Care home reference checking — residential care staff, CQC evidence, inspection-ready
Care home staff provide personal care and support to vulnerable adults in a residential setting. CQC Regulation 19 requires written references with conduct and suitability evidence for every appointment. RefAssure automates the process from 99p per reference, no subscription.
Care home reference checking — what CQC requires for residential care recruitment
What makes care home references different from other care settings
Residential care presents specific safeguarding risks that domiciliary care does not. Service users live in the care home full time — dependent on staff for personal care, medication, meals and social interaction. Staff work in shifts including nights and weekends, sometimes with reduced supervision. References must address these specific factors.
A care home reference that asks only about general performance does not address the residential care risk profile. CQC expects references to ask about conduct with residents, approach to personal care and dignity, behaviour during unsupported hours, and any concerns about attitude or conduct in a residential setting.
Registered managers in care homes — FPPR and safe recruitment
For registered manager appointments in care homes, the same reference requirements apply as for all staff under Regulation 19 — plus the additional FPPR requirements under Regulation 5. RefAssure allows care homes to create separate templates for manager appointments with FPPR-specific conduct and character questions alongside the standard Regulation 19 fields.
Care Home Reference Checking — questions answered
CQC Regulation 19 requires at least two written references covering three years of employment history. For care home staff, references should include questions about conduct with residents, approach to personal care, behaviour during unsupported hours, and suitability to work with vulnerable adults.
Yes — for roles that include night shifts or unsupervised working, references should ask specifically about the candidate's conduct during these periods as part of ensuring the reference is appropriate to the risk profile of the role.
Most care home references return within 1 to 3 days with RefAssure. Instant requests and automated chasing mean references arrive quickly enough to be complete before a care home worker starts.
Yes. Agency and bank care home staff require the same CQC Regulation 19 reference checks as permanent staff. The care home retains safe recruitment responsibility for all workers on site.
More care role reference checking guides
CQC-compliant references for Care Home Reference Checking.
From 99p.
Written consent, safeguarding questions, full Regulation 19 audit trail — the same compliant evidence on every appointment. Role-specific templates, automated chasing.
From 99p per reference · No monthly fees · Credits never expire · UK data hosting