Single central register

Single central register

The Single Central Record (SCR) is essential for safe recruitment.

According to the Department for Education's (DfE) statutory guidance and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) guidance, all schools must create and maintain an SCR of recruitment and vetting checks, a requirement since 2007. Headteachers, Governing Bodies, and staff are responsible for the SCR.

Maintaining the SCR

Schools and academies must keep and maintain a SCR of recruitment and vetting checks for all staff, including volunteers, supply teachers, agency and third-party staff, and salaried teacher trainees. Academies must also include information for all members of the proprietor body.

Headteachers, Governing Bodies, and staff are responsible for the SCR. During an Ofsted inspection, inspectors will ask to see the SCR.

Schools can maintain the SCR electronically, as long as a printed copy is available for inspection. Keep the SCR secure and confidential, limiting access to necessary staff and Governors.

Record keeping

Record the name and date of the person checking information and documents and completing the SCR, using initials if needed (with a key added to the SCR for reference).

Ensure all these categories are included in a single SCR:

• all school-employed staff (teachers, teaching assistants, cleaners, administrative staff, etc.)
• trainee teachers on salaried routes
• supply teachers and casual workers, whether employed through the school or an agency
• all those in regular contact with children, including volunteers
• all Governors
• frequent or intensive contractors (once a week or more often, or 4 times a month or overnight)
• people brought into the school for additional teaching/training (e.g., sports coaches, music teachers)

You may move leavers to an optional "archive SCR." Complete all SCR fields, indicating 'N/A' where information isn't relevant (e.g., qualifications for a Midday Supervisor). 

For individuals with multiple roles, list them once, showing the role with the most child contact and responsibility.

Volunteers

Supervised volunteers working less than 3 times a month don't need to be on the SCR (e.g., parents on school trips). 

Unsupervised or frequently and intensively working volunteers in regulated activity must have an Enhanced DBS Check with a Children’s Barred List Check and be added to the SCR. For volunteers not in regulated activity, conduct a written risk assessment to decide on an Enhanced DBS Check (excluding a Barred List Check). Keep the completed Risk Assessment in the school's local personnel records.

Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs)

MATs must maintain a SCR for checks carried out in each academy. Although separate SCRs for each academy aren't required, record information to provide details for each academy separately and promptly during inspections (KCSiE 2023, Paragraph 275).

Last updated 17 June 2024