DBS checks at care homes help organisations make safe recruitment decisions. These checks are important for the staff members that are responsible for working under some regulated activities.

As per a report presented in the year 2017 by the Care Quality Commission, one out of four homes in the UK is susceptible to unsafe conditions due to improper safety during the hiring process. The studies reveal that almost every third care home centre in the UK needs to undergo specific DBS checks to maintain the desired level of services.

Safety is the prime requirement of these care centres, and it must be maintained at all levels. Hence, it is important to think about what kind of DBS checks may be required for care home employees and what are their eligibility conditions.

CQC Requirements for Care Homes:

CQC is responsible for maintaining adult social care services, and ensures that care homes meet the criteria for safety and quality. They set a wide range of regulations to maintain required standards at care homes; some of the most common regulations include:

  • All the patients at care home centres must receive safe treatment without any risk of harm.
  • The care centers need to employee-only eligible people to execute the treatments. They must undergo specific recruitment procedures along with an Enhanced DBS Check to ensure they are safe to work within the care home.

Why DBS Checks are important for care homes?

DBS checks help to prevent threats to people using services at care homes. All the social care service providers working under CQC need to schedule DBS checks for their staff and other eligible volunteers.

The decision about the type of DBS check requirements can be taken depending upon the role and responsibilities assigned to each person.

Level of check required for care home staff:

Staff members at care home centers will require an Enhanced DBS Check. They help to get details about any kind of final warnings, reprimands, cautions, and convictions made by the applicants. It also provides required details from the local police departments.

The staff members that are involved in regulated activities need to undergo barred list checks as well. This list highlights details about the type of people that are not eligible for providing services to vulnerable adults.

Note that vulnerable adults are adults above the age group of 18 years.

The staff members or volunteers at care home will be considered involved in some regulated activity if:

  • They have regulated healthcare service providers to adults or are involved in supervising their health conditions.
  • They provide any personal care assistance to the adults, such as hands-on physical assistance for eating, dressing, washing, toileting, drinking, etc.
  • They are involved in a certain kind of social work associated with adults that is directly related to social services or health services.
  • They assist adults with billing, cash handling, and other personal affairs as per formal appointments.
  • The convey adults at a certain level of disability.