Incomplete Criminal Background Screening for Direct-Care Employee
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to complete a thorough criminal background screening for an employee, identified as Staff 1, prior to or during employment. Record review showed that Staff 1’s criminal background check results indicated the 7-year county review “need attention” and that the service was closed as incomplete because the screening agency attempted to obtain information from the applicant/client but did not receive the needed information. Despite this notation, there was no further documentation in Staff 1’s personnel file showing that the incomplete background check was ever resolved or completed. During an interview, the Administrator stated that he would not have moved an applicant forward until the background check matter had been satisfied, yet he confirmed there was no documentation in Staff 1’s file indicating completion of the background check. The facility’s Abuse and Neglect Prohibition Policy requires screening of potential hires for a history of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or misappropriation of property and prohibits employment of individuals found guilty by a court of law of such conduct. The facility’s Background Screening Investigations policy further requires employment background screening, reference checks, and criminal investigation checks on all applicants with direct access to residents, and states that applicants with convictions for abuse, neglect, mistreatment, or misappropriation of property are not to be employed. The incomplete and unresolved background check for Staff 1 was inconsistent with these written policies.
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