SCHOOLS are being issued with new guidelines to ensure that the right staff are being recruited and children are kept safe.

Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire County and Blackpool Councils have produced the Guidance for Safer Practice pack following the Bichard inquiry into Ian Huntley's Soham murders.

The pack, one of the first of its kind the country, focuses on protecting children and sets out the safeguards schools should put in place when advertising, interviewing and selecting candidates.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is launching the pack at The Redeemer Primary School, Jack Walker Way, Blackburn, today, with a presentation followed by a question and answer session.

Every school in Blackburn and Darwen, and in Lancashire - the education authority for Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale - will receive two copies.

The pack was drawn up after headteachers and governors asked for guidance in the light of the Bichard inquiry, an independent investigation into the vetting of staff and information sharing between agencies.

The inquiry recommended that people responsible for recruiting staff in schools should be properly trained in safeguarding children.

The Guidance for Safer Practice pack gives heads and governors a comprehensive guide to what is needed to ensure children are safe.

Guidelines range from what information job descriptions should include and templates for job adverts, to recruitment checklists for employers and guidance for Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks.

Specific recommendations in the pack include that recruitment and vetting checks must include all staff, supply staff and other adults such as volunteers or governors who may have regular contact with children; candidates must fill out a structured application form; two references must be sought and should include information about performance history and any disciplinary offences that relate directly to working with children; anyone working with children must under go a face to face interview; interviewers should query any gaps in employment history.

The pack is intended to be used alongside the national Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education 2007 guidelines, produced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), which is included in the folder.

Coun Chris Thayne, Blackburn with Darwen Council's executive member for children's services, said: "It is everyone's responsibility to ensure the safety and well being of children and young people when they are recruiting and selecting staff.

"Blackburn with Darwen Council, in partnership with Blackpool and Lancashire, is leading the way nationally in developing a recruitment toolkit of this kind and I feel sure it will prove an invaluable benefit for our schools."