 and reasons given for them, and, • explore all potential concerns. 225. In addition, as part of the shortlisting process schools and colleges should consider carrying out an online search as part of their due diligence on the shortlisted candidates. This may help identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which the school or college might want to explore with the applicant at interview. Schools and colleges should inform shortlisted candidates that online searches may be done as part of due diligence checks. See Part two - Legislation and the Law for information on data protection and UK GDPR, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010. Employment history and references 226. The purpose of seeking references is to allow employers to obtain factual information to support appointment decisions. Schools and colleges should obtain 61 references before interview, where possible, this allows any concerns raised to be explored further with the referee and taken up with the candidate at interview. 227. Schools and colleges should: • not accept open references e.g. to whom it may concern • not rely on applicants to obtain their reference • ensure any references are from the candidate’s current employer and have been completed by a senior person with appropriate authority (if the referee is school or college based, the reference should be confirmed by the headteacher/principal as accurate in respect of any disciplinary investigations) • obtain verification of the individual’s most recent relevant period of employment where the applicant is not currently employed • secure a reference from the relevant employer from the last time the applicant worked with children (if not currently working with children), if the applicant has n