A practice manager called us last month with a question we hear often, usually phrased the same way: “I get that you can send someone today, but who actually is this person?”
It’s a fair question. You’re letting someone into your practice, around your patients, and near your equipment, often on short notice. Speed is only useful if it comes with confidence that the person arriving is who they say they are, qualified to do the job, and safe to have in the room.
So here’s exactly what happens before any locum dental nurse from ChairSide Assist works their first shift with you — no vague reassurances, just the actual checks.
1. GDC Registration Is Verified, Not Just Asked About
Every dental nurse working clinically in the UK has to be registered with the General Dental Council. This isn’t optional and it isn’t new — since 30 July 2008, all qualified dental nurses in the UK have been required to hold GDC registration before they can legally work in the role.
What this means in practice for us: we don’t just take a nurse’s word for it. We check their GDC registration number against the public register before they’re added to our books, and we re-confirm it’s still active and in good standing before every placement. If a nurse’s registration has lapsed, been suspended, or is under review, they don’t get placed — full stop.
This also covers ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD), which the GDC requires nurses to maintain annually to stay registered. We ask for evidence of this as part of onboarding, not as an afterthought.
2. An Enhanced DBS Check With Barred List Search
This is the one most practice managers ask about directly, so let’s be specific about what it actually involves.
Dental nurses provide direct healthcare to patients, which means they fall under what the DBS calls “regulated activity.” Because of this, dental nurses are eligible for — and required to hold — an Enhanced DBS check, which is the highest level available, alongside a search of the Adults’ and Children’s Barred Lists.
Here’s what that level of check actually reveals, compared to a lower-tier check:
| Check Type | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Basic DBS | Unspent convictions only |
| Standard DBS | Spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings |
| Enhanced DBS (what we require) | Everything in Standard, plus any additional relevant information held by local police, plus a Barred List search |
The Barred List check matters specifically because it confirms a nurse hasn’t been barred from working with children or vulnerable adults — a category that covers a large proportion of dental patients.
We don’t accept a DBS certificate that’s simply old and assumed to still be valid. Current good practice (and CQC expectation) is that DBS certificates are refreshed roughly every three years, and we track this for every nurse on our books so a practice never has to chase it themselves.
3. Valid Indemnity Insurance Is Confirmed
Every nurse we place must hold valid professional indemnity insurance before their first shift. We ask for evidence of current cover as part of onboarding and check it again periodically — not just once at the very start.
One thing worth being transparent about: responsibility for indemnity insurance is shared. Most agency nurses hold their own personal indemnity cover (often through bodies like the British Association of Dental Nurses or a comparable provider), and we verify this is in place and current. We’d always recommend a practice double-checks this as part of their own onboarding too — two sets of eyes on this is better than one, especially given how much is riding on it.
4. Right-to-Work and Identity Verification
Before anything else happens, we confirm a nurse’s right to work in the UK and verify their identity against photo ID. This sounds basic, but it’s the foundation everything else sits on — there’s no point checking a DBS certificate or GDC number if we haven’t first confirmed the person presenting them is actually who they claim to be.
5. Qualification and Training History
We confirm the actual diploma or qualification a nurse holds — typically the NEBDN National Diploma in Dental Nursing or the City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma — because this is what underpins their GDC registration in the first place. If there’s any inconsistency between a claimed qualification and what’s on record with the GDC, it gets resolved before they’re placed anywhere, not after.
6. References From Previous Practices
Where a nurse has worked locum or permanent shifts before, we take references from practices they’ve actually worked in. This isn’t a box-ticking exercise — it’s often where we learn the practical things that matter on the day: how someone handles a packed list, how they communicate with patients, whether they need much settling-in time on unfamiliar software.
So What Does This Mean for Your Practice on the Day?
It means that by the time a locum dental nurse walks through your door — whether that’s for a pre-booked shift next week or an emergency same-day placement — every one of the above has already happened. You’re not the one who has to chase a DBS certificate or call the GDC to confirm registration. That work is already done, and done before they’re added to our books, not scrambled together at the point of booking.
This is also why we can move quickly without cutting corners. Speed and vetting aren’t in tension for us — the vetting happens upfront, once, so that when you need cover fast, nothing about safety is being skipped to make that possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the practice need to do its own DBS check as well?
No — if you’re booking through ChairSide Assist, the Enhanced DBS check has already been completed and verified by us. Some practices choose to ask for sight of the certificate themselves as an extra layer of confidence, and we’re always happy to provide this.
How often are DBS checks renewed?
We work to the commonly recommended three-year refresh cycle, in line with CQC expectations, and track renewal dates centrally so nothing lapses unnoticed.
What happens if a nurse’s GDC registration lapses?
They’re immediately removed from active placement until registration is confirmed and restored. We check this before every booking, not just once at sign-up.
Is this the same standard for emergency and same-day bookings?
Yes. There’s no “fast-track” version of vetting — a nurse arriving within the hour has been through exactly the same checks as one booked weeks in advance. [Read more about how our same-day process works without compromising on this.]
Where can I see a summary of your compliance standards?
Our Compliance & Trust page has a quick overview of our GDC, DBS, and insurance standards if you’d like the short version alongside this detailed guide.
Need fully vetted dental nurse cover for your Birmingham or Solihull practice?
Book a locum dental nurse today, or get in touch to discuss your staffing needs.
If you’re a dental nurse interested in joining our network, find out what we require from nurses who join us — it’s the same standard described above.