What is an ISA Adult First?

Many organisations and employers that require disclosures are often unable to wait for the disclosure process to be finalised and the certificate received before making a recruitment decision. ISA Adult First Checks (previously referred to as a Protection of Vulnerable Adults which was formerly known as the POVA list) allow an employer access to a list which details any individuals who are deemed unsuitable to work with vulnerable adults.

By accessing this information, an organisation may choose to employ an individual subject to receipt of the completed Disclosure.

ISA Adult First Checks can only be requested in conjunction with a completed CRB application form when undertaking an enhanced level disclosure and only requested once the form has been received by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). The major benefit of this service is that the information is accessible within 72 hours of request.

ISA Adult First is a service exclusive to the health sector and requests for the check must fulfil strict criteria. They are allowed only where there is a real danger that staffing levels will fall below statutory obligations.

Department of Health guidance states that the ISA Adult First check is only available where a care worker may be allowed to start work:

in a care home
for a domiciliary care agency
as an adult placement carer

The CRB’s reply to an ISA Adult First check request will contain one of the following responses and clearly state that it only forms the first part of the CRB application process and that further information will follow:

OPTION 1: ‘Registered Body must wait for the CRB certificate”
OPTION 2: ‘No match exists for this person on the current Vulnerable Adults Barred list’

If the reply is Option 1, the details provided may have revealed either a potential or exact match to those of a person held on the Vulnerable Adults Barred list. Therefore you must wait for a CRB Certificate as the search of the Vulnerable Adults Barred list is inconclusive and further investigations are required to determine whether the person is or is not on the list.