ISA Adult First Checks
Availability
ISA Adult First Checks are available in only very exceptional circumstances. For England these are described in Department of Health (DH) guidance as, where a care worker may be allowed to start work in a care home, for a domiciliary care agency, or as an adult placement carer before a CRB check has been issued. In Wales, the provision only extends to care homes and nurses agency workers.
Such cases are permissible only where it is necessary to take such action because of a real danger that staffing levels will otherwise fall below numbers required to meet statutory obligations. OFSTED and the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales, will monitor applications for ISA Adult First Checks to ensure compliance with this criteria.
Applying for an ISA Adult First Check
ISA Adult First Checks can only be applied for if you submit a CRB disclosure application and request an ISA Adult First Check on the form.
The CRB will aim to issue 98% of ISA Adult First Check results within 48 hours and 100% within 72 hours (weekends and bank holidays are excluded).
Please note that it can take a few days for the CRB to receive your Disclosure application after you have posted it. The service standard only starts after the CRB has received a fully completed/valid Disclosure application form and a valid ISA Adult First Check request.
The CRB will reply, by email, to us. This reply will contain one of the following responses. It will also clearly state that its content forms only the first part of the Disclosure process and that further information will follow:
OPTION 1. "Registered Body must wait for the full Disclosure"
OPTION 2. "No match exists for this person on the current ISA Adult First Check list"
If the reply is Option 1, you must wait for the full Disclosure as the search of the ISA Adult First Check list has proved inconclusive and a full search is required to determine whether the person is or is not on the list.
The results of ISA Adult First Checks are classed as Disclosure information. They are therefore subject to the same provisions of the CRB Code of Practice and must be retained, handled and stored in the same manner.