DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care Providers
Hospitals • Care Homes • Domiciliary Care • Health & Social Care Recruiters • Dental Surgeries • LD/A & ND Support • Health and Care Staff Agencies • Live In Care • GP Surgeries • Supported Living • Allied Health Services • Pharmacies • Day Centres • Locum Agencies • Opticians • Private Ambulance • SEND Specialists •
Looking to do DBS Checks for Staff? - Checks from £3.00 each
DBS Check for Domiciliary Care Providers within 48 Hours
Your business can register quickly with our platform for free and start benefiting from our superior DBS Check services
DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care are an essential part of safe recruitment
Why DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care are essential
What is Domiciliary Care and Why DBS Checks Matter?
Domiciliary care, also called homecare, supports people in their own homes. Carers provide daily living help, personal care, and healthcare tasks. DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care make sure only safe and suitable staff deliver this support.
Why Trust is Essential in Domiciliary Care
Carers work one-to-one with vulnerable people, so trust is critical. Therefore, employers must complete DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care to confirm suitability. This process builds family confidence and strengthens provider reputation.
The Role of DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care
DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care reveal whether applicants have a criminal record. They also confirm legal clearance to work in regulated roles. As a result, providers protect clients and comply with safeguarding law.
Risks of Skipping DBS Checks in Domiciliary Care
Without DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care, providers expose clients to serious risk. They may also breach regulations and face CQC penalties. Ultimately, skipping checks damages trust and endangers vulnerable people.
Understanding DBS Checks for Homecare Staff
What Does a DBS Check for Homecare Staff Reveal?
A DBS Check for Domiciliary Care staff reveals any criminal convictions, cautions, or warnings. It also shows if applicants are barred from regulated roles. This helps employers confirm that staff are safe to work with vulnerable people.
Why DBS Checks are Vital in Homecare
Carers often support clients behind closed doors. Therefore, DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care are vital to reduce safeguarding risks. They ensure staff can be trusted in unsupervised and sensitive situations.
Benefits of Carrying Out the Correct DBS Level
By using the correct level of DBS Check, providers build safer workforces. They also reassure families and protect their organisation’s reputation. In turn, DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care strengthen compliance with regulations.
Which DBS Level Applies in Homecare?
Several levels of DBS Checks exist. However, Enhanced DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care are the most common. This is because carers provide direct and personal support every day.
How DBS Checks Help Employers
DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care give employers detailed background information. With this insight, employers make safer hiring decisions and protect vulnerable clients. As a result, DBS Checks support trust and compliance across the sector.
Matching DBS Levels to Roles - What level do different Staff need with DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care?
DBS Checks for Care Staff
The correct DBS Check level depends on job duties. Care staff who deliver personal care, medication, or manage money always need an Enhanced DBS Check. This check must include the relevant barred list for adults, children, or both. Supervisors and managers overseeing these activities also require the same level.
DBS Checks for Office and Administrative Staff
Office and administrative staff in homecare usually do not need DBS Checks. Access to records about vulnerable people alone is not enough to justify an Enhanced or Standard DBS Check. Therefore, DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care focus mainly on frontline staff.
When Admin Staff May Require an Enhanced DBS Check
Sometimes, administrative staff cover field duties or carry out home visits. If they supervise regulated activity or enter homes where care takes place, they need an Enhanced DBS Check. This ensures compliance with safeguarding law and protects service users.
When a Basic DBS Check is Appropriate
Only roles with no direct client contact and no supervision of those providing care should be considered for a Basic DBS Check. These checks still add reassurance, but they are not suitable for regulated roles.
Regulated Activity in Domiciliary Care
DBS Checks and Regulatory Bodies
Most Health and Social Care services in England are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). In Wales, regulation lies with the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the Care Inspectorate Wales. All three regulators demand safe recruitment, so many roles in domiciliary care require an Enhanced DBS Check.
Safeguarding Vulnerable People
The purpose of these rules is clear: to protect vulnerable people. DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care safeguard children, elderly people, and adults at risk by stopping unsuitable staff from entering care roles.
What is Regulated Activity?
The law defines regulated activity as work needing the strictest safeguarding. In domiciliary care, this usually applies to frontline staff. Examples of regulated activity include:
- Providing personal care such as washing, bathing, dressing, or feeding
- Delivering healthcare support, such as administering medication
- Carrying out other intimate or essential assistance
Transporting Service Users
Transporting adults to medical or care appointments may also count as regulated activity. Because these duties involve high levels of trust, employers must request Enhanced DBS Checks with the correct barred list checks.
Non-Regulated Tasks
Not every duty in homecare qualifies as regulated activity. For example, general cleaning or shopping tasks do not. However, if staff handle money for someone receiving care, the law usually treats this as regulated activity.
Why Understanding Regulated Activity Matters
Every domiciliary care provider must understand regulated activity. It directly determines which type of DBS Check is legally required, and ensures full safeguarding compliance.
Adult Workforce vs. Children’s Workforce
DBS Checks for Adult Services
Most domiciliary care agencies mainly support adults. In these cases, staff must complete Enhanced DBS Checks that include a search of the Adult’s Barred List.
DBS Checks for Children’s Services
Some providers also support children and young people under 18. Staff engaged in regulated activity here must be checked against the Children’s Barred List.
Why Identifying Service Users Matters
Providers must confirm if their clients include children. Employing anyone barred from working with children is a serious criminal offence.
DBS Checks for Mixed Services
Agencies that deliver both adult and children’s services must check staff against both barred lists. This ensures full safeguarding compliance in domiciliary care.
Impact on New Providers
New providers must carefully plan their service model when registering with the CQC. The client group you serve directly sets the DBS check requirements for your workforce.
The Barred Lists Explained for Homecare DBS Checks
What Are the Barred Lists?
The Disclosure and Barring Service keeps two lists of people legally banned from regulated activity: the Adult’s Barred List and the Children’s Barred List. A person may appear on one or both lists depending on their history.
Why Barred List Checks Matter
If an applicant appears on either list, you cannot employ them in that group. For example, someone on the Adult’s Barred List cannot legally work in domiciliary care with vulnerable adults.
Safeguarding Through Barred List Checks
A barred list check is a vital safeguard. It blocks unsuitable individuals from roles of trust and ensures safer DBS checks for domiciliary care.
Risks of Non-Compliance
Domiciliary care providers must understand barred list checks. Non-compliance leads to legal penalties and serious reputational damage.
The Adult First Check Explained
The Role of the Adult First Check in Homecare
In homecare, many staff roles involve regulated activity with adults, such as giving personal care, administering medication, or supporting daily living tasks. These positions require an Enhanced DBS Check that includes the Adult’s Barred List. The Adult First Check offers a rapid way to speed up recruitment.
How the Adult First Check Works
The Adult First Check runs alongside an Enhanced DBS Check with the Adult’s Barred List. It gives an initial result within 72 hours. If clear, staff may start supervised work while waiting for the full DBS certificate. If the result needs more checks, the applicant must wait until the final certificate arrives.
Why It’s Useful for Homecare Providers
This service helps homecare providers recruit staff quickly to meet urgent needs. There is no cost difference between an Enhanced DBS with or without the barred list, but the Adult First Check adds a small extra fee. Currently, no similar rapid service exists for the Children’s Barred List.
Meeting CQC Requirements for Domiciliary Care
CQC and Safe Recruitment
When registering with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), one of the key areas assessed is safe recruitment.
You must have clear policies that ensure every member of staff is fully vetted with the correct DBS checks for domiciliary care.
Storing Evidence of DBS Checks for Domiciliary Care
Providers must keep evidence of DBS checks in staff records.
You should also decide how often to repeat checks.
Many agencies recheck every three years, while others use the DBS Update Service to monitor ongoing suitability.
Risks of Poor Recruitment Practice
Failing to carry out the right DBS checks or keeping poor records can lower your CQC inspection rating.
A poor rating damages your reputation and reduces your ability to win contracts.
Why Prioritising DBS Checks Matters
By prioritising DBS checks for domiciliary care staff, you prove your commitment to safeguarding and high-quality care.
This builds trust with regulators, families, and service users.
Important points at a glance…
- Care workers who deliver regulated activity such as personal care, administering medication, or managing money must complete an Enhanced DBS Check with the Adults’ Barred List. If they support children, the Children’s Barred List also applies.
- Supervisors and managers who oversee staff carrying out regulated activity must also hold an Enhanced DBS Check with the relevant barred list.
- Office and administrative staff in a homecare office usually do not need a DBS Check. However, if they cover shifts in the field, carry out home visits, or supervise regulated activity, then they require an Enhanced DBS Check.
- Staff with no client contact and no supervision duties may only need a Basic DBS Check.
- If the agency supports both adults and children, you must check staff against both barred lists. Employing someone who is barred is a criminal offence.
- Providers can request an Adult First Check. This quick service allows new carers to begin supervised work while the full Enhanced DBS Check is processed, provided the initial result is clear.
