Trust & Safety

• Enhanced DBS Checks

  Every independent carer on HBS is expected to provide evidence of an enhanced DBS check before their profile can become visible to families. DBS information helps families understand that basic safeguarding checks have been reviewed as part of the HBS onboarding process.

• Identity & Right-to-Work Review

  HBS reviews identity information and, where applicable, right-to-work evidence before a carer profile is published. This helps families know that the person behind the profile has completed core verification steps.

• Reference Checks

  References are reviewed before a profile goes live. This helps give families more context about a carer's previous experience, reliability, communication style and suitability for independent support arrangements.

• Professional Interview

  Carers complete an HBS interview before becoming visible on the platform. The interview explores:

  • care experience
  • communication style
  • reliability
  • boundaries
  • approach to family-led routines
  • understanding of onboarding
  • suitability for independent support arrangements

  This helps families see more than just a written profile.

• Training Verification

  HBS reviews relevant training evidence before displaying training or competency information on a carer's profile. This may include areas such as:

  • safeguarding
  • moving and handling awareness
  • medication awareness
  • autism awareness
  • epilepsy awareness
  • communication support
  • behaviour support
  • children's support
  • overnight support
  • respiratory support awareness
  • tracheostomy awareness
  • other relevant onboarding pathways

  HBS focuses on training verification and competency development support. This does not mean HBS provides clinical sign-off or ongoing clinical supervision.

• Competency Development

  Where relevant, carers may complete or evidence additional competency development before specialist badges are shown on their profile. This helps families understand where a carer has experience, training or development in more specific areas of support. Examples may include:

  • autism support
  • epilepsy awareness
  • PEG awareness
  • behaviour support
  • children's support
  • overnight support
  • complex routines
  • communication support
  • ventilation awareness
  • tracheostomy awareness

  These badges are designed to help families make more informed choices when arranging independent support. They do not mean HBS provides clinical sign-off, regulated care delivery, or ongoing clinical supervision.

Family-led introductions, not rushed placements.

HBS encourages careful, family-led introductions before any ongoing arrangement begins.

Families may choose to arrange:

• introductory meetings
• onboarding conversations
• familiarisation sessions
• routine discussions
• communication preference discussions
• family-led transition planning

These meetings help families and carers understand whether the relationship feels right before moving forward.

This can be especially important where support involves:

• autism
• communication differences
• epilepsy
• PEG support
• tracheostomy awareness
• ventilation awareness
• behavioural support
• paediatric support
• overnight routines
• complex personal routines
• anxiety around new people or change

HBS may help facilitate introduction requests through the platform, but families and independent carers agree ongoing support arrangements directly.

A clear route to speak up.

Families and carers should feel able to raise concerns if something does not feel right.

HBS provides a confidential complaints and concerns process so issues can be reviewed appropriately.

Concerns may include:

• inaccurate profile information
• communication issues
• conduct concerns
• safeguarding worries
• concerns about documents or verification
• concerns about training claims
• platform misuse

Where appropriate, HBS may review a carer's platform status, request further information, pause a profile, or remove access to the platform.

HBS handles personal information carefully and in line with UK data protection expectations.

Information submitted through the platform may include:

• identity documents
• DBS evidence
• references
• training records
• family enquiries
• communication preferences
• onboarding information
• competency development records
• profile information

HBS uses this information to support verification, onboarding and introductions.

Personal information should only be used for appropriate platform purposes and handled confidentially.

HBS exists to help families make safer, calmer and more informed decisions when arranging independent support.

We cannot remove every risk from the process, but we can make the journey clearer by focusing on:

For families, that means better information before making a decision.

For carers, that means a more professional way to show training, experience and suitability.

For everyone, it means a calmer and more trusted way to start conversations about support.