The importance of Enhanced DBS Checks for care staff

With roughly 440,000 care workers leaving their job every year, the shortage of qualified and dedicated care workers can have a significant impact on the quality of care provided to vulnerable people.

But recruiting new talent for your care business is no mean feat. Care leaders face many hurdles in the race to secure top talent. Finding qualified and experienced candidates, competing for talent with other businesses, and finding candidates that are the right cultural fit, to name a few.

It’s not uncommon for businesses in the care sector (or any sector) to get recruitment wrong, which can lead to many issues down the line. Fortunately, there is a way for employers to keep the recruitment process speedy at the same time as being thorough, and it comes in the form of background checks!

Our partners over at uCheck, who are market-leading experts in background screening, have written this blog to help you understand the importance of Enhanced DBS Checks for care staff…

Why are background checks important?

Background checks help to verify information provided by a candidate. It plays an essential part in ensuring you’ve fulfilled your legal obligations as an employer.

There are a variety of pre-employment checks that are available to care businesses, but out of all the background checking options available, many consider the DBS Check (formerly known as a CRB Check) to be the benchmark.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) provides DBS Checks to enable employers to check prospective employees’ criminal history.

There are three levels of check: Basic, Standard and Enhanced. The three levels have different eligibility requirements and reveal different information about the applicant.

All healthcare professionals who provide care to vulnerable adults or children require an Enhanced DBS check. Safeguarding measures have been put in place to protect vulnerable adults and children, as legislation states that this level of DBS checks is a requirement for the regulated activity that is the provision of healthcare.

DBS checks for care homes and care workers are extremely important. Why? Well, first off, they help your business to remain compliant with regulations and meet legal requirements. By conducting Enhanced DBS checks on both potential and existing employees, you can rest assured that your organisation has followed the correct safeguarding procedures.

They’re also important for identifying the appropriateness of an employee for a role that you’re recruiting for. The records that the government can provide in DBS checks can show you convictions/cautions, helping you make the right decision for your organisation.

Getting help with your DBS Checks

We’re uCheck. We make background checks simple for thousands of care organisations just like yours.

From our range of DBS and Right to Work Checks to Adverse Credit and Identity Checks, we’re here to help you confidently make good recruitment decisions.

Our easy-to-use digital platform, Atlas, can provide you with instant results for most checks. And for more detailed checks like DBS, you’ll never wait longer than two days… In fact, our record is just 13 minutes!

By making us your background screening partner, you can benefit from:

• Extra time on the clock with speedy pre-employment checks
• More bang for your buck by only paying for the checks you need
• A support team that’s by your side and ready for anything

And if you’re not already convinced, Care England members are eligible for free registration, saving you £49 + VAT!

Ready to get started? To register for free today click here and use code CAREENGLANDFREE at checkout.