The Oak Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Any offer of employment will be subject to checks being carried out in order to ensure that you are not subject to a prohibition order or an interim prohibition order.
I understand that if shortlisted, the Trust may carry out an online search as part of their due diligence (KCSIE 2024, paragraph 221). This is to help identify any incidents or issues that may have happened and are publicly available online. I understand that any concerns will be explored at interview.
As an applicant it is an offence to apply for a role that involves engaging in regulated activity relevant to children, schools and colleges if you are barred from engaging in such activity.
All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, the amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provides that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-filtering-guidance/dbs-filtering-guide
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings that are not “protected” prior to the date of the interview. You may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your appointment is confirmed.
Please note that a conviction will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining employment.