Safeguarding Standards
In 2014 three ITFCP committees were established to review and assess current practice in three distinct areas. Further information about these committees and the international safeguarding standards and work products that resulted from them is available via the links below.
School Evaluation Standards
Between February and May 2016, these standards were adopted by the U.S. regional accreditation agencies, the Council of International Schools (CIS), the International Baccalaureate (IB), the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), and agencies conducting British inspection overseas.
The new standards are articulated in two distinct domains:
- Essential Questions: 13 Questions which should be comprehensively considered, and which form the basis of whole school community dialogue on policies and practices related to safeguarding and child protection.
- Expectations: 18 Essential Elements which school evaluation, accreditation and inspection agencies are strongly encouraged to adopt as essential requirements within their evaluation programmes as appropriate.
These standards are fully aligned with the values statements contained within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
School Recruitment Standards
Essential Recruiting Practices for international school communities were formulated by the International Taskforce Recruitment Committee following a year-long pilot at 75 schools globally. This document includes a checklist of core and recommended recruiting practices for schools to use when screening and assessing candidates, and is accessible here:
As a first step in adopting these recommendations, the Taskforce strongly recommends that all schools broadly post a statement of commitment to safer recruitment practices in all places, including the following statement on all documents used as part of their recruitment and selection processes:
Aligned with the recommendations of the International Taskforce on Child Protection, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection.
- International Safeguarding Standards: Recruitment and Screening Practices (pdf)
- Briefing Note: Recruitment and the Law (pdf)
Make the call! Leaders are urged to reach out to colleagues before hiring
The International Taskforce Recruitment Committee is focusing on ways to strengthen school recruitment processes amidst reports that references are not being checked as diligently as they should be. If you have responsibility for the recruitment and selection process at your school, please take a moment to review this important reminder.