Requirements of HCSB A+ Certified Agencies

To obtain and maintain HCSB A+ Certification, an agency must satisfy the following requirements and provide documentation reasonably requested by HCSB to demonstrate compliance.

  • The agency agrees to abide by this HCSB “Standards and Requirements of an A+ Certified Agency”.
  • The agency must maintain proper and current licensure, permits, registrations, and certifications required by all applicable state and federal regulatory organizations.
  • All agency staff and caregivers must have passed a comprehensive multi-tiered background check, as further described below.
  • All agency staff must be trained. All agency caregivers must maintain applicable licenses or certifications required for their duties. Further, all caregivers must complete initial training prior to being assigned duties. In addition, they must complete annual training requirements, as further described below.
  • The agency agrees to protect the confidentiality and privacy of client and family information in accordance with applicable law.
  • The agency must have a complaint procedure in place.
  • The agency must have access to qualified leadership with experience in home care, aging services, or a related field.
  • The agency must maintain general liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance (where required by law), and any other insurance required by HCSB standards, as further described below.
  • The agency must provide documentation requested by HCSB during the certification process, annual reviews, complaint investigations, or any other compliance reviews.
  • The agency must complete HCSB’s annual review process and promptly notify HCSB of any material change affecting its eligibility for certification. HCSB may, at its sole discretion, re-review agency documentation at any time.
  • The agency agrees to cooperate with announced or unannounced compliance reviews conducted by HCSB.

Employment and Qualifications

  • HCSB strongly encourages agencies to utilize W-2 caregivers whenever practical and consistent with applicable law. All caregivers must maintain applicable licenses or certifications required for their duties.

Caregiver Screening Requirements and Background Check

The agency must maintain and enforce a written background check policy for all caregivers employed or contracted by the agency. HCSB may request documentation demonstrating compliance with these requirements as part of the certification or annual review process.

The agency’s background screening process should include, at a minimum:

  • Multi-jurisdictional criminal records search for any state and county in which caregiver will provide services;
  • Sex offender registry search;
  • Social Security number trace and verification;
  • A motor vehicle record search must be done if caregivers transport clients. Agency is required to have a policy regarding motor vehicle use and required licenses.

Disqualifying Criminal History

Absent an applicable state waiver or other exception approved by HCSB, and unless otherwise permitted by applicable law, agencies must not employ caregivers with:

  • Any felony conviction during the preceding 7 years that materially relates to the caregiver’s ability to safely provide services to vulnerable individuals;
  • Any active warrants;
  • Any misdemeanor convictions within the preceding seven (7) years that fall under the following categories:
    • Abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults or children;
    • Sexual misconduct or sex-related offenses;
    • Theft, burglary, fraud, forgery, identity theft, financial exploitation, or similar offenses;
    • Violent conduct, threats of violence, stalking, harassment, kidnapping, robbery, or weapons-related criminal conduct;
    • Other offenses that materially affect a caregiver’s suitability to provide services to vulnerable populations.
    • Applicants with substance-related convictions may be considered at agency discretion on a case-by-case basis.

Transportation Services

Agencies that provide transportation services must have a policy addressing driver qualifications, licensing, insurance, and periodic motor vehicle record reviews. At a minimum, such policies must screen out individuals whose driver’s license is suspended if the caregiver is required to provide transportation to clients.

  • As a best practice, motor vehicle record search should be done on an annual basis if caregivers transport clients.

Caregiver Training Requirements

The agency must maintain a caregiver training program that provides initial training prior to assignment, and ongoing annual training thereafter.

  • HCSB strongly recommends that caregiver training include:
    • Becoming a Caregiver
    • Duties of a Caregiver
    • Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
    • Providing Personal Care
    • Communicating with Others
    • Professional Boundaries
    • Understanding Elder Abuse
    • Understanding Dementia
    • Infection Control
    • Environmental Hazards and Safety
    • Promoting and Maintaining Good Mobility
    • Caregiver First Aid

Insurance Requirements

All agencies must follow their state licensure rules regarding insurance coverage. This typically includes a requirement for General and Professional (G&P) liability coverage, as well as Workers’ Compensation coverage. For A+ Certification, the agency must demonstrate that they maintain G&P insurance coverage meeting the minimum standards established by HCSB, including:

  • $1,000,000 per occurrence
  • $2,000,000 aggregate
  • It is strongly recommended that agency G&P insurance coverage include specific protections in the event of client property damage, theft from clients, and bodily injury to either clients or agency staff while on duty.
  • HCSB requires agencies that provide transportation for their clients to carry Hired and Non-Owned Auto Liability Coverage.
  • HCSB strongly encourages agencies to carry:
    • Cyber Liability coverage to protect against data breaches and HIPAA-related fines
    • Sexual Harassment and Abuse coverage to protecting against allegations of physical or sexual abuse

Certification Scope

A+ Certification reflects an agency’s participation in the HCSB standards program and is based upon information, representations, and documentation submitted during the certification process. Certification is subject to ongoing compliance with HCSB standards and may be suspended, revoked, or modified if certification requirements are no longer satisfied.

A+ Certification is not a warranty or guarantee of the quality of care, caregiver performance, client safety, regulatory compliance, or future outcomes. HCSB does not own, operate, manage, supervise, or control the day-to-day operations of certified agencies or their personnel and is not responsible for the acts or omissions of any certified agency, its owners, employees, contractors, or caregivers.

Certification applies only to the specific agency location(s) identified by HCSB as participating in the certification program. Organizations with multiple offices, branches, franchises, or affiliated locations may not represent that non-participating locations are A+ Certified, nor may the A+ Certification designation be used in a manner that implies certification of any location not specifically approved by HCSB.

Indemnification

The agency agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Home Care Standards Bureau (“HCSB”), its officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, successors, and assigns from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, causes of action, damages, liabilities, judgments, settlements, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to:

  1. the agency’s operations or the services provided by the agency or its owners, employees, contractors, or caregivers;
  2. any act or omission of the agency or its personnel;
  3. any inaccuracy, omission, or misrepresentation contained in the agency’s certification application, annual review, or other information submitted to HCSB;
  4. the agency’s failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations, licensing requirements, or HCSB standards; or
  5. the agency’s use or misuse of HCSB’s name, trademarks, certification marks, logos, or A+ Certification designation.

If you are able to meet and maintain these requirements, we invite you to
complete the Application to become an A+ Certified agency.