How vetting and recruitment processes impact the safety of an organisation, and the public 

Relevant vetting is an obvious and important part of the recruitment process for any organisation but especially within certain industries and for particular roles. Safer recruitment involves ensuring such recruitment processes are in place to prevent unsuitable applicants from entering jobs working with children or vulnerable adults or in public facing roles. 

Safer recruitment processes were put in place following the Soham report in 2004, which identified the need to strengthen recruitment processes designed to be a part of a set of initiatives to keep children and vulnerable adults safe. 

It involves ensuring the application systems are suitable and secure as well as discouraging inappropriate candidates. It is expected that organisations should be able to identify and explore and concerns and create a culture of vigilance that extends into their communities. 

Last week, the independent Angiolini Inquiry report was released, which was commissioned to investigate the circumstances that led to Wayne Couzens being employed in the police service. Couzens was a serving police officer when he committed the crimes of abduction, rape and murder in 2021.  He was sentenced to whole-life prison term. 

He had worked as a police officer for twenty years and evidence suggests several incidents of indecent exposure were committed during this time, which were not thoroughly investigated, according to the report and questions are being asked regarding how these incidents were not picked up sooner. 

The Metropolitan Police service are under pressure to ensure a ‘radical overhaul’ of their recruitment processes following the Angiolini Inquiry and this will be something that will become a concern of many organisations nationwide, not just the police service.  

Thorough training and setting up of robust processes when it comes to hiring more staff help to ensure public safety. Watch our video on what safer recruitment means to businesses here.

BLS Stay Compliant offers safer recruitment training to ensure your processes are suitable and at the highest level of security when it comes to protecting children and vulnerable adults. The training also ensures staff are aware of how to recognize and deal with unsuitable applicants and potential offenders. Our next online training will be held on 14th May 2024, you can book online here or if you would prefer bespoke training to your organisation, please just get in touch.