This is a question that you may well ask at the start of your live-in care path. Not only does it cost you money, but it can also take some time to have the check done.
Do you need it? Yes, you do. No agency will employ you without it and even if you choose to become a private live-in carer, you will find that clients and their families may also insist that you have the check done before you start.
Why do you need this check before you start work?
The DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) came about when the CBR (Criminal Records Service) and the ISA (Independent Safeguarding Bureau) combined in 2012.
The number one role of the DBS is to safeguard vulnerable people. It is to prevent unsuitable people from obtaining work with vulnerable groups of people such as the elderly.
If you are coming to the UK from another country, you will be required to obtain a police check from your own country as well as one from the UK.
The DBS is in place to safeguard any client that you care for. Simply because of the nature of live-in care, you will always find yourself caring for a vulnerable person, whether they are old and frail or whether they suffer from any other condition which leaves them relying entirely on the carer.
How long does the check take?
This can vary from a week to several months and there is no set amount of time guarantee for it to be completed. It is important that you start the proceedings for the check as soon as you can because it may take time.
You should never leave your own country to start your live-in care career without this check as the agency will not accept you, even for training.
There are two types of checks which may apply to live-in carers:
1. Standard
It is a very basic check which details all criminal history such as cautions, warnings, reprimands and convictions held on the Police National Computer.
2. Enhanced
This check is the highest level required for positions that involve caring for, training, supervising or sole charge of children or vulnerable adults. An enhanced DBS check includes details of all convictions on record, whether spent or unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (ROA). This means that even minor convictions are included on the enhanced DBS check.
The criminal history that will be disclosed on an enhanced DBS check includes spent convictions, unspent convictions, cautions, warnings, reprimands and checks on the ISA barred list.
Additionally, all enhanced DBS checks involve an extra level of check with your local police force records in addition to checks with the Police National Computer (PNC). Plus, your details will be checked against the government department lists held by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health, where appropriate.
To sum up
When you receive the certificate to say that you have passed the police check and are suitable for live-in care work it is a good idea to renew the check online. This way you will receive an email telling you when your check needs to be renewed and it will always be valid.
You should also pay £13 to have the check available to other employers so that if you change agencies your new agency can view the check. If they cannot do this, you will be required to take the entire check again.
While the check in both countries takes time, it is in place to keep your client safe and it is important that you do not let it expire during your career.
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