Applying for a job - don't want boss to know

What's the best way of ensuring a prospective employer does NOT contact my present employer while at the same time providing all the details they need?

Should I write in the cover letter that they shouldn't contact them?

The thoughts of someone ringing the boss asking if I'd be a good employee to steal is scary!

It would be very unusual for a prospective employer to contact your current employer, but no harm in emphasising confidentiality in your cover letter.

Most prospective employers would offer you the job first and then check your references.
I would recommend that you don't actually put the name of your boss on your CV - instead, just mention that references are available upon request.
Then when they ask you for references you can specify what you want...

Most prospective employers would offer you the job first and then check your references.

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So what happens if they get a bad reference at that stage, possibly after the candidate has handed in their notice?

So what happens if they get a bad reference at that stage

Not being smart but I thought that employers weren't allowed give bad references?

I think the general advice is certainly not to put anything negative in writing. Some companies have formal policies whereby written references are restricted to the start date/end date/position - nothing else. The verbal reference or the reluctance to disclose reference may be more interesting.

I was really just highlighting the possible 'catch' for the employee, whereby the job offer is made subject to references. You need to be sure you know exactly where you stand.

Have been the employer in this situation before - generally we don't see "bad" references, but you would know from the tone and lack of any real praise in a reference that a prospective employee is just ok, and not fantastic.
As Rainday points out, we generally tend to make an offer subject to reference checks. Most employers would realise that it's not really the done thing to check references before first finding out whether the candidate has actually informed their boss of their decision to leave.