Compliance Assistant: Safer Recruitment

We are looking to appoint a Compliance Assistant to join the Compliance Team as part of the Harris Federation Head Office, taking responsibility for Safer Recruitment.

The Compliance Assistant will provide specialist advice and guidance on all aspects of safer recruitment, including DBS checks and relevant statutory vetting checks for staff in a wide range of Secondary, All-through and Primary academies, predominantly based in the South London area. You will have regular and varied engagement with academy staff, including safer recruitment compliance visits and training.

The successful candidate must have excellent administrative skills and a meticulous eye for detail. A background in education is not essential, although experience in pre-employment checks is desirable. Training and professional development will be a fundamental part of the role, with opportunities to progress within the organisation.

You will be based at the Harris Federation central offices in East Croydon, and travel to academies will be a regular requirement.

About Us

The Harris Federation is a leading education charity with 51 Harris primary and secondary academies across London and Essex. The founder, Chairman and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We now educate some 38,000 young people and closing the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers has always been a core mission. 

The successful candidate will be based at our central office located next to East Croydon station with easy access to London Bridge and Victoria as well as fast access to the M25, and will travel to various academies for Governing Body meetings.

Our central team comprises of a dedicated, driven group of departments working centrally to provide support across the Federation and all of our academies. Across a multitude of key departments, we maintain an outstanding body of staff all integral to supporting central and academy finance, HR, Data, Estates management, Talent and many more. We look for dedicated experts in their fields to support this work. If you would like to join the administration and operational development of a highly successful multi-academy trust, then this may be the opportunity for you.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Reporting to the Federation’s Safer Recruitment Officer, you will be responsible for assisting in the monitoring, tracking and reporting of safer recruitment compliance across the Federation’s academies.  Specific areas of responsibility will include: 

• audit academy SCRs and identify gaps and issues as directed by the Safer Recruitment Officer. 
• produce written action plans for academy and Head Office HR Officers to follow to ensure full compliance. 
• provide subject matter training and support to academy and Head Office HR Officers to ensure the Single Central Record (SCR) is fully compliant and fit for purpose; 
• contribute to safer recruitment status reports for the Assistant Directors, Principals and Head Office HR Officers. 
• provide support to academies during Ofsted Inspections of the SCR; 
• assist the Safer Recruitment Officer in raising awareness of SCR requirements and wider safer recruitment procedures. 
• support the Safer Recruitment Officer with projects and pieces of work including, developing templates, communications to staff and training etc. 
• contribute to termly training sessions for the HR Network. 
• escalate any relevant issues to the Safer Recruitment Officer providing practical and value adding solutions.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience 

• Working knowledge of safer recruitment practices within the education sector - as set out in the Department for Education’s Keeping Children Safe in Education document. 
• Experience of working in a professional and high-paced environment. 
• Excellent attention to detail, including proof reading skills, with the ability to maintain a high level of accuracy

Personal Qualities and Skills 

• Proven and well developed interpersonal skills, including good communication both written and verbal. 
• Good administrative and organisational skills, with close attention to detail. 
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 applications. 
• Professional working ethic and a commitment to high standards.

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact careers@harrisfederation.org.uk to arrange a conversation with the Director.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.

Rewards & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.