What to Ask Any Nursing Agency Before You Book

When a shift needs covering, most care homes don’t have time for guesswork. One missing nurse, one delayed handover, or one agency worker who is not properly trained can quickly put pressure on residents, staff, and your compliance.

This checklist is designed for Hampshire care homes booking agency Registered General Nurses (RGNs), Senior Care Assistants (SCAs) and Care Assistants (CAs). Use it as a simple set of questions to ask any nursing or care agency before you confirm a booking.

Why a checklist matters

Using agency staff is normal in social care. The risk comes when bookings are rushed and key questions are missed. A short checklist helps you:

• protect residents and reduce safeguarding risk
• reduce medication errors and documentation issues
• support your permanent team with the right skills on shift
• avoid last-minute cancellations and surprises
• stay ready for audits and inspections

1.Compliance and right-to-work: “Are you fully covered?”

Start with the basics. A professional agency should be able to confirm these checks clearly and provide evidence if needed.

Ask the agency:

• Do you check right-to-work documents for every worker, and do you recheck them regularly?
• Do you carry out Enhanced DBS checks, including barred list checks where appropriate?
• For nurses: Do you verify the NMC PIN before each placement and keep proof?
• Do you take at least two references, including the most recent employer in care?
• Do you hold public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and can you email the certificates?

Why it matters: If something goes wrong, “we assumed” won’t help. You need confidence the agency can evidence checks quickly and properly.

2. Training and competencies: “Can they safely do the tasks on this unit?”

Don’t accept “Yes, they’re trained” as the whole answer. The real question is: trained to do what?

Questions to use:

• What mandatory training is in date?
  (Moving and handling, safeguarding adults, infection prevention, fire safety, basic life support.)
• Are they trained and experienced in dementia care if your home supports residents living with dementia?
• Medication competence:
  • For nurses: Are they competent with MAR charts, controlled drugs, insulin, PEG feeds or any specialist needs in your home?
  • For senior carers: Are they medication trained, and what does that training include?
• Do you keep a skills matrix so you can match the right person to the right shift?

Tip: Tell the agency what the shift actually involves. For example: “two-person assists on every wing,” “end-of-life care support,” “catheter care,” or “challenging behaviour at sundown.” A good agency will match properly or be honest if they can’t.

3. Experience and fit: “Have they done this type of shift before?”

Experience isn’t just “worked in care”. It’s the right type of care.

Ask:

• How much care home experience do they have (not only hospital wards)?
• Have they worked in nursing homes vs residential homes? (It can be very different.)
• Have they worked with this client group before?
  (Dementia, complex needs, learning disability, mental health, palliative/end-of-life.)
• Can you send a short worker profile before the shift starts?
  (Role, experience, key competencies.)

This helps your seniors plan safely and avoids placing someone in a role they are not ready for.

4. Continuity and reliability: “Will we get the same good people again?”

In Hampshire, you may be competing with other providers for the same agency workers, especially during winter pressures and holiday periods.

Ask:

• Can you offer continuity (sending the same staff back when they’re a good fit)?
• What is your fill rate for urgent shifts and last-minute sickness?
• What happens if a worker cancels—how quickly do you replace them?
• Do you provide out-of-hours support with a real person you can reach?

Why it matters: Familiar faces reduce risk. Continuity improves handovers, reduces mistakes, and can make residents feel more comfortable.

5. Booking details: “What exactly are we agreeing to?”

Before you confirm a booking, make sure the basics are agreed and written down.

Confirm:

• Start and finish times, breaks, and whether the shift is waking nights or sleep-in
• Uniform and ID requirements (photo ID on site should be non-negotiable)
• Handover process: who gives handover and what time should the worker arrive?
• Escalation rules: who they report concerns to, and when to call a senior, 111, or 999
• Timesheets: paper or digital, and who signs them

If an agency can’t explain their process simply, treat it as a warning sign.

6. Costs, cancellations, and invoicing: “Any surprises?”

Care is not just about cost, but surprise charges create disputes and delay.

Ask:

• Hourly rates by role (RGN / SCA / CA) and whether rates change for nights, weekends, or bank holidays
• Minimum booking length (for example, 6 hours or 12 hours)
• Cancellation terms (how much notice is needed and what you’re charged if you cancel late)
• Invoice terms (when you’re invoiced and when payment is due)

A reliable agency is transparent. You should know what you’re paying before the shift starts.

7. Quality and safeguarding: “How do you keep standards high?”

This is where strong agencies stand out.

Ask:

• How do you handle complaints or incidents involving agency staff?
• Do you investigate, document, and share outcomes with the care home?
• Do you remove workers from shifts while investigating serious concerns?
• How do you monitor performance over time?
• Do your staff understand safeguarding and whistleblowing, and do you have a safeguarding lead?

Why it matters: Good safeguarding is not a tick-box. It’s about having the right systems and taking action when something is not right.

Quick “copy and paste” checklist for your booking call

1. DBS/right-to-work/NMC verified?
2. Mandatory training in date? Medication competence confirmed?
3. Experience in this type of home and resident group?
4. Continuity options (same staff again)? Out-of-hours support?
5. Shift details confirmed (times, breaks, handover, escalation)?
6. Rates and cancellation terms agreed in writing?
7. Clear process for incidents, complaints, and safeguarding?

FAQs

What should a care home ask an agency nurse before booking?
Ask about NMC verification, DBS, insurance, recent care home experience, medication competence, mandatory training, and who to contact out of hours.

Do senior care assistants need medication training?
If the role includes administering medication, yes. Ask what training they have, how competence is assessed, and whether it matches your home’s policies.

How can care homes reduce agency risk quickly?
Use a standard checklist, ask for written confirmation of checks and competencies, and prioritise agencies that offer continuity and strong incident procedures.