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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Cardiff Bay supply teacher agency is first to attain Quality Mark Wales

A Cardiff Bay education recruitment agency specialising in supplying staff to all levels of schools has become the first in Wales to be awarded the Quality Mark Wales.

A Cardiff Bay education recruitment agency specialising in supplying staff to all levels of schools has become the first in Wales to be awarded the Quality Mark Wales.

Bay Resourcing attained the Quality Mark Wales after fulfilling all the necessary criteria for the award, including ensuring that all relevant pre-employment checks are made on their teachers and correct recruitment procedures are adhered to.

Launched last September by the Welsh Assembly Government in conjunction with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the scheme had been specifically adapted from the Quality Mark in England to meet the needs of the Welsh market.

The changes included the introduction of spot checks and an annual assessment check for every supply agency. The aim is to improve safety checks on teaching staff and to improve standards of recruitment within those agencies that specialise in supply teachers.

The agency was also the first teaching agency in the UK to attain the RECís Audited status, demonstrating the highest standards of recruitment practice.

Ann Davies, Bay Resourcingís Managing Director, said of the award: ìWe have always been very meticulous about our role in child protection so being the first Welsh agency to attain the Quality Mark Wales is a very significant achievement for us and one of which we are extremely proud.î

Commenting on the award of the Quality Mark Wales, Jane Hutt, the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, said: ìThe Quality Mark Wales gives an extra assurance to employers that a teacher supply agency has carried out all the necessary pre-appointment checks on the teachers whom they supply to schools. I am pleased that the first Quality Mark has now been awarded in Wales.î

Another four recruitment agencies have applied for the Quality Mark Wales, which is open to teaching supply agencies and Local Education Authorities in Wales. The Quality Mark Wales provides a rigorous application process and an external audit of supply teacher agencies and LEAs to ensure that all the necessary checks are taking place before teachers are sent into schools.

The REC is the representative body for the UKís private recruitment industry and has its own dedicated education agencies sector group which along with the Welsh Assembly Government and General Teaching Council for Wales, fully supports the development of the Quality Mark Wales scheme.

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