The recruitment industry claims that the latest report on checking the criminal records of teachers and others supplied by agencies puts the responsibility squarely back on schools. 

After a report from the Office in Standards for Education (Ofsted), Education secretary Alan Johnson said he was announcing new measures aimed at ensuring tighter controls on recruitment.
Ofsted’s Chief Inspector said it was highly likely that schools were making the appropriate checks but they needed to keep proper records to demonstrate that they had.

Johnson’s measures include: updating guidance to schools, spelling out that they are responsible for requesting full details of Criminal Records Bureau checks carried out on staff supplied through an agency; and the need for schools to keep a record that these checks have been verified.

Tom Hadley, director of external relations at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, told Recruiter: “We saw the Ofsted report as quite positive. It’s not blaming agencies, but telling schools to be more selective. The REC supports its supply teacher agencies day in day out through its legal helpline and the provision of updates on current vetting procedures." 

Stephen Lawrence, chief executive of recruitment agency Protocol Education Limited said: “It puzzles me why head teachers and school governors take the risk of using an unvetted worker when using a certified agency with the DfES Quality Mark ensures a rigorous vetting procedure”.