with children, then secure a reference from their current employer;

· always verify any information with the person who provided the reference;

· ensure electronic references originate from a legitimate source;

· contact referees to clarify content where information is vague or insufficient information is provided; and

· compare the information on the application form with that in the reference and take up any discrepancies with the candidate.

· establish the reason for the candidate leaving their current or most recent post, and,

· ensure any concerns are resolved satisfactorily before appointment is confirmed.

Employment Selection

Teach For Life | Executive Search uses a range of selection techniques to identify the most suitable person for posts.

All interview questions will include:

finding out what attracted the candidate to the post being applied for and their motivation for working with children;
exploring their skills and asking for examples of experience of working with children which are relevant to the role; and
probing any gaps in employment or where the candidate has changed employment or location frequently, asking about the reasons for this.

All information considered in decision making will be clearly recorded along with decisions made.

Deter Statement

All roles advertised by Teach For Life | Executive Search will include (in the application form or elsewhere) the following statement:

Teach For Life | Executive Search utilises safer recruitment procedures to ensure compliance with child protection requirements in all employment processes. The policies for safer recruitment are aligned with best practice and the International Taskforce for Child Protection. We hold ourselves to a high standard of effective practices in relation to child protection and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. Successful applicants will be subject, but not limited to various background and security checks including receipt of satisfactory references, proof of qualifications, identification and police checks, including overseas checks.

Public Website Statement

Teach For Life Commitment to Child Protection

Teach For Life | Executive Search is committed to providing safer recruitment practices for schools. We have established internal systems to ensure that all staff we help schools recruit are not only qualified and experienced but also vetted and screened in compliance with international standards.

We believe our processes help schools adhere to the moral principles of organizations like the CIS and COBIS and the protocols of the International Taskforce on Child Protection (ITFCP). By ensuring excellence in our standards and expectations, we support schools in meeting their accreditation requirements, international protocols, and all applicable laws regarding child protection.

Teach For Life | Executive Search acknowledges and supports international child protection protocols, including the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These principles assert that all children have equal rights to protection from harm and abuse, and that everyone, especially schools, has a responsibility to protect them and build a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.

All Teach For Life search staff undergo annual training from a specialised provider and are regularly briefed on safer recruitment protocols and reporting requirements. We also conduct internal and external audits to verify and validate our systems, ensuring that we maintain the highest standards in child protection.

Assurance

All partners and clients receive a letter confirms that Teach For Life complies fully with International TaskForce for Child Protection recommendations. It states:

We are partnered with safeguarding experts to ensure all expectations and standards are met for safer recruitment compliance. All our staff are trained, and we adhere to international standards in safer recruitment compliance.

All staff are recruited within the safer recruitment process. Teach For Life carries out all the following necessary employment checks for its staff and its international clientele to meet your accreditation requirements including:

International police checks
Identity checks using drivers’ licence and passport(s)
Proof of address
Employment references for work history
Referee checks
Qualification review
Teacher registration licence
National police checks such as ACRO, FBI, AFP, GARDA
Further checks on individuals who have lived or worked abroad (certificate of good conduct) and previous addresses
Application form with specific child protection questions
Interview with child protection specific questions
Recent (last 12 months) Child Protection training

Teach For Life also carries out online checks. In addition, as part of the shortlisting process schools should consider carrying out an online search as part of their due diligence on the shortlisted candidates. This may help identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which the school might want to explore with the applicant at interview.

In addition to the above, Teach For Life confirms that the following annual training is undertaken by all staff:

Safeguarding
Safer Recruitment

The Safeguarding Lead undertakes regular safeguarding training (DSL) in addition to the above and reviews compliance annually within the company. Teach For Life fully recognises its responsibilities with regard to child protection and safer recruitment. We therefore comply with the detailed provisions concerning the safeguarding of children and safer recruitment in education. Teach For Life is a consultancy supporting education agencies as a sub-contractor. We will do all we can to ensure that all those working with children through Teach For Life are suitable people.

This involves scrutinising applicants, verifying their identity, checking their employment history and qualifications and obtaining independent professional and character references that answer specific questions to help assess their suitability to working with children. We will integrate child protection measures into our practices and we will promote these measures within our client schools. We have received training in child protection and safer recruitment and will endeavour to up to date with annual requirements.

Equality and Inclusion

Teach For Life is committed to anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, nationality, gender, age, or sexual orientation. All recruitment processes reflect DEIJB-aligned principles and practices.

Data Protection & Confidentiality

Teach For Life collects and stores candidate data in compliance with:

UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 (2021)
GDPR (EU/UK for international data flow)

We:

Limit access to personal data to trained staff
Retain data only for lawful, safeguarding-related purposes
Allow candidates to request access, correction, or deletion of data
Securely destroy records when no longer required
Right to access, rectify or erase personal data
Right to withdraw consent
Right to data portability

Teach For Life collects, uses and protects information provided to us when an individual or institution applies for or contracts to use any of its services. We are committed to ensuring that the privacy of candidates is protected. All data is protected.

Our Data Protection Officer oversees compliance and ensures data processing is minimised, stored securely, and only accessed by authorised personnel.

Board and HR Advisory

Each client receives a letter addressed to support the School Board and Search Committee outlines the final stages of the international recruitment process suggesting safeguarding measures, emphasizing the importance of thorough vetting and strategic interviewing. Teach For Life highlights two critical phases:

Comprehensive Vetting: Teach For Life stresses the need for robust background checks that adhere to "Safer Recruitment" standards, especially for roles involving children. The letter lists essential documents and verifications, including international and national police checks, identity and qualification verification, and recent child protection training certificates.
Strategic Interviewing: Teach For Life recommends forming a small search committee of 3-4 members to conduct the final interviews. To help the committee assess candidates comprehensively, the letter suggests a series of interview topics. These questions are designed to gauge a candidate's cultural and emotional intelligence, leadership skills, self-awareness, and their fit with the specific requirements of the role, such as governance, safeguarding, and school operations.

Teach For Life's letter to partner clients outlines key safeguarding measures for the arrival of a new Head of School or Director. The firm emphasises its commitment to safer recruitment and adherence to international standards. Teach For Life confirms it has already completed a number of employment checks for candidates, including international police checks, identity verification, qualification reviews, and specific child protection screening interviews.

The letter encourages partner schools to perform several additional checks to ensure a comprehensive safeguarding process.

Verify Credentials: Partner schools should conduct additional reference checks with former supervisors and verify all qualifications by sighting original or attested documents and academic transcripts.
Maintain Records: It's recommended that the HR department, under the supervision of the Designated Safeguarding Lead, create and maintain a Single Central Register for all new personnel.
Establish Internal Procedures: All staff should read and sign the school's professional code of conduct and complete an annual self-declaration to report any new misdemeanors or convictions.
Mandate Training: The letter advises that all staff complete child protection training at the beginning of the academic year.

As part of UAE safeguarding laws, designated staff within schools must ensure any concerns are reported immediately in accordance with Wadeema Law. Failure to comply can result in institutional liability. Teach For Life encourages client schools to review their internal reporting mechanisms regularly.

Safer Recruitment Policy

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