COBIS - Committed to Safeguarding

COBIS schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. All applicants to COBIS schools must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers. COBIS requires all prospective and member schools to complete mandatory regular training in both Safer Recruitment and Child Protection.

Click here to view the latest COBIS Safeguarding Update.

COBIS strongly recommends that all teachers undergo a Prohibition Order check. We are working in collaboration with the Department for Education (DfE) to offer access to this service to overseas schools.
View the Department for Education (DfE) Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment guidance
Our colleagues at the Council of International Schools have put together a helpful briefing document covering the appropriate police background checks to obtain from prospective employees' current and previous countries of employment and residence.

Safeguarding Policy Guidelines

Following consultation and research with COBIS headteachers, DSLs and the COBIS Safeguarding Committee, our safeguarding team have compiled guidelines for member schools to draw on and consider when reviewing and updating their child protection and safeguarding policies.

A summary of this extensive document can be found here and the full document can be reviewed in the COBIS Members area of our website. Please contact natalie.williams@cobis.org.uk if you require support to login.

Department for Education (UK) Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment Guidance

Safer Recruitment and Child Protection Training

International Child Protection Certificate

The International Task Force on Child Protection

Education Portal

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

Department for Education (DfE) Guidance on Keeping Children Safe in Education - Revision

In September 2016 the DfE issued a revised version of the statutory guidance - Keeping Children Safe in Education. This is a useful guide for COBIS Schools which sets out the responsibilities of all local authorities, schools and Further Education colleges (in England) to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.

Download the Guidance

The NSPCC have also published a briefing on the key updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education. Click here to download the NSPCC briefing

A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) is only available to any school that is based or has a HQ in England and Wales and is making the recruitment decision in England and Wales. If you do meet the eligibility criteria of a DBS set by the Home Office you can apply through uCheck or contact us for more details.
Overseas schools who do not meet the eligibility criteria and therefore cannot request a DBS for their staff can instead apply for an International Child Protection Certificate. Please see ACRO for more details. The Frequently Asked Questions on the ACRO website is a handy source of information too please follow this link.
Barring Referrals for any British national suspected of an allegation can be made from overseas to the DBS please follow this link for more details. It is the same procedure for both UK and overseas schools.
If you have further questions or need more advice on the DBS and the ICPC please contact the safeguarding team at COBIS.