Joining a healthcare agency: your application checklist

1. Make your experience easy to understand

Put your recent roles in date order. Include the type of setting, your job title and the responsibilities you actually held. A recruiter should be able to distinguish care-home experience from hospital, supported-living or secure-setting work without guessing from an employer’s name.

Use a few concrete examples of your responsibilities and be clear about tasks that required supervision. Explain career gaps briefly and factually. Keep patients, residents and service users anonymous: an application is not the place for care records or identifiable case histories.

2. Describe work that fits your life

List your preferred working pattern, notice period and realistic travel range. If you are available on some weekends or nights, say which ones. Include existing commitments so that a discussion about shifts does not become a last-minute conflict.

Think about the journey home as well as the journey to work, particularly after a night shift. A location that looks nearby on a map may not be practical with your usual transport at the relevant time.

3. Know which evidence may be needed

Recruitment checks depend on the role and setting. Be ready to discuss identity, right to work, employment history, references, training and professional registration where relevant. Ask the team which evidence is required and how to provide it through an agreed secure route.

You must establish your right to work before starting employment; the evidence route depends on your circumstances. Use the official GOV.UK right-to-work guidance for current information.

A DBS check is not one universal check for every role. Eligibility and the appropriate level depend on the work involved. The DBS eligibility guidance covers England and Wales and links to the separate arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

4. Ask before accepting an assignment

• What is the exact role, setting and level of responsibility?
• Which checks and local induction must be complete?
• What are the agreed hours, break arrangements and rate?
• Who confirms the booking and who is my contact at the service?
• How are timesheets reviewed and when will payment be processed under my agreed terms?
• What should I do if I am delayed or need to cancel?

Keep the confirmed details somewhere you can access before travelling. If something remains unclear, ask for clarification before accepting.

5. Start your conversation with CMB

Use our candidate form to introduce your role, background and availability. The public opportunities page is a talent pool for expressions of interest. A form submission does not confirm employment, a shift or permission to start work.

Once the team has reviewed your introduction, the next step is to discuss relevant requirements and whether an opportunity is available. Portal registration is a separate step and requires verification and account approval before operational access.