Section 3.4: Employees - Application Process

Requirements

3.4.1 When applying for an employed role that falls within the scope of this code, all applicants must be given access to the following information: 

  • The church body’s:
    • Statement of its commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
    • Safeguarding Policy. 
    • Safer Recruitment Policy. 
    • Whistleblowing Policy. 
    • Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy1
  • The job description and person specification. 
  • The selection procedure for the post. 
  • A privacy notice detailing how the applicant’s personal data will be processed during the recruitment and selection process. 

3.4.2 An application form must be used for recruitment to all employed roles that fall within the scope of this code.  CVs must not be accepted on their own. 

3.4.3 All application forms for employed roles must include:  

  • Personal details including current names, and contact details (home address, email address, telephone number). 

  • Qualifications, where appropriate/required. 

  • An opportunity for the applicant to address the criteria set out in the person specification, including details of the skills and attributes they bring to the role. 

  • A completed Church of England Confidential Declaration form (see Section 3.5: Confidential Declarations). 

  • Details of referees (see Section 3.8.1: Pre-appointment checks).  

  • Full history since leaving school - education, employment and any voluntary work, including present (or most recent) employment and reason for leaving, as well as an explanation of any gaps. 

  • A declaration that all information provided on the application form is “true & complete”. 

  • 1

    This document is only necessary if the church body is a Registered Body or is in receipt of DBS Update Service information. A registered body is an organisation that has registered with the DBS to submit standard and enhanced checks and is entitled by law to ask an individual to reveal their full criminal history.

Guidance  

3.4.1 - 3.4.3 Applications  
Why? 

An application pack and the completion of an application form is important in relation to safeguarding for the following reasons: 

  • It reinforces the value that the church body places on work with children, young people and vulnerable adults and the seriousness with which it takes the appointment of those who work with such groups. 

  • It gives a clear signal to anyone intent on abusing the trust placed in them that the church body is vigilant about the safety and protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

How? 

Every candidate should be expected to complete an application form and it is important that all candidates are treated fairly and in a transparent and equitable way, however well they are known.   A standardised application form helps ensure information can be gathered in a consistent format.  

In some church bodies, application packs may be in paper format, but in others this will mean providing a link to the church body’s website where all relevant information can be found, including the statements and policies as outlined in this code. 

The application form should request important information about an applicant’s history, including his/her experience of working or volunteering with the relevant group (i.e. children, young people and/or vulnerable adults) and his/her motivation for working with this group. Only information that is needed to assess the applicant’s suitability at this stage should be requested. 

Whilst it is recognised that applicants might find it hard to remember full histories, any gaps must still be identified and explored as far as possible.   

It is good practice to include a declaration on the application form that all information provided on the application form is “true & complete”. 

Example:   

“I confirm that to the best of my knowledge the information I have provided on this form is correct and I accept that providing deliberately false information could result in dismissal from my role”. 

If the individual is shortlisted (see Section 3.6: Shortlisting Applicants), then the information provided within an application form can be followed up during the subsequent interview process, e.g. if someone has moved from role to role, each time getting involved in children’s or vulnerable adults’ work for only a relatively short time, or there are large and/or frequent gaps in someone’s history then these are things that should be flagged and explored during the interview.