How to screen a care worker

Must-haves to check first

Decide these before you advertise. Keep the list short - every extra requirement narrows your pool.

• Availability for your shift pattern (early, late, waking nights, weekends) Possible knock-out
• A full driving licence valid in the UK, and access to a car - domiciliary care only Possible knock-out
• Willing to complete an enhanced DBS check with adult barred list check for regulated activity (England and Wales; PVG in Scotland, AccessNI in Northern Ireland) Possible knock-out
• Care Certificate (England), or a Level 2/3 Diploma in Health and Social Care - usually a nice-to-have; the Care Certificate can be completed after starting. Wales and Scotland have their own induction and registration requirements Nice to have

9 questions to ask every care worker applicant

Ask everyone the same core questions, in the same order, and follow up where their CV leaves a gap. That's what makes a screen fair and comparable.

1. Which shifts can you work each week, including weekends and nights?Listen for: A specific pattern that matches your rota, not "anything" - vague answers often mean clashes later.
2. Domiciliary roles: do you hold a full driving licence that is valid in the UK, and do you have a car you can use for work, insured for business use?Listen for: A clear yes to all three. Business-use insurance is often missed - ask it explicitly.
3. Why do you want to work in care?Listen for: Motivation about people and making a difference, often with a personal example. Be wary of answers only about pay or convenience.
4. Tell me about a time you looked after someone - at work or in your own life.Listen for: Many strong carers have cared for family. Listen for patience, dignity and noticing when something is wrong.
5. A person you support refuses their lunch and seems upset. What would you do?Listen for: Stays calm, asks why, respects choice, records it and tells a senior if it continues. Red flag: forcing the issue.
6. How would you protect someone's dignity during personal care?Listen for: Closing doors and curtains, explaining what they are doing, asking consent, letting the person do what they can themselves.
7. If you saw a colleague being rough with a resident, what would you do?Listen for: Reports it to a manager or safeguarding lead straight away. Anything less is a serious concern.
8. Are you willing to complete an enhanced DBS check and mandatory training?Listen for: A simple yes. Explain that you pay for or arrange the check, if you do.
9. Have you completed the Care Certificate or any care qualifications?Listen for: A bonus, not a requirement - many employers train new starters.

What not to ask

And for every role, avoid asking about:

• Age or date of birth - unless the law sets a minimum age for the task
• Health, sickness record or disability before a job offer (Equality Act 2010, section 60). The narrow exceptions include asking about adjustments for the recruitment process, and whether someone can carry out a task that is intrinsic to the job - ask about the task, not the condition
• Pregnancy, children, childcare or plans to start a family
• Nationality or "where are you from?" - instead, ask every applicant whether they have the right to work in the UK, and check documents before they start
• Religion, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, or gender reassignment

More on this in AI screening and UK law.

Screening care workers at volume

If you get more care workers applicants than your team can phone, the questions above are only fair if everyone gets asked them. BeCareers asks every applicant about your must-haves and these questions in a short conversation - in their own language, at any time of day - and gives you the transcript and a summary. You decide who to interview.

See also: AI screening for care.