What references does a healthcare assistant need?
HCAs are not on a professional register, so references do more of the work. Here is what to ask and how to collect them.
Healthcare assistant references should give satisfactory evidence of conduct in previous health or social care roles, the reason those roles ended, and confirm dates of employment. NHS employers ask for references validating three years of employment or training. CQC-registered providers must meet Regulation 19. RefAssure collects written, signed references and chases referees for you.
Why HCA references carry more weight
Nurses, doctors and allied health professionals are on a regulator's register, so you can check their status and any fitness to practise outcomes. Healthcare assistants are not registered with a professional regulator. There is no register to check, so the reference from a previous employer is one of the main sources of evidence about how they worked with patients.
HCAs often give personal care, support patients with eating and moving, and spend long periods with people who may struggle to raise a concern. That is why the questions matter as much as getting the reference back.
What the rules say
- CQC-registered providers must meet Regulation 19 and hold the information in Schedule 3, including evidence of conduct in previous health or social care roles and a full employment history with gaps explained. See our Regulation 19 guide.
- NHS employers in England follow the NHS Employment Check Standards. The employment history and reference checks standard asks for references validating three consecutive years of employment or training. See NHS reference requirements.
Questions to ask an HCA's referee.
Add these to a template once and reuse it for every HCA you hire.
Care and dignity
How did they treat patients during personal care? Did they respect privacy, dignity and consent?
Safeguarding
Any safeguarding concerns about them, and would you be happy for them to work with vulnerable adults?
Working within competence
Did they follow care plans, escalate concerns to registered staff and stay within their role?
Conduct and complaints
Any complaints, incidents or disciplinary processes involving them?
Reliability
Attendance and timekeeping across their time with you.
Re-employ
Why did they leave, and would you employ them again?
Fast enough for rota pressure.
HCA vacancies hurt the rota. RefAssure sends requests in minutes and chases by email and text, so you are not waiting on a referee.
- Candidate consent collected online, with signature, first
- Referees complete a secure link on any device, no login
- Median turnaround about 23 hours across 229 completed references
- Signed PDF with a full audit trail for the staff file
Chased for you, day by day.
5 emails and up to 2 texts over 12 days, stopping the moment the referee replies.
Healthcare assistant reference questions
More in the full FAQs.
How many references does a healthcare assistant need?
There is no fixed number in CQC rules. NHS employers ask for enough references to cover three consecutive years of employment or training, which may mean one or several depending on the person's history. Many employers ask for two.
What if an HCA has no previous care experience?
Ask for a reference from the most recent employer or place of education, and focus questions on reliability, conduct and attitude. A character reference can add context but should not replace an employer reference.
Do HCAs need a DBS check?
Most HCA roles involve regulated activity and need an enhanced DBS check with the adults' barred list. RefAssure does not do DBS checks. See our DBS vs references guide.
Is the Care Certificate a substitute for references?
No. The Care Certificate shows training standards were met. It does not tell you how someone behaved in a previous role.
What does RefAssure cost?
Your first reference is free with no card. Then credits run from 99p to 80p each, with no monthly fee. See pricing.
What if a previous employer confirms dates and nothing else?
Many employers give factual references. Record what you received, then look for a second referee from the same period, such as a line manager or senior carer, who can comment on conduct and care.
Related guides
HCA references, without the wait.
Your first reference is free. Two minutes to send, and RefAssure does the chasing.