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Safeguarding

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 First Advantage Online Disclosures to complete DBS checks and there is no cost to you. You can find a full guide to the First Advantage Online Disclosures process on the First Advantage Online Disclosures website.  Applications can be made from 1 June 2024.

Completing your application

• Access the First Advantage Online Disclosure website
• Click on the “Register” button to create an account
• Use the following organisation PIN and password to complete registration:
  Organisation PIN: 150699
  Password: UoNTeach

Once you have registered please follow the online instructions to complete your application selecting the ID documents you wish you use to verify your identity. At the end of the application you will be asked whether you want to have your identity documents verified at a Post Office or by the university, select the option that is most convenient for you.

Providing documents 

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.

Verifying documents

Verification at the Post Office 

If you choose to have your documents verified at the Post Office you will be invited to print off a pre-populated form with your personal details and an ID link. You need to take this together with the three original identity documents cited in your application to the nearest Crown Post Office. Please visit the Post Office website for details of the nearest Crown Post Office where you can complete your GBG Verification. 

Verification at the University of Nottingham

To have your documents verified by the university you need to take the three original documents that you have cited on your application to the Student Services Centre on Jubilee Campus. Please follow the instructions on the Need help? webpage when arranging a visit to a Student Service Centre.

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.

Questions

If you have any queries, please contact the relevant team below:

• First Advantage Online Disclosures for queries relating to the online process
  You can email or call +44 (0)115 969 4600
• Student Services for queries about an existing DBS certificate and the update service

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.