An overview of the background checks we do

For Families > Home Nursery > The Early Educators registration process

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Written by Support
Updated over a week ago

This help centre article has been written for Koru Kids' Home Nursery service


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Our safeguarding panel

Koru Kids have a safeguarding panel who make the ultimate decisions on whether we should accept candidates to become early educators based on the results of these checks.

The safeguarding panel is made up of experienced safeguarding personnel who have worked as Designated Safeguarding Leads across multiple nurseries and other organisations.

DBS checks

We carry out enhanced DBS checks on all of our Early Educators, and they are required to sign up for the DBS update service.

  • The update service allows Koru Kids to check the status of their DBS at any point in time. Koru Kids will check the status of their DBS at least every 6 months.

We also carry out DBS checks on everyone over the age of 16 who lives at the home nursery setting, and they are also required to sign up for the DBS update service.

If the candidate has lived outside of the UK in the past 5 years, they will need to complete a criminal record check at all respective countries before we will register them.

If there is any cause for concern brought to light by these DBS checks, including those of people who live with the candidate, we will not register them as an Early Educator through Koru Kids.

Health declaration checks

A health declaration check ensures that an Early Educator’s health is suitable to care for children.

  • It is completed by the Early Educator and their GP before being sent to Koru Kids for review.

  • We work with an experienced independent GP who will review and give advice to Koru Kids on whether an applicant’s health may affect their ability to care for children safely.

  • If there is any cause for concern around the capability of a candidate to care for children, we will not register them as an Early Educator through Koru Kids.

Reference checks

We do two reference checks for every Early Educator.

  • One of these references must be from their current or most recent manager or employer from within the past 5 years.

  • The other reference must be from someone who has seen them caring for children.

We’re looking for really excellent references, and if anyone seems unsure about the suitability of a candidate for the Early Educator role, we would not register them with Koru Kids.

Social services checks

We contact all of the local authorities that our Early Educators have lived in within the past five years to request social services checks to be carried out.

  • The local authorities will pass on any relevant information they hold on the candidate so that Koru Kids can make an informed decision as to whether or not we should register the candidate.

  • If there is any cause for concern raised by the local authorities, we will not register the candidate with Koru Kids.

Known to Ofsted checks

We will contact both Ofsted and other childminding agencies to find out whether the candidate has previously been registered as a childminder.

  • Koru Kids will be passed any information that is deemed relevant to a candidate’s application.

  • If there is any cause for concern raised, we will not register the candidate with Koru Kids.

Identity checks

  • We check the identity documents of our Early Educators to confirm their identity.

  • We also check to see if they have the right to work in the UK.


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