Background Checks by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images
Background Checks Beyond Texas Requirements Are Critical
Why Cambridge Caregivers Takes Extra Steps to Check Caregivers’ Backgrounds
Anyone who brings a caregiver into their own home, or into a loved one’s home, necessarily places a lot of trust in that caregiver. At Cambridge Caregivers, we take that trust very seriously.
We believe our process for checking the backgrounds of applicants is one of the most thorough in the in-home care industry. A recent experience confirmed for us why that’s so critical.
We perform all the checks required by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which regulates senior care facilities and in-home care agencies. These include a Texas Department of Safety (DPS) criminal background check, a check of the Employee Misconduct Registry (EMR) and a check of the Nurses’ Aide Registry (NAR.) These registries flag people who have committed abuse, neglect, exploitation, misappropriation, or misconduct.
In addition to these required checks, Cambridge Caregivers also runs a National Criminal History search, a Social Security number trace, and screenings via the Global WatchList and Sex Offender registry.
And we don’t just ask for references – we check them.
A recent experience confirmed why those extra steps are essential.
A candidate applied to Cambridge Caregivers for a caregiver position. She cleared all the required background checks: DPS, EMR and NAR. No instances of misconduct turned up.
However, we also performed a national background check. That revealed that this candidate had been convicted of Larceny of Merchandise from a Retailer in Oklahoma. It appears this candidate may have been part of an organized theft ring.
“Without the national background check, we would have never discovered this charge, because it was issued in another state,” said Taryn Scott, Human Resources Talent Acquisition and Engagement Specialist at Cambridge Caregivers. “Had we extended an offer to this candidate, that could potentially put our clients at risk.”
From our ten years’ of hiring experience, we know that most professional caregivers are good, genuinely caring people. But it’s important to use available means to weed out the few who may have bad intentions. That’s why we go the extra mile to carefully screen our caregivers carefully before hiring them.
