What Is Regulated Activity In A Care Setting?

In the context of Residential Homes, Regulated Activity is defined by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) as any work that involves providing care, supervision, assistance, or treatment to Vulnerable Adults, regardless of whether the work is paid or unpaid.

However, that’s just a summary – as with all things related to government, it’s quite a bit more complicated than that. You can read the DBS’s PDF on the definition here, but we’ll do our best to explain it ourselves in this article.

What is Regulated Activity With Vulnerable Adults?

We can break down Regulated Activity with Vulnerable Adults into six distinct categories:

1. The provision of healthcare – this one is fairly self-explanatory, and relates to providing healthcare to an Adult, whether under supervision or not.
2. The provision of relevant personal care – this relates to looking after a Vulnerable adult’s day-to-day needs, such as grooming and toileting, where the Adult is unable to perform these tasks unassisted.
3. The provision of social work – this relates to the activities of regulated social workers, such as assessing an Adult’s need for health or social care services.
4. Assistance with household matters – this relates to providing day-to-day assistance to an adult due to their age, illness or disability. This assistance must include one or more of the three: managing the Adult’s cash, shopping on their behalf, or assisting with paying their bills.
5. Assistance in the conduct of legal affairs – this relates to providing Adults with legal assistance under the 2005 Mental Capacity Act.
6. Conveying – this relates to transporting an Adult due to their age, illness or disability to or from places where the items previously mentioned on the list have taken place, or will be taking place.

Who Is Considered a Vulnerable Adult?

Anybody over the age of 18 who is receiving one or more of the assistances mentioned above, is a Vulnerable Adult! This means that, in a Residential Home setting, most, if not all, of the Residents will be classified as Vulnerable Adults.

Who Needs A DBS Check In A Care Setting?

In the context of Residential Homes, DBS checks are required for a range of roles, including nurses, care assistants, social workers, and anyone else who engages in Regulated Activity with Vulnerable Adults – even if the Regulated Activity will only be carried out as a one-off occurrence.

DBS checks are also required for volunteers who engage in Regulated Activity, as well as for anyone who manages or supervises those engaging in Regulated Activity.

For example, a Nursing Home Manager who doesn’t engage in Regulated Activity themselves, will require an Enhanced DBS check with an Adult’s Barred List check because they oversee staff who do engage in Regulated Activity.

What Level Of DBS Check Will I Need?

An Enhanced DBS check with an Adult’s Barred List check will be required for all individuals engaging in Regulated Activity. If you are still unsure what type of check your staff need, or whether the role applying for is Regulated Activity or not, we’ve compiled a list of helpful links to government and regulatory guidance.

• Department of Health – Regulated Activity with Adults
• Disclosure & Barring Service – Standard DBS Eligibility Guidance
• Disclosure & Barring Service – Enhanced DBS Eligibility Guidance
• Disclosure & Barring Service – Eligibility Tool
• Care Quality Commission – Regulated Activity

All of Medilink Nursing’s staff have an Enhanced DBS Check with Adult’s Barred list, provided by our sister company, Aaron’s Department. This check is renewed on a yearly basis.

What Other Checks Might I Need?

In addition to DBS checks, there may be a range of other checks and requirements that must be met to work in Residential Homes. These may include checks of professional qualifications, references, and previous employment history, as well as ongoing training and development to ensure that staff are properly equipped to provide care and support to vulnerable individuals.

Here at Medilink Nursing, we offer ongoing training, so our staff are fully up-to-date with the latest knowledge needed to provide care for patients.

Summary

In summary, Regulated Activity is a crucial part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable individuals in Residential Homes. DBS checks are an essential tool for identifying individuals who may pose a risk to Vulnerable Adults, and they are a legal requirement for anyone who works in these settings.

What Does Medilink Have To Do With All This?

Medilink Nursing is a nursing agency that provides temporary nursing and care staff for Residential Homes across England, specialising in last-minute staffing solutions. If that’s something your home might be able to take advantage of, have a look around our website for more info, or check out the Further Reading section below.

If you’ve got any questions, feel free to give our Operations Team a ring on 0113 877 6383 – they’re on the line between 6:00am and 10:30pm, and will be happy to assist. We hope to hear from you soon!