The Hopscotch People & Development Lead conducts initial suitability checks on all candidates, including address verification.
Interview Process
Suitable candidates are interviewed by the Nursery Manager, ideally with another management team member. Pre-approved questions ensure fair treatment. Interview notes are filed or securely disposed of based on the outcome.
Background Checks
DBS
Enhanced DBS check for all staff and volunteers via Zinc. ID verification completed as part of this process.
References
Two employment references, dated within the last five years, that:
Are not open references (e.g. “To whom it may concern”)
Are requested directly from employers, not submitted by candidates
Include a reference from relevant employer of the last time the candidate worked with children, if not currently working with children. If applicant has never worked with children, ensure reference is from current employer, training provider or education setting
Are completed by a senior person with appropriate authority if from candidate’s current employer, training provider or education setting
Cannot be completed by family members
Include verification of individual’s most recent relevant period of employment, if candidate is not currently employed,
Originate from a legitimate source, verified where needed
These requirements are checked by nursery managers following receipt of Zinc report from People & Development Lead using the checklist found in Appendix 1.
Staff Qualifications
People & Development Lead’s sole responsibility is to obtain references and pass these on to the nursery DSL (nursery management team), in which they will review using professional curiosity and make enquiries where necessary.
Nursery managers must:
Contact referees to clarify content where information is vague or insufficient information is provided
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.
Recruitment is not confirmed until all suitability checks are fully completed.
Ongoing Suitability
Staff must complete and regularly update:
Staff Suitability / Criminal History form
Health Statement
Required Training
Before starting work, staff must complete courses on:
Safeguarding Children
Prevent Awareness
Recognising and Preventing FGM
Food Standards Food Allergens and Intolerance
What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused
In addition to this training, all new staff members will receive in house Hopscotch safeguarding training within the first 3 months of employment. The training slides can be found here: 🌻Safeguarding Resources. More information can be found in this policy under Hopscotch Safeguarding Training.
Induction Process
Nursery Managers are responsible for thorough staff induction, covering:
Roles and responsibilities
Emergency procedures
Safeguarding and child protection
Health and safety
The Nursery Management Team follow a comprehensive induction passport tailored to the role. Only upon completion can a new employee pass probation. Hopscotch induction passports can be accessed here - Hopscotch Induction Passports.
A link to all Hopscotch policies and procedures is provided in the onboarding email. Digital versions are accessible on the Hopscotch 📜Policies.
New Staff and Volunteer Requirements
All new staff and volunteers must:
Understand safeguarding and child protection policies
Recognize signs of child abuse
Know how to respond to child disclosures
Understand the procedure for reporting child welfare concerns
Staff Suitability Policy
Ongoing suitability of staff at each Hopscotch nursery setting is the responsibility of the Nursery Manager and Nursery Management Team.
They must undertake ongoing suitability assessments of all their staff teams and ensure that supervision, appraisals, training and other performance review and improvement tools are implemented effectively. Any reservations about the suitability of any member of staff working at Hopscotch should lead to prompt action i.e. a change of duties or tasks. If the Nursery Manager is not sure then they should discuss the matter with the Hopscotch Head of Operations, the Hopscotch HR Manager or the Hopscotch Managing Director. Failure to protect the wellbeing and welfare of children attending Hopscotch by not undertaking ongoing suitability assessments and checks could be considered a failure to properly implement effective safeguarding measures and could result in disciplinary action being taken.
Hopscotch is committed to ensuring that all staff, including students, volunteers and any agency/supply staff are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their role in order to work with or be in regular contact with children. We have effective systems in place to ensure that this includes making a decision about suitability, as part of the recruitment process and monitoring continued suitability, as part of regular staff and/or student supervision.
The HR Manager and Nursery Manager are responsible for ensuring that all staff and students have an enhanced check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), and that the results of such a check are assessed as part of a decision on suitability.
We will always endeavour to ensure staff will have checks completed prior to starting employment. However, if there are delays in checks coming through, as a last resort staff may work in the nursery before these checks are completed but they must be supervised at all times by staff who already hold an enhanced check and the check has been applied for. All nursery staff will be informed of any staff awaiting enhanced DBS clearance.
Staff awaiting these checks will never:
Be left unsupervised whilst caring for children
Take children for toilet visits unless supervised by staff holding an enhanced check
Change nappies
Be left alone in a room or outside with children
Administer medication
Administer first aid
Take photographs of any children
Be involved in looking at a child’s learning and development log, but can contribute to it
Have access to children’s personal details and records.
While adhering to the above list, we recognise that it is vital that the staff member awaiting an enhanced disclosure is made to feel part of the team and we support them in participating fully in every other aspect of the nursery day.
We recognise that the enhanced DBS disclosure is only one part of a suitability decision and nursery management will ensure every individual working with a child goes through a vigorous recruitment and induction procedure (as laid out in the Safe Recruitment policy). We will also ensure they receive continuous support, training and supervision from management in order to provide a safe, secure and healthy environment for all children in the nursery. We act on any information that comes to our attention that suggests someone may no longer be suitable for their role.
All students will also receive an interview to ensure they are suitable for the nursery and an induction process to ensure they fully understand and are able to implement the nursery procedures, working practices and values. All students will be fully supervised to ensure they receive the appropriate support, training and information they may require.
We request confirmation that all necessary checks have been completed by the agency before using any supply/agency staff. We have a short induction prior to them working with the children. It is our policy that all agency/supply staff are fully supervised and not left alone with children.
Once checks are obtained we record the criminal records check reference number, the date the check was obtained and details of who obtained it. We also collect this information for any agency/supply staff prior to using them.
Managing Allegations Against People Working with Children
All management, staff, volunteers and contractors working at the childcare setting will undergo rigorous suitability checks in line with our safe recruitment policies.
Ongoing suitability of staff is monitored through:
regular supervisions
peer observations
frequent declarations of staff suitability
safeguarding competencies
regular review of DBS using the online update service
frequent safeguarding training courses and audits
If an allegation is made against a member of staff, student or volunteer or any other person who lives or works on the nursery premises regardless of whether the allegation relates to the nursery premises or elsewhere, we will follow the procedure below.
An allegation against a member of staff/student/volunteer/supply staff or any other person may relate to a person who has:
behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;
behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she may pose a risk of harm to children; or
behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.
The allegation should be reported to the senior manager on duty or one of the DSLs. If this person is the subject of the allegation then this should be reported to the Hopscotch Senior Management Team (Managing Director and or Operations Manager) instead. Further information on this is set out in Hopscotch's Reporting Safeguarding Concerns poster.
If the allegation involves allegations about a member of staff then the member of staff should be put onto non-contact duties in the nursery as soon as is reasonably practicable and until a first fact finding process has been undertaken. At this juncture a decision should be made about whether the member of staff should be suspended pending further investigation or whether they can return to their usual duties.
At Hopscotch we will follow relevant local safeguarding partnership guidelines about how to report an allegation:
If as an individual you feel this will not be taken seriously or are worried about the allegation getting back to the person in question then it is your duty to inform the local authority children’s social care team directly;
The local authority children’s social care team will be informed immediately for advice and guidance;
A full investigation will be carried out by the appropriate professionals (local authority children’s social care team, Ofsted) to determine how this will be handled;
The nursery will follow all instructions from the relevant organisations if deemed serious enough for their involvement. All staff members should be expected to do the same and co-operate where required;
Support will be provided to all those involved in an allegation throughout the external investigation in line with local authority children’s social care team support and advice;
The nursery reserves the right to suspend any member of staff during an investigation. Legal advice should always be sought at all junctures in order to ensure compliance with the law;
All enquiries/external investigations/interviews will be documented and kept in a locked file for access by the relevant authorities;
Founded allegations will be passed on to the relevant organisations including the local authority children’s social care team and where an offence is believed to have been committed, the police will also be informed;
Founded allegations will be dealt with as gross misconduct in accordance with our disciplinary procedures and may result in the termination of employment, Ofsted will be notified immediately of this decision along with notifying the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure their records are updated;
It may be that the person against who the allegations are made decide to leave their employment before the conclusion of any investigation. If the investigation might have prompted disciplinary action which might have resulted in their dismissal then the DBS service should be informed. Further consultation on this point can be sought from the LADO.
All safeguarding records will be kept until the person reaches normal retirement age or for 21 years and 3 months if that is longer. This will ensure accurate information is available for references and future DBS checks and avoids any unnecessary reinvestigation;
The nursery retains the right to dismiss any member of staff in connection with founded allegations following an inquiry;
Unfounded allegations will result in all rights being reinstated;
A return to work plan will be put in place for any member of staff returning to work after an allegation has been deemed unfounded. Individual support will be offered to meet the needs of the individual staff member and the nature of the incident; this may include more frequent supervisions, coaching and mentoring and external support.
Staff Training and Development
We are committed to ensuring all staff are qualified, have opportunities for professional development and have relevant up-to-date training in safeguarding children.
All new staff, volunteers and students will participate in an induction programme before taking up their duties and will be allocated an experienced member of staff to mentor them for the duration of the induction.
All staff will be required to complete online child protection training upon appointment.
All volunteers and students will be required to complete the online child protection training.
All training must reflect the requirements of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 and informed by the Brighton & Hove Local Safeguarding Children Board training strategy and plans.
Staff are required to update their knowledge by attending Brighton & Hove Council approved training every two years.
Staff supervision meetings will record discussions regarding continuing professional development and subsequent identification and planning of training to meet those needs.
Staff will receive training in FGM and Prevent.
All Lead Practitioners and members of the Nursery Management Team will receive Designated Safeguarding Lead training. All DSLs will provide feedback upon receiving DSL training, in order for the DSL Committee to review safeguarding policies annually.
Hopscotch Safeguarding Training
In addition to this training, all new staff members will receive in-house Hopscotch safeguarding training within their first three months of employment. This training is specifically tailored to Early Years practice and goes beyond statutory requirements. It is delivered by a trained Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and refreshed annually for all staff.
The training is interactive and scenario-based, using both real and hypothetical situations to ensure staff develop a practical understanding of safeguarding in everyday nursery life, allowing staff to explore different perspectives and consider appropriate responses. The training slides can be found here: 🌻Safeguarding Resources.
To support staff in applying their knowledge, managers provide follow-up opportunities for reflection during supervision and team meetings. Staff are encouraged to discuss how safeguarding principles apply in their daily work, identify challenges, and share effective practice.
Management adopts a dynamic and responsive approach to staff development. This means that if concerns are identified regarding an individual’s confidence, understanding, or practice, targeted support or additional training will be arranged. This may include refresher sessions, one-to-one coaching with a DSL, or specialist training focused on specific safeguarding themes. This ensures all staff remain confident, competent, and able to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities effectively.