A thorough background check can be critical for a family who wants to hire a caregiver. People who are considering hiring caregivers for their loved ones need to be aware of what the caregiver background check process entails and how it works. The process is actually not limited to screening. A criminal history check of applicants won’t take more than a few days to complete. This article lists the main steps to take.
It always pays off to ensure your loved ones are safe under a screened care provider’s supervision. Getting help from CheckPeople.com or a similar service proves imperative to this process.
5 Steps to Background Check a Caregiver
Do Research Online
Before turning to a background check service, you could do a search on Google News for any stories that might involve the care provider. Your potential hire might have written personal blogs to express their views on a subject matter relevant to their work. If the person’s name is common, use additional details in the search.
Call Previous Employers
You shouldn’t limit the check process to a review of resumes for relevant experience. The more information you have, the better. You might want to call previous employers that your applicant has cited as references. Your candidate of choice should also have a clean bill of health with all the vaccines required.
Interview Them Properly
Asking general background questions is not enough. Don’t be afraid to get personal because you’re letting them into your home. Ask about their relationships with family and friends. These can be quite telling of a person’s character. Ask about how they were brought up and, of course, about jobs they’ve had in the past.
When you arrange the interview, plan for it to take place in a nearby coffee shop or restaurant or in your home. Invite the person who will be receiving care to take part as needed. It’s important they meet the care provider in person before you commit to an employment relationship. Meetings like these can yield important insight. For example, if you’re looking for a caregiver for your elderly mother, the three of you meet, and the candidate talks to you only, that’s not a good sign. They shouldn’t be ignoring the very person who will be requiring their care. Such behaviour shows a lack of or insufficient compassion.
Don’t be Afraid to Snoop a Little
Look for your applicant on popular media like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. They might have some reviews on Yelp. Pinterest could offer insight into their hobbies and interests. Yelp will give information about their buying habits and places they go often.
Many social media users leave their account default setting on, which is public. If this is the case with your prospective caregiver, look for status updates, objectionable photos, or the memes they share. Pay attention to the people who comment on their posts and also to their Facebook friends. This could give you some clues about their personality and way of life.
Don’t be too Quick to Reject Them
Let’s say your background check unearths less than perfect results. It’s not the best idea to reject a candidate based on a simple people search. Be aware of the additional resources available to you. The Caregiver Background Check Bureau (CBCB) is currently working on developing and launching Guardian, a new state of the art screening data system. Its implementation is expected in the fall of 2020.
This system will make it easier for agencies and applicants to request exemptions. At the same time, it will make sure screenings are completed more effectively and faster. Agencies will be able to process exemption transfers and clearance and run rosters online. Users will have the ability to check their exemption status, upload documents electronically, and receive correspondence through the corresponding portals.
Final Thoughts
A paid or free people lookup service will give you access to your future caregiver’s employment and education history, traffic records, and perhaps social media information. To verify and crosscheck the data on their resume, a quick background check is highly recommended.
