Common Safeguarding Interview Questions and Answers

If you have a job interview in a school or educational setting, regardless of the position, you must be prepared to answer common safeguarding interview questions and have a solid understanding of child protection principles. 

Schools will ask many safeguarding interview questions during the job interview to assess your understanding of child protection and your ability to respond to potential risks. Every school will seek to understand your approach to safeguarding, if you can recognise signs of abuse and how you would handle any concerns or issues. 

What is safeguarding?

Safeguarding means protecting people's health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is an integral part of providing high quality education to students and anyone who works in a school must pass safeguarding checks before starting work.  

Safeguarding is a significant responsibility, especially for those in healthcare, social care, childcare, education, and nonprofit sectors. These professionals often interact with children, young people, individuals with special educational needs and disabilities, the elderly, and other vulnerable populations.

The Children Act 1989 provides the legislative framework for child protection in England for all children, including those with SEND. Under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, local authorities in England must safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need. It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

The code, which applies to England, is for:

• Headteachers.
• Governing bodies.
• School and college staff.
• Special Educational Needs (SEN) Coordinators.
• Early education providers.
• Local authorities.
• Health and social services staff.

What are the 5 Ps of safeguarding?

The 5 Ps of safeguarding are prevention, protection, partnership, proportionality, and people-centred approach. 

Prevention - Taking proactive steps to minimise any risk of harm to students before it occurs.

Protection - Providing support and interventions to students who are at risk of harm.

Partnership - Collaborating with other education and healthcare professionals to provide a joined-up service. 

Proportionality - Safeguarding responses should be proportionate and tailored to the specific risk identified.

People-centred approach - The student should always feel empowered and like their needs have been respected. 

Most common safeguarding interview questions and answers

In this blog, we will explore the most common safeguarding interview questions which you may be asked during a school job interview. We will also provide tips on how to answer the question to help you feel prepared and confident during the interview process.

Why do you want to work with children?

The purpose of this question is to understand your motivations for working with children and vulnerable individuals. The school wants to learn about your passion for caring for children and any experiences that influenced your choice to work with them.

How to answer this question

In your response, clearly explain your reasons for wanting to work with children. Share your motivations, any rewarding experiences you've had, and the positive changes you hope to achieve in the future.

Be honest about the challenges you may face while working with children, and discuss how you plan to overcome these obstacles. If you present an overly idealistic view of this work, schools may doubt your ability to succeed.

What experience do you have working with children?

This question allows the school to assess your prior experience working with children, what you learned from that experience, and which aspects you enjoyed or excelled in.

Since your CV already outlines your work in other schools or educational settings, avoid repeating information they can easily find there. This is your opportunity to provide additional information to impress the school! 

How to answer this question

In your answer, go into detail about which age groups you have worked with to give the school an idea about your expertise. If you have experience working with children who have special educational needs or behavioral challenges, now is the ideal time to discuss it further.

If you have handled a sensitive safeguarding issue effectively, this would also be a good time to bring it to the school's attention. By demonstrating that you can identify risks and appropriately act on it will stand you in good stead with the school. Remember to keep individuals anonymous whenever discussing safeguarding cases. 

What's your approach to safeguarding children in schools?

The school will ask you this question to gain insight into your knowledge and understanding of safeguarding principles. Your response will allow them to assess how you interpret and approach child safety. 

Safeguarding children is everybody’s responsibility and a school will be looking to see if you take initiative or if you prefer to let others handle safeguarding matters. 

How to answer this question

This is a fairly broad question but in your answer, you must demonstrate your safeguarding knowledge and how you would proactively handle any issues. 

You must demonstrate that:

• You are vigilant and notice when students are feeling troubled.
• You can build strong relationships with students so they feel like they can trust you with their worries.
• You are respectful of students whilst dealing with the concern appropriately. 
• You understand who you must report any concerns to. 

You should also mention how you adhere to the guidelines set out in The Children Act 1989 and keep informed about updates in safeguarding policies.

It is important to give a concise response which shows the school that you are able to identify and handle any safeguarding concerns quickly and effectively. If you can provide real-life examples, this will solidify your answer. 

What do you think are the key safeguarding challenges facing children today?

Safeguarding practices are always evolving and new risks to children continue to present themselves. The school will be looking to see if you can identify both traditional safeguarding issues, like domestic violence, and emerging concerns, such as female genital mutilation (FGM), grooming, and radicalisation.

How to answer this question

In your answer, you should demonstrate your knowledge of the many ways in which a child is vulnerable or at risk of harm. This can be in the classroom, at home, online or in another environment. 

Traditional safeguarding concerns include: 

• Not meeting a child’s basic needs, such as food, clothing, medical care and a bed.
• Child exploitation, such as child sexual exploitation, involvement in gangs, or child trafficking.
• Domestic violence. 

In recent years, new safeguarding concerns have emerged including: 

• Cyberbullying, accessing harmful content online and online grooming. 
• Extremism and radicalisation. 
• FGM (Female genital mutilation).
• Child-on-child sexual violence and harassment.
• Modern slavery.
• County lines.

No matter the safeguarding issue, you should express your commitment to addressing it professionally and through the school's proper channels.

Tell me about a time when a child behaved in a way that caused you concern. How did you deal with that?

This question will help the school determine if you can confidently recognise unusual or unexplained changes in a child's behavior. If a child or young person is facing neglect or abuse at home, it may show in their behavior at school. Therefore, school staff must be skilled at identifying these signs and reacting appropriately.

How to answer this question

In your answer, talk the school through your approach, starting from the initial signs of a child's behavioural change to the formal reporting of your concerns. You should highlight that you would begin by talking to the child to understand if they are facing any issues that trouble them. A child's behaviour can change for various reasons, so it's crucial to identify the underlying cause and assess whether it relates to safeguarding.

A child might have problems

• At home - for example, if the child's parents are divorcing or they’re suffering from abuse.
• At school - for example, if the child is being bullied or struggling academically. 
• Fitting in - for example, if the child is struggling to make friends.
• Physical or mental health issues.  

In your answer, explain how you would address safeguarding issues using official channels and the school's workplace policy. You could also add how you would approach sensitive topics, like a child's parents going through a divorce, which may not be safeguarding concerns but still impact the child.

If you are unsure on how to deal with a safeguarding concern, you should tell the school that you would seek advice from the schools Designated Safeguarding Officer.  

How do you recognise a safeguarding issue?

By asking this question, the school is trying to understand if you know the importance of recognising signs of abuse in children. The school might ask about your observation skills, vigilance and ability to be attentive and sensitive. 

Safeguarding is a challenging subject that requires school staff to take the correct course of action to protect children. The school will want to know that you are able to do this effectively. 

How to answer this question

In your answer, you should highlight some of the signs which you would look for to identify a safeguarding concern. This might include: 

• Poor hygiene 
• Lack of appetite. 
• Frequent unexplained days off from school.
• Persistently going missing from school or home.
• Physical injuries such as unexplained bruises, scratches, cuts or burns.
• Extreme anxiety, erratic or aggressive behaviour.
• Decline in academic attainment or lack of concentration.
• Sudden, unexplainable changes in attitude or behaviour.
• Secretive behaviour which is out of character.
• Having knowledge of topics which are inappropriate for the child's age.
• Repetition of views heard online. For example, young men repeating popular views expressed by Andrew Tate.
• Alcohol or substance misuse.
• Depression and withdrawal.
• Self harm or talk of suicide.
• Tiredness or lethargy.
• Obsessive need to look at their phone or check social media accounts.
• Displaying harmful behaviour towards others.
• Being found in a strange area without an explanation.
• Unexplained acquisition of money, clothes, jewellery or mobile phones

In your answer, highlight how you stay up to date with safeguarding best practices to equip you with the skills to confidently identify safeguarding issues. Your response should highlight the importance of taking the time to evaluate the situation, ensuring that you feel confident in your observations.

What makes a school a safe and caring place?

A school should be a safe and secure environment where children can thrive academically and personally. A school will evaluate your understanding of safety measures and the steps you would take to create a secure environment. This question aims to assess your priorities, values, and expectations about school safety to determine if they align with the school's standards.

How to answer this question

In your answer, you should highlight how every member of staff has a role to play in building a positive and safe school environment. You could also discuss how you would personally ensure the environment is safe for children and the steps you would take to ensure it is done effectively. 

This might be contributing towards anti-bullying policies, hosting diversity & inclusion workshops, teaching children about cybersecurity risks, or highlighting any potential hazards around the school. 

Schools regularly face safety concerns and you should demonstrate the measures you would take to benefit the overall environment of the school. Using real life examples of times when you have made a positive contribution to child safety will also impress the school. 

What have you done in the past 12 months to improve child protection in schools?

By asking this question, the school is seeking to understand how you have actively contributed to child protection in the past year. Policies and legislation are always changing and schools will want to know that you are abreast of any changes. 

How to answer this question

In your answer, provide real-life examples or strategies which have successfully enhanced child protection in your current school. The school will be looking for your ability to implement child protection procedures and the impact they have had.

This might include:

• Reviewing safeguarding policies for cracks in the system or opportunities for improvement.
• Making sure colleagues are familiar with the latest safeguarding policies.
• Carrying out safeguarding training or awareness.
• Reminding staff what to do if they have a safeguarding concern.

What would you do if you had concerns about a colleague’s behaviour towards children?

By asking this question, the school wants to determine whether you would prioritise a child's safety over your relationship with a colleague. A school will also be looking to see if you would confront the colleague and potentially escalate the situation. 

How to answer this question

In your response, clearly indicate that you would report any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead and adhere to the school's procedures. You should also emphasise that you would avoid confronting the colleague directly, as doing so could compromise the investigation.

You must demonstrate a balanced understanding of right and wrong and provide detailed documentation to back up your concerns. This includes dates, times and the behaviour in question.   

If you can provide a real-life example of when you have questioned a colleague's behaviour. You should describe how you handled the situation, ensuring you do not mention the colleague's name or the school.

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