The school is committed to ensuring that safeguarding is a top priority and will consider carrying out online searches on shortlisted candidates as part of their due diligence. Online searches solely aim to help identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which the school may want to explore with the applicant at interview.
Online searches will be conducted on shortlisted candidates only, and only where the school considers this appropriate. Online searches will only examine data that is publicly available.
Online searches will be carried out by an individual who is independent of the recruitment process to minimise the risk of bias or discrimination and to ensure that only relevant information is considered. The person responsible for carrying out online searches will have due regard to part 3 of KCSIE (Keeping Children Safe in Education).
The online search process may include searching for the candidate by name via search engines and social media, such as:
When carrying out searches of shortlisted candidates’ online presence, the school will look out for indicators of concern, such as:
- Inappropriate behaviour, jokes or language
- Discriminatory comments
- Inappropriate images
- Drug or alcohol misuse
- Anything that suggests the candidate may not be suitable to work with children.
Any concerns will be addressed during the interview process. The school will ensure that candidates are given an opportunity to discuss any concerns raised by the online search.