The checks behind Regulation 19 and Schedule 3 — and the heart of your inspection evidence.

• Does every worker hold an enhanced DBS check with an adults' barred list check — and how do you keep it current?EssentialAsk for the certificate date and whether the agency uses the DBS Update Service to recheck status. "Checked when they joined three years ago" is not a system.
• How do you verify right to work?EssentialChecks should be completed and recorded before a worker's first placement. Ask how they are done and whether you can see the record.
• Do you obtain at least two references, including the most recent care employer?EssentialReferences should be verified, not just collected, and should include conduct in previous health or social care work — one of the Schedule 3 requirements.
• Do you hold a full employment history, with gaps explained in writing?Unexplained gaps are a Schedule 3 item inspectors do look at. It is also where safeguarding concerns sometimes surface.
• For nurses: do you check the NMC register before each placement, and tell us about any conditions?EssentialRegistration can be suspended or made conditional at any time. You should also be given the PIN so you can check the register yourself — it takes a minute.
• How do you confirm workers are physically and mentally fit for the role?A health declaration, reviewed by someone competent, is the usual standard. It protects the worker as much as your residents.

A clear DBS proves someone is safe to be in the building. Training proves they can do the job.

• Is mandatory training in date — and is moving and handling taught practically, not just online?Expect safeguarding adults, moving and handling, infection prevention and control, fire safety, basic life support, food hygiene and the Mental Capacity Act as a minimum. Ask how expiring training is tracked.
• Have HCAs who are new to care completed the Care Certificate, or an equivalent?The Care Certificate is the benchmark the CQC expects for staff new to care. Experienced workers should still be able to show equivalent training.
• Have workers completed learning disability and autism training?The Health and Care Act 2022 requires CQC-registered providers to ensure staff receive this training, appropriate to their role. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is the government's preferred programme.
• How do you make sure the grade you send matches the competence we need?EssentialIf you book a senior carer to administer medication, you need someone with an assessed medication competency — not an HCA "who has done meds before". Ask whether a worker can ever be booked above their grade.

This is the paperwork your inspector asks you for — so it should reach you before the worker does.

• Will we receive a profile for each worker before they arrive?EssentialIt should include a photo, grade, and the dates of their DBS, right to work, training and — for nurses — NMC registration. The photo lets your nurse in charge confirm the right person has arrived.
• Is every booking confirmed in writing — worker, grade, date and times?A confirmation you can look up at 6 a.m. is worth more than a voicemail. It is also your record if a dispute arises later.
• What happens if a worker's document expires between bookings?The right answer: they can't be booked until it is renewed, automatically. The wrong answer: "our compliance team reviews it periodically".

Everything above matters only if someone actually turns up.

• How are our shifts filled — and how quickly will we know if one is covered?A ring-round by a consultant can take hours. Ask whether you can see the status of a shift yourself, in real time, without phoning in.
• What is your fill rate for our area and the grades we use?A national figure tells you little. Ask for the last three months, for your area, split by day and night. An honest agency will also tell you where it struggles.
• If a worker cancels or doesn't turn up, what happens — and who tells us?You want a named process: who calls you, how fast, and how a replacement is found. "It rarely happens" is not a plan.
• Who answers at 3 a.m. on a Sunday?Sickness doesn't keep office hours. Ask for the out-of-hours number and try it before you sign.
• What are your cancellation terms if we cancel a shift?Know the notice period and any charges up front, so a resident's discharge or a returning staff member doesn't produce a surprise invoice.

Residents — especially those living with dementia — do better with faces they know. So do your permanent staff.

• Can we ask for the same worker again, directly?Every repeat worker is one less induction, one less handover gap and one more person who already knows your residents' names and routines.
• Can we give feedback on a worker — or ask not to have them again — and will it be acted on?You should be able to do this without a difficult conversation, and the agency should tell you what it did about any concern you raise.
• Where do your workers travel from?A worker who lives twenty minutes away is more likely to arrive on time in snow, and more likely to come back. A local pool is a reliability measure, not just a nice-to-have.

Clear pricing and clean admin are signs of a well-run agency — and they save your team hours every month.

• Can we have a written rate card — by grade, day, night, weekend and bank holiday?Check for extras that aren't on it: booking fees, travel, admin or "urgent" premiums. If it isn't written down, it will change.
• How do you handle the Agency Workers Regulations after 12 weeks?After 12 weeks in the same role with you, a worker is entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as your own staff. That can change the charge rate — you should know how before it happens.
• Do we approve hours before we're invoiced?Timesheets should come to you for approval — ideally digitally, the same day — so you're only billed for hours your team has confirmed.
• Will invoices match approved timesheets line by line?Worker, date, hours, grade and rate on every line makes reconciliation a five-minute job instead of a monthly argument.
• Are there set-up fees, minimum spends or exclusivity clauses?You should be able to try an agency on a single shift. Anyone who needs a commitment before you've seen their people work is selling a contract, not a service.