Interviews

First, make sure you have the right set up for the interview.

• Have you got at least two people on the panel that are trained in safeguarding and recruitment?
• Have you created open questions that assess the candidates understanding and experience of good safeguarding practice? Are they appropriate to that role?
• Have you created questions that explore people’s values and push them to give examples of their actions?
• Do you have the right skills for the question types you are using? For example, a type called Warner Questions, used by organisations working directly with children. However, they should only be used by Warner trained interviewers.
• Could you include the people the candidates will work with? Either as a practical session, a representative on a panel or an informal discussion.

Worrying traits to watch out for include:

• lack of understanding of safeguarding, or limitations to that understanding
• not providing examples to support their answers
• using inappropriate language to describe people
• unwilling to follow rules, procedures or work with others.