Failure to Complete Required Staff Background and Reference Checks
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement its abuse prohibition policy by not conducting thorough investigations into the employment history of five newly hired employees. Review of personnel records for these employees revealed that there was no evidence the facility attempted to obtain personal or professional reference information, as required by their own policy. Additionally, the facility's policy mandates criminal background screening and reference checks prior to employment, but these steps were not consistently documented or completed for the reviewed staff. Further review showed that the facility did not determine whether the five employees had resided in Pennsylvania for the previous two years, nor did it complete the required FBI background checks for those who may not have met the residency requirement. One employee's criminal background check was not completed until several months after hire, contrary to state regulations that require such checks within 30 days of employment. These findings were confirmed by the facility's human resources staff during an interview.