DBS Checks for Elderly Care Homes2024-05-03T13:10:38+01:00

Care

MyVetting.com delivers fast, affordable online DBS Checks for the wide range of roles that helps support residential and nursing settings.

Care Homes DBS Checks for Elderly Care Homes 

Care homes take care of people when they can no longer take care of themselves or if their needs have become too complex for family members to meet. Either way, when people enter the elderly care home system, it is critical that their care home setting takes care of safeguarding.

Almost everyone that works within an elderly care home will have contact with the residents at some point, whether as a care home assistant or a gardener that may pause for a chat as the residents take a walk in the gardens.   

Why Do you Need a DBS check in a care home? 

Elderly people are considered to be vulnerable and this means that an elderly care home must implement safeguarding processes and policies to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of their residents is protected.  

The checks that should be in place at elderly care homes across England and Wales are DBS checks. If you are living and or working in Northern Ireland you will require an Access NI check. For Scotland, you will need a Disclosure Scotland check.   

DBS checks for care homes for the elderly are required for both new employees and existing employees. There are three different types of DBS checks, with further checks against DBS barred lists for vulnerable adults.  

The three levels of DBS checks are:

  • Basic DBS check
  • Standard DBS check
  • Enhanced DBS check 

With the option of additional DBS barred lists for vulnerable adults. 

What is the Adult’s Barred List? 

The adults barred list, also known as the Adult’s Barring List, is a list, or register, of people maintained by the DBS that holds the details of individuals that are barred from working with vulnerable adults in any situation because of their criminal record and/or the nature of their convictions.  

At MyVetting.com, we deliver quick, accurate and affordable online DBS checks at all levels. 

Do I need a DBS check to work in a care home for the elderly? 

Yes, it is highly likely that you will need a DBS check of some sort to work in a elderly care home. This would be the case across employees at all levels of the care home setting, from care home cleaning staff to care home management. 

What level of DBS check is needed in a care home for the elderly? 

That will depend on the role that the employee works in and whether it involves regulated activity or not. 

What is Regulated Activity in a Care Home for the Elderly? 

Regulated activity is defined in legislation – like Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 – as a role that involves close and unsupervised contact with vulnerable groups, such as children or adults at risk.

Employees or volunteers involved in regulated activity are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks as part of safeguarding measures.

An Enhanced DBS check for regulated activity is key in assessing an employee or volunteer’s suitability for a role, safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of the vulnerable individuals.    

How Frequent is Regulated Activity? 

Regulated activity is classified as an activity that needs to be carried out at least once during the period of a week, or more than two times over a 30 day timeframe. 

Care givers and healthcare assistants with elderly care homes for the elderly are some of the personnel that require an Enhanced DBS Check, because they need to carry out caring and care duties directly with and frequently with vulnerable, elderly adults. 

A vulnerable adult is defined by the UK Government as a person over the age of 18 that needs additional help and support to take care of or protect themselves or observe their own interests because of a mental or physical disability or because of the impact of age. 

Employees or volunteers that work within an elderly care home, working directly with elderly residents delivering personal, hands-on care will need to apply for an Enhanced DBS Check and an adult’s barred list check. 

What Caring Tasks Need an Enhanced DBS Check? 

In order to qualify for an adult’s barred list check and Enhanced DBS Check, the care home employee needs to be doing one of the following activities: 

  • Providing personal care, including eating, washing and toileting 
  • Providing transport for vulnerable and elderly adults in care 

All healthcare professionals that visit the care home setting to provide care or healthcare, for example physiotherapist or mental health practitioner, will also need to undertake an Enhanced DBS Check with barred list too. 

Did you know that MyVetting.com also offers online Right to Work checks? 

Do Non-Care Staff in Care Homes Need a DBS check? 

Care home settings have a whole team working behind the scenes to create a caring environment for the residents.

While the cleaning team, catering staff and maintenance crews may not need an Enhanced DBS check, it can be best practice for all care home staff to have the minimum of a Basic DBS check.

At MyVetting, we offer quick and affordable online DBS checks. 

Online Enhanced DBS Checks for Care Home Staff 

Applying for online Enhanced DBS Checks for Care Home Staff is quick and simple.  

Register in seconds and send check alerts directly to your employees. They’ll be alerted instantly and can begin the check process straight away. Don’t worry – if they’re busy and forget to start their check, we’ll send them a text reminder after 24 and 48 hours.  

When your employees upload their proof of identity, their reports will be returned within 5-10 days.   

 

 

 

Our Products

My Vetting DBS Check Packages

Basic DBS

£18

Basic DBS Government fee

+

£6

MyVetting Handling Fee

=

£24

Total

  • Basic (24h), Data-Encrypted Online System

  • Approved UK Home Office Provider

  • Powered by Digital Identity Validation Technology (IDVT)

  • Live Status Updates

  • Expert Customer Support

  • Our fees range from £6.00 to £11.00 (inc. VAT) depending on the number of checks required annually.

Standard DBS

£18

Basic DBS Government fee

+

£6

MyVetting Handling Fee

=

£24

Total

  • Data-Encrypted Online System

  • Standard Checks in 5-10 working days

  • Approved UK Home Office Provider

  • Powered by Digital Identity Validation Technology (IDVT)

  • Live Status Updates

  • Expert Customer Support

  • Our fees range from £6.00 to £11.00 (inc. VAT) depending on the number of checks required annually

Enhanced DBS

£38

Enhanced DBS Government Fee

+

£6

MyVetting Handling Fee

=

£44

Total

  • Enhanced Checks in 5-10 working days

  • Data-Encrypted Online System

  • Approved UK Home Office Provider

  • Powered by Digital Identity Validation Technology (IDVT)

  • Live Status Updates

  • Expert Customer Support

  • Our fees range from £6.00 to £11.00 (inc. VAT) depending on the number of checks required annually

Volunteer DBS

£0

Government fee

+

£6

MyVetting Handling Fee

=

£6

Total

  • Data-Encrypted Online System

  • Volunteer Checks in 5-10 working days

  • Approved UK Home Office Provider

  • Powered by Digital Identity Validation Technology (IDVT)

  • Live Status Updates

  • Expert Customer Support

  • Our fees range from £6.00 to £11.00 (inc. VAT) depending on the number of checks required annually

Helpdesk

Frequently asked questions

What is a DBS check?2024-01-12T11:42:57+00:00

A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) is a check of an individual’s criminal history. The level of check will depend on the amount of information that is accessed from police intelligence records and the DBS barred list information. All levels of DBS checks are to help employers and organisations to recruit both employees and volunteers more safely. DBS Checks were formerly known as the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check.

What is a CRB check?2024-01-12T11:42:27+00:00

The DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Check has taken the place of the CRB check. The introduction of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 saw the closure of the CRB and ISA (Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), with the Disclosure and Barring Service opened in its place. DBS is now responsible for checking that had previously been carried out by CRB and ISA.

What types of DBS checks are there?2024-01-12T11:41:57+00:00

There are three types (or levels) of DBS check – Basic, Standard or Enhanced. At MyVetting.com, we carry out all three levels of DBS Checks.

Basic Check – A Basic DBS Check shows all of the applicant/s’ unspent convictions. A Basic DBS Check can be applied for either by a company or by an individual.

Standard Check – A standard DBS check is more detailed than the basic check, and in addition to disclosing any of your unspent convictions, a standard check may disclose older information which is felt to be relevant to the position which you are applying for. Standard checks are mostly used for positions in financial services or the justice system, so things like theft or fraud convictions might be of particular interest. Decisions about what to disclose are made on a case-by-case basis.

Enhanced Check – An Enhanced DBS Check is mandatory for roles that involve children and/or vulnerable adults, whether in paid employment or volunteering. An Enhanced DBS Check will show all spent and unspent criminal convictions and reprimands. An Enhanced DBS is checked against the Police National Computer and the children and adults barred lists.

Do I need a DBS Check?2024-01-12T11:41:02+00:00

If you are an applicant, your employer or lead organisation should be able to tell you if you need a DBS Check. They can use the UK Government Eligibility Tool to check as required and it will indicate whether an employee or volunteer needs a DBS Check for a specific role and also what level of check they need. Businesses and organisations will be liable legally if safeguarding is compromised when working with children and/or vulnerable adults. To prevent safeguarding issues, all eligible staff and volunteers should be checked as indicated by the Eligibility Tool.

What DBS check do employees need?2024-01-12T11:40:52+00:00

It is the responsibility of the employer or organisation to decide on the level of disclosure for an employee or volunteer. This may be guided by the role and/or the environment they will work in, for example in a caring or coaching role. The UK Government Eligibility Tool can help you to identify what level of DBS Check is required.

Is a DBS check a legal requirement?2024-01-12T11:39:03+00:00

A business or organisation is legally responsible for ensuring an individual can apply for a particular role. Employers and organisations are legally obliged to check and confirm, via DBS Check, that anyone working for their organisation with or near children and vulnerable adults has not been barred from working with either adults or children.

Can you fail a DBS check?2024-01-12T11:36:46+00:00

You cannot fail a DBS check as a DBS Check will only show whether an applicant has a criminal record or not. It is the employer’s decision as to whether an applicant is suitable for employment.

Who owns the DBS certificate?2024-01-12T11:36:38+00:00

A DBS Certificate belongs to the person whose name is printed on the certificate. It should be made available to your employer.

How long does a DBS certificate last?2024-01-12T11:36:27+00:00

DBS Certificates do not have an expiry date; however, an organisation or employer should stipulate how regularly DBS Certificates should be renewed by employees, contractors or volunteers. If you leave employment to start a new role you will need to complete this procedure again. It is recommended that Disclosures are renewed annually or at least every 2 years.

Can anyone ask for a DBS?2024-01-12T11:36:22+00:00

An individual can request a Basic disclosure on and for themself.  The Basic Check includes information on unspent convictions. However, an individual cannot request a Standard DBS Check or Enhanced DBS Check. These levels of DBS Checks must be requested by an employer or umbrella organisation.

Can I get my own DBS check?2024-01-12T11:35:57+00:00

An individual can request a Basic disclosure on themselves, which will contain information on unspent convictions. An individual cannot request a Standard or Enhanced DBS Check.

Can I contact the DBS directly?2024-01-12T11:26:50+00:00

Contact the DBS directly by phone on 03000 200 190 or by email at customerservices@dbs.gov.uk 

You will need your reference number.

Who pays for a DBS check?2024-01-12T11:26:38+00:00

That will depend on the policy of your employer or organisation. Some companies pay for applicants’ DBS Checks while others request that applicants pay for their own DBS Check at the point of application. If you are an applicant and unsure of the company policy, please check directly with the organisation.

What is a spent conviction on a DBS check?2024-01-12T11:26:32+00:00

A ‘spent’ conviction is a conviction, caution, warning or reprimand that has been received by an individual but that has expired after a certain period of time. While the conviction is ‘unspent’, it remains on their criminal record and the Police National Computer. The period of time that a record will remain before expiring is defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Spent convictions will not appear on a Basic DBS Check. For Standard and Enhanced DBS Checks, spent convictions may or may not appear – according to filtering according to legislation put in place on 29th May 2013. This means that while spent convictions will not appear on a Basic DBS Check, they may also not appear on a Standard or Enhanced DBS Check – however the list of conviction types and offences that can never be filtered from a certificate is considerable.

What is an unspent conviction on a DBS check?2024-01-12T11:26:25+00:00

An unspent conviction, warning, caution or reprimand is one that has had a certain length of time attached to it by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 which means that it is still on their criminal record and on the Police National Computer. It will appear on Basic, Standard and Enhanced DBS Check certificates.

I have lost my DBS Disclosure document. Can I get another copy?2024-01-12T11:26:16+00:00

There are only certain circumstances under which the DBS will reprint a DBS Check:

  • If the original DBS certificate was lost in the post en-route to the applicant
  • If this loss is reported within 90 days of the issue date.
  • For DBS Checks, there will only be one paper copy of the certificate and this is issued to the applicant.
Do all checks complete within 24 hours?2024-01-12T11:26:09+00:00

Most of the Basic DBS Checks can be completed within 24 hours, but we ask that you allow 48 hours in case of a large volume of traffic at the Disclosure and Barring Service. Standard and Enhanced Checks are more involved and can take up to 10 working days, however, at MyVetting.com, we work towards 10 working days, targeting five working days. It may take up to 10 days for your certificate to arrive in the post.

I’ve got a DBS. Can I use it for a new job?2024-01-12T11:26:01+00:00

Every DBS certificate is connected with a role within the named organisation. Moving organisation will require a new DBS check and moving roles within the same organisation may mean that you need to move from a Standard DBS Check to an Enhanced DBS Check, if you are now working with or near vulnerable people.

My online payment is not being accepted?2024-01-12T11:25:10+00:00

At MyVetting.com, we accept the following payment and card payment options via a secure payment gateway. They are:

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Apple Pay
  • GPay

If you experience any issues, please contact us.

My online application is not being accepted?2024-01-12T11:24:00+00:00

Complete the application form and proceed to the payment page. If any issues arise, we ask that you please check all information that has been added in the correct format. If you need further support, please contact us.

I’ve not been in the UK for 5 years. Can I still apply for a DBS?2024-02-13T22:19:48+00:00

This is not a problem. It is not a requirement of the DBS for the applicant to hold 5 years UK-based address history. When completing your application simply provide your full 5-year address history, including any international addresses.

What are DBS Barred Lists?2024-01-12T11:18:41+00:00

DBS Barred Lists are lists administered by the DBS that include individuals who are barred from working with children, vulnerable adults or both.

What is filtering?2024-01-12T11:18:02+00:00

Filtering is the process used by the DBS to assess whether particular information on convictions and cautions is protected under current legislation and, therefore, should be removed from an individual’s DBS Certificate before printing. Employers and organisations can ask an individual to provide information on convictions and cautions that they are legally entitled to know about. Both Standard and Enhanced DBS Certificates include details of convictions and cautions – including youth cautions, reprimands and warnings – recorded on the Police National Computer. Police National Computer data relating to protected cautions and convictions will be filtered out and will not appear on certificates.

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