CSCS card checks and construction worker references
The card tells you what someone is qualified to do. A reference tells you how they behaved on site. You need both.
How do you check a CSCS card?
Check a CSCS card with CSCS Smart Check, the free app for iPhone and Android. Tap a physical card using contactless, scan the QR code on a virtual card, or enter the scheme, card number and surname. It shows the cardholder's name, card type, qualifications and expiry, and flags revoked cards. RefAssure does not check cards; it collects the employment references that sit alongside them.
How to check a CSCS card in four steps.
Get Smart Check
Download the free CSCS Smart Check app from the App Store or Google Play. For desks and laptops there is also the Smart Check website.
Read the card
Tap a physical card with your phone, scan the QR code in the worker's My CSCS app for a virtual card, or type the details in by hand.
Compare the result
Match the name and photo to the person in front of you, and check the card type and qualifications fit the job.
Note the expiry
Record the expiry date so you know when to check again. A revoked card shows as such.
What a CSCS card check does and does not tell you
The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) is the main skills card scheme in UK construction. Smart Check verifies cards that carry the CSCS logo, including those issued by partner schemes, and CSCS says it works for both physical cards and virtual cards held in the My CSCS app.
A valid card confirms identity against the card record and that the holder has the training and qualifications that card type requires. It does not tell you:
- How they behaved on their last site, or whether they followed site rules and wore their PPE.
- Whether they turned up, worked well with other trades and took instruction from supervisors.
- Why they left, or whether the contractor would have them back.
- Whether they have the right to work in the UK. That is a separate Home Office check: see right to work checks.
That is the job of a reference. Ask a site manager or supervisor who worked with them recently, and ask about safety, not just dates.
What a construction reference should ask.
Add these to your template once and every site worker reference asks them.
Site safety record
Did they follow site rules, safe systems of work and PPE requirements?
Incidents
Were they involved in any accidents or safety breaches you are able to share?
Trade competence
Rate their competence in the trade or role on a 1 to 10 scale.
Working with others
How did they work with supervisors, the main contractor and other trades?
Reliability
Were they on time and on site for the shifts they agreed?
Would you re-employ?
A plain yes or no, with room for a comment.
References that keep pace with site starts.
Site managers rarely sit at a desk. RefAssure texts and emails them a secure link they can complete on a phone, then chases until they do.
- 5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days, stopping when they reply
- Signed online consent from the worker before referees are contacted
- Bounced emails flagged, most within minutes
- A signed PDF for the client or principal contractor
Putting it together for a construction agency
Construction agencies often have hours, not days, between a client booking and a site start. A simple routine keeps both checks moving without one waiting on the other.
At registration
Check the card with Smart Check while the worker is in front of you, or on a video call for a virtual card. Record the card type, qualifications and expiry date against their profile. At the same time, take the names, work email addresses and mobiles of two recent site supervisors or managers.
Before the first booking
Send the reference requests straight after registration, not when the client books. The worker signs consent online, then referees get a secure link by email and text. By the time a booking comes in, the reference may already be back.
On an ongoing basis
Re-check cards before they expire, and refresh references if someone returns after a long gap. If a referee raises a safety concern, talk to the worker and your client before placing them on a site where that risk applies. For wider vetting rules for temporary workers, see our temp agency compliance guide.
CSCS and construction reference questions
More in the full FAQs.
Can I check a CSCS card online?
Yes. As well as the free Smart Check app, CSCS runs a Smart Check website for checking cards on a computer. Both verify cards that carry the CSCS logo.
What does a CSCS card check show?
The cardholder's name and registration number, the card scheme and type, their qualifications and the expiry date. If the card has been revoked, the check shows that too.
Is a virtual CSCS card valid on site?
CSCS says virtual cards appear in the My CSCS app once an application is approved, and site managers can verify them with Smart Check. Whether your site accepts them is up to the principal contractor.
Does RefAssure check CSCS cards?
No. Use CSCS Smart Check for cards. RefAssure collects and chases the employment references, with consent and a signed PDF audit trail.
Is a CSCS card a legal requirement?
CSCS cards are not required by law, but many principal contractors and clients require them for site access. Check your client's site rules. See client site requirements.
How many references does a construction worker need?
There is no fixed legal number for general site work. Many agencies ask for two recent site references, and your client contract may set its own rule.
What does a reference cost?
Your first reference is free, then credits cost from 99p down to 80p with no monthly fee and no VAT added. See pricing.
Related guides
Card checked. Now check the reference.
Your first reference is free. RefAssure chases site managers so you do not have to.