How we screen care staff before introducing them
Before we introduce or supply anyone to a care service, we complete a set of checks that follows the law in the nation where they will work. This page explains each check and the rules behind it, so you know what sits behind every profile we send.
The law behind the checks
Every care provider must be sure that the people working in its service are fit to do so, and each nation sets that out in its own regulations. As an agency we have duties of our own too, under the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, with separate 2005 regulations in Northern Ireland.
- England
- Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requires staff to be of good character, suitably qualified and competent, and fit by reason of health. Schedule 3 lists what the provider must hold, from proof of identity with a recent photograph to a full employment history with any gaps explained in writing.
- Scotland
- Regulation 9 of the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 stops a provider employing anyone who is not fit to be employed, including anyone who must be registered and is not. The Care Inspectorate and the SSSC set out good practice in their joint guidance, Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment.
- Wales
- Regulation 35 and Schedule 1 of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, which include two written references, one of them from the last employer, and registration with Social Care Wales.
- Northern Ireland
- The fitness of workers regulations for each type of service, such as regulation 21 of the Residential Care Homes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 and regulation 13 of the Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007.
- Our duties as an agency
- Regulations 19 to 22 of the Conduct Regulations 2003: we must be satisfied about who the worker is and that they hold the skills, training, qualifications and any registration or licence the post calls for, and for work with vulnerable people we must hold copies of their qualifications and two references from people who are not relatives.
The checks we complete
Identity and right to work
We check identity from original documents, or through the Home Office online service when someone gives us a share code. We keep copies for as long as the person works through us and for two years afterwards, as Home Office guidance advises. From 1 October 2026, that guidance treats an employment business as the employer responsible for right to work checks on the temporary workers it supplies.
Criminal record checks
- England and Wales
- The Disclosure and Barring Service. Care roles that count as regulated activity get an enhanced check with the adults’ or children’s barred list. With the worker’s permission, we can check a certificate on the DBS Update Service instead of applying for a new one.
- Scotland
- Membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, which is a legal requirement for regulated roles. An agency must confirm PVG membership before supplying someone for a regulated role. Membership now lasts five years.
- Northern Ireland
- AccessNI. Care roles usually need an enhanced check, which includes barred list information for regulated activity.
From 1 September 2026 the supervision exemption for regulated activity with children no longer applies in England and Wales, so more roles in children’s services now call for a check against the children’s barred list.
If a check shows a conviction or other information, we talk to the worker first and think carefully about whether it matters for the role. We never introduce or supply anyone who is barred from the work.
References and work history
We ask for two references, including the most recent employer, from people who are not relatives. For anyone who has worked in care or with children, we also ask why each of those jobs ended. Every worker gives us a full employment history, and any gap is explained in writing.
Professional registration
- Nurses: the NMC register, with the PIN, the part of the register, the expiry date and any conditions on practice, and the revalidation date
- Social workers: registration with Social Work England, the SSSC, Social Care Wales or NISCC, depending on the nation
- Care and support workers: registration with the SSSC, Social Care Wales or NISCC in the nations that register them, usually within six months of starting
Training
We check certificates for the training the role needs, such as moving and handling, safeguarding adults and children, infection prevention, fire safety, basic life support and medicines. For work in CQC-registered services in England, we also record learning disability and autism training, which the Health and Care Act 2022 requires those services to provide.
Health declaration
Each worker completes a health declaration covering anything that could affect the work they can safely do, so that reasonable adjustments can be discussed. We keep it confidential and share only what a service needs to know.
Interview
We interview every worker ourselves, in person or by video call. We ask about the people they have supported and how they handled real situations, and we make sure they can communicate clearly with the people they support and with the team on shift.
What reaches your service
When the checks are complete, you receive a profile for each worker that confirms what we checked and when. The profile is described on our care providers page, and you can ask to see the documents behind it.
Questions about our screening
Do you do the DBS check, or do we?
For workers we supply, we arrange or confirm the check and put the details on their profile. If your own policy asks you to see the certificate as well, tell us and we will arrange it with the worker.
How recent does a worker’s DBS certificate need to be?
Services set their own rules, and we follow yours. In Wales, the regulations require a new certificate at least every three years unless the worker is on the DBS Update Service.
Can I see the documents behind a worker’s profile?
Yes. Ask us and we will show you the checks behind the profile, within the rules on handling criminal record information.
Ask us about our checks
If you need to know more about how we check a worker before they reach your service, call the office or write to us.