SAFEGUARDING SCREENING EXPLAINED
Why a police clearance is an important starting point, but not a complete safeguarding system.
“We have police clearances for all our staff.”
That is an important starting point. But when adults are working with children, it should not be the end of the safeguarding conversation.
A police clearance, register screening, references, professional conduct standards and ongoing safeguarding awareness all serve different purposes. Treating them as interchangeable can leave gaps that schools and child-care providers may not realise are there.
What does a police clearance tell you?
A police clearance relates to a person’s criminal record. That is valuable information, particularly when somebody is being appointed to work in a child-facing environment.
But South Africa also has specific safeguarding registers intended to prevent unsuitable people from working with children and other vulnerable persons.
ISASA’s guidance on vetting school staff identifies three different checks for people working with children: a SAPS Police Clearance Certificate, Sexual Offenders Register clearance and a Child Protection Register check. ISASA notes that the latter two are legal requirements, while police clearance serves a different purpose.
That distinction matters.
The registers serve a specific safeguarding purpose
The National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) exists to help prevent people convicted of relevant sexual offences from gaining access to positions of trust involving children and vulnerable persons.
In February 2026, the Department of Justice described vetting in schools as a safeguard rather than a bureaucratic exercise and highlighted the role of the NRSO in helping employers assess people before placing them in child-facing positions.
The National Child Protection Register is another separate safeguard. Part B records people who have been found unsuitable to work with children.
The Guardian makes a useful practical point: a person may appear on one type of register or criminal check and not necessarily on another. Its “Four & Six” safeguarding model therefore recommends Sexual Offenders Register clearance, Child Protection Register clearance and a criminal check as distinct screening steps.
SAPS Police Clearance
Provides information relating to a person’s criminal record and serves an important, distinct screening purpose.
Sexual Offenders Register
Helps employers assess whether a person is suitable for a position of trust involving children or other vulnerable persons.
Child Protection Register
Part B records people who have been found unsuitable to work with children.
Ask a better screening question
“Have the appropriate safeguarding checks been completed for someone who will be working with children?”
Screening is important, but it cannot do everything
No screening process can predict every future behaviour. That is why good safeguarding must continue after recruitment.
Childline South Africa reminds educators that adults caring for children need to know how to recognise possible abuse, manage concerns, respond to disclosures and follow reporting procedures.
The same principle applies to aftercare providers and other organisations working with children.
Screening needs to be supported by:
- clear professional boundaries;
- a code of conduct;
- safeguarding induction and refresher training;
- appropriate supervision;
- procedures for reporting concerns;
- clear accountability; and
- a culture in which staff feel able to speak up.
Screening is one layer
No screening process can predict every future behaviour. Screening identifies relevant known information at the point of recruitment.
Good safeguarding must continue through boundaries, supervision, training, reporting and accountability.
Why this matters to Club Engage
At Club Engage, schools and parents are trusting our staff with children for several hours beyond the formal school day. We believe that trust needs to be supported by clear systems.
Our Safeguarding and Child Protection framework therefore includes screening and vetting requirements, including required register checks and police clearance. Staff are also required to acknowledge professional conduct expectations and safeguarding responsibilities before working with children. But we do not regard screening as the whole solution.
Our policy also requires staff to maintain professional boundaries, supervise children actively, document concerns appropriately and report concerns about another staff member without delay.
For us, safeguarding starts with the question:
“Who are we placing with children?”
But it must continue with:
“How are they expected to behave, and what systems are in place once they are there?”
A useful question for schools
When appointing or reviewing any organisation whose staff will have access to learners, consider asking:
A useful question for every provider
What screening do you complete before staff begin working with children, and what safeguarding measures continue after appointment?
A credible provider should be able to explain both.
Because a police clearance is useful evidence. It is simply not the same thing as a complete safeguarding system.
Further reading: ISASA: Vetting of School Staff · Department of Justice: NRSO compliance in schools · The Guardian: Four & Six
Club Engage works alongside schools to provide structured aftercare and holiday care supported by clear screening, conduct and safeguarding responsibilities. Find a Club Engage location.
