Don’t skimp on background checks on teacher job candidates, education recruiter warns s

ILFORD, U.K. - Aug. 4, 2015 - PRLog -- Reports this week that schools in one county in England received applications for teaching vacancies from candidates with more than 1,000 criminal offences - including making an indecent image of a child, arson and drug dealing – since 2012 underlines the importance of solid background checks on candidates, according to one specialist teacher recruitment agency.

TLTP Education says that the experience in Lancashire, reported after a Freedom of Information request to the Disclosure and Barring Service, is unlikely to be unique to the area and may be similarly reflected in other parts of the country.

The report revealed that would-be teachers and teaching assistants living in the Preston (PR) postal area had amassed 454 offences between them. Lancashire County Council is reported as saying that it does not know how many people with criminal records have successfully applied for teaching jobs in the county as the information is held by individual schools.

“Even though responsibility for recruitment of teachers has been passed to individual schools, we still see some confusion about where schools can turn for support and information, particularly on issues like regulatory changes and market developments,” explains Darryl Mydat, Managing Director, TLTP Education.

“This is where specialist recruiters, especially those that hold REC audited status, can really add value, by providing a level of background checks on candidates that schools may either not have the time or the knowledge to do for themselves. With demand for teachers outstripping supply it may be tempting to take a candidate who, on paper, looks impressive but without the robust recruitment, selection and vetting processes that a recruitment agency would deploy before allowing them to start work in a school.”

As a holder of the REC Audited Award, the gold standard in safeguarding, TLTP employs consultants, each committed to delivering an unrivalled first-class service to schools and teaching candidates. Thorough attention to detail underlines the company’s belief that placing the very best teachers into schools is paramount to enhancing opportunities and prospects for future generations.

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