Employment & Domestic Staff Screening
Inviting someone into your home and trusting them with your family, your children or your private environment is a significant decision. Standard agency checks and DBS certificates provide a basic level of assurance. Vera & Vale’s domestic and employment staff screening goes considerably further.
We provide thorough, discreet and lawful background screening for nannies, au pairs, housekeepers, personal assistants, private drivers, household managers and other domestic or personal staff. Our service is used by families, high-net-worth individuals, executives and private offices across Essex, London and the UK.
Full confirmation of the candidate’s identity, including name, date of birth, address history and any use of alternative names. Identity fraud is not uncommon in domestic staff recruitment.
Verification of claimed employment history, including dates, roles held and reasons for leaving. We flag discrepancies.
Beyond basic reference calls, we assess the quality and credibility of references provided, identifying potential concerns such as coached responses, reluctance to provide detail or inconsistencies.
A professional review of the candidate’s publicly available social media activity and online presence. This can surface concerning patterns of behaviour or conduct inconsistent with the role.
For roles involving financial responsibility or access to valuable assets, we assess publicly available information for indicators of financial instability or risk.
A review of publicly available media sources for any relevant information about the candidate.
An assessment of whether the candidate’s stated circumstances are broadly consistent with publicly available information.
Where relevant and lawful, we identify publicly available information suggesting risk markers relevant to the role.
A DBS certificate confirms the absence of certain criminal record disclosures. It does not verify identity claims, confirm employment history, assess online conduct, identify concerning behavioural patterns or provide any information about recent or undetected activity.
Many agency background checks consist of a basic identity check and a reference call. For roles involving access to children, vulnerable adults, sensitive family information or significant assets, this level of assurance is rarely sufficient.
Vera & Vale’s screening uses professional investigative methodology to provide a level of assurance that standard checks cannot match.
All screening is conducted in full compliance with GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. We advise clients on the appropriate level of disclosure to candidates throughout the process. Where appropriate, screening can be conducted in a way that the candidate is not specifically aware of, beyond the standard pre-employment checks that most employers carry out as a matter of course.
Client Feedback
FAQs
It is a thorough investigative review of a candidate’s background, including identity, employment history, references, online conduct, financial risk indicators and adverse media. It uses professional investigative methods that go well beyond a standard DBS check or agency reference.
A DBS check searches specific criminal record databases for disclosed information. It does not verify identity claims, check employment history, assess online conduct or identify recent or non-disclosed concerns. Our screening uses a broader range of investigative methods.
Yes. Some elements of screening can be conducted without the candidate’s specific knowledge, beyond the standard background checks that employers routinely carry out. We explain the options and legal parameters at the outset.
Standard screening is typically completed within a few working days. More thorough investigations may take longer depending on the scope. We confirm timescales at the outset.
Yes. Pre-employment screening using lawful investigative methods is entirely legal. All Vera & Vale screening is conducted in full compliance with GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and applicable employment law.
