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What type of pre-engagement checks are needed for your research passport?





Activity Disclosure and Barring Service Check necessary? Occupational Health Clearance Necessary? LoA or HRC
Researcher is a health care professional providing health care to an adult and/or child Yes, if done once this is Regulated Activity (new definition). Requires enhanced DBS + appropriate barred list check Yes, if there is direct contact HRC
Researcher provides health care to an adult and/or child under the direction or supervision of a health care professional Yes, if done once this is Regulated Activity (new definition). Requires enhanced DBS + appropriate barred list check Yes, if there is direct contact HRC
Researcher provides personal care to an adult or child Yes, if done once this is Regulated Activity (new definition). Requires enhanced DBS + appropriate barred list check Yes, if there is direct contact HRC
Researcher is a social care worker providing social work which is required in connection with any health care or social services to an adults who is a client or potential client
Researcher undertakes the following activities unsupervised: teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children, or provide advice/guidance on well-being, or drive a vehicle only for children; with likely direct bearing on the quality of care Yes, if done regularly this is Regulated Activity. Requires enhanced DBS + barred list check Yes, if there is direct contact HRC
Researcher has opportunity for any form of contact with children in the same Children's Hospital (formerly a specified place) but is not providing healthcare or other types of regulated activity and has no direct bearing on the quality of care Yes, if done regularly enhanced DBS (pre-Sept 2012 definition). No barred list check Yes, if there is direct contact LoA
Researcher has access to persons in receipt of healthcare services in the course of their normal duties but is not providing health care or other types of regulated activity and has no direct bearing on the quality of care (‘Access’ relates to where individuals will have physical, direct contact with patients e.g. observation, qualitative interviews, focus groups) Yes, standard Yes, if there is direct contact LoA
Researcher has indirect contact with patients or service users but is not providing healthcare or other types of regulated activity and has no direct bearing on the quality of care (e.g some types of telephone interview) No No LoA
Researcher requires access to identifiable patient data derived from health records, tissues or organs with a likely direct bearing on the quality of care No Yes, only if working with tissues or organs in NHS facilities HRC
Researcher requires access to identifiable patient data derived from health records, tissues or organs with no direct bearing on the quality of care No Yes, only if working with tissues or organs in NHS facilities LoA
Researcher requires access to anonymised patient data derived from health records, tissues or organs only (including by research staff analysing data) No Yes, only if working with tissues or organs in NHS facilities LoA (only if reviewed in NHS facilities)
Researcher is working on NHS premises (e.g. laboratory) only (no access to identifiable data) No Yes, only if working with tissues or organs in NHS facilities LoA
Researcher requires direct contact with staff only but no access to patients (e.g. staff interviews) No No LoA (if in NHS facilities)
Researcher requires access to identifiable staff data only No No LoA (if in NHS facilities)
Researcher requires access to anonymised staff data only No No LoA (if in NHS facilities)

Notes

  • Please refer to guidance on specific activities which are eligible for DBS checks.
  • ‘Health care professional’ means a person who is a member of a profession regulated by a body mentioned in section 25(3) of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Act 2002.
  • ‘Health care’ includes all forms of health care provided for individuals, whether relating to physical or mental health and also includes palliative care and procedures that are similar to forms of medical or surgical care but are not provided in connection with a medical condition.
  • A ‘direct bearing on the quality of care’ suggests that the actions of researchers could foreseeably directly affect the type, quality or extent of prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness or foreseeably cause injury or loss to an individual to whom the organisation has a duty of care.