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Aged Care Worker reference check template

A reference check form for aged care workers, personal care assistants and support workers. It adds eight questions about resident care, dignity, reliability and how the candidate reports concerns.

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  • Free, no sign-up
  • Editable Word file
  • 8 aged care worker questions

What to focus on in a aged care worker reference check

In aged care, how a worker treats people when nobody is watching matters as much as skill. Ask for examples of personal care, patience with residents who have dementia, and whether the candidate reported concerns. A shift supervisor or care manager is the best referee.

8 reference check questions to ask about a aged care worker

Ask these after the standard verification and performance questions. They are already in the Word and PDF template.

  1. 1.What kind of care setting did the candidate work in, and what did a typical shift involve?
  2. 2.Tell me about how the candidate supported a resident with dementia or challenging behaviour.
  3. 3.How did the candidate protect residents' privacy and dignity during personal care?
  4. 4.Describe a time the candidate noticed a change in a resident's condition. Who did they tell, and how fast?
  5. 5.How did the candidate handle incident reports and care notes?
  6. 6.How reliable was the candidate with shifts, including early starts, weekends and short-notice cover?
  7. 7.How did residents and their families respond to the candidate?
  8. 8.Is there anything about the candidate's conduct with residents that a new employer should know?

What a strong reference sounds like

  • Examples of patience and respect with residents who are confused or distressed
  • Reports concerns promptly and through the right channel
  • Care notes completed during the shift, not after
  • Residents or families asked for the candidate by name

Red flags to follow up

  • Any hesitation on the final conduct question
  • The referee cannot describe a single interaction with a resident
  • A pattern of late arrivals or missed shifts
  • Defensive or rushed approach to personal care

Download the aged care worker reference check template

Free, no sign-up. The Word version is editable; the PDF is ready to print.

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Want more questions? See 35 reference check questions to ask references. Prefer referees to answer online? HiveRef sends the form, chases replies and builds the report. Start with 4 free checks.

Aged Care Worker Reference Check Template

For phone or written reference checks. Use the same questions for every referee so answers are comparable.

1. Candidate and referee details

  • Candidate name
  • Role applied for
  • Referee name
  • Referee job title and organisation
  • Referee email and phone
  • Relationship to the candidate (for example, direct manager)
  • Date of reference check
  • Checked by

2. Consent

Confirm the candidate agreed to you contacting this referee. Tell the referee their answers are used only for this hiring decision.

  • Candidate consent confirmed (yes / no)
  • Date consent was given

3. Verification questions

  1. 1.How do you know the candidate, and what was your working relationship?
  2. 2.What were the candidate's start and end dates, as far as you remember them?
  3. 3.What was their job title, and did it change while you worked together?
  4. 4.Did the candidate report to you directly? If not, how often did you see their work?
  5. 5.What were the main reasons the candidate left, as far as you know?

4. Performance questions

  1. 6.Which parts of the role did the candidate own day to day?
  2. 7.Tell me about a deadline the candidate missed or nearly missed. What happened next?
  3. 8.Give an example of the candidate producing good work with incomplete information.
  4. 9.What result improved while they were in the role, and what was their contribution?
  5. 10.When results were below expectations, how did they respond to feedback?
  6. 11.What skill did the candidate develop most while you worked together?

5. Aged Care Worker questions

  1. 12.What kind of care setting did the candidate work in, and what did a typical shift involve?
  2. 13.Tell me about how the candidate supported a resident with dementia or challenging behaviour.
  3. 14.How did the candidate protect residents' privacy and dignity during personal care?
  4. 15.Describe a time the candidate noticed a change in a resident's condition. Who did they tell, and how fast?
  5. 16.How did the candidate handle incident reports and care notes?
  6. 17.How reliable was the candidate with shifts, including early starts, weekends and short-notice cover?
  7. 18.How did residents and their families respond to the candidate?
  8. 19.Is there anything about the candidate's conduct with residents that a new employer should know?

6. Working style and integrity

  1. 20.Describe a disagreement the candidate had with a colleague. How did they move the work forward?
  2. 21.How did the candidate ask for help when they needed it?
  3. 22.When the candidate made a mistake that affected others, what did they do?
  4. 23.What would you tell a new manager about working with this person?

7. Closing questions

  1. 24.Is there anything we have not asked that you think we should know?
  2. 25.What kind of manager or team would get the best out of this person?
  3. 26.Would you hire or work with this person again? Why or why not?

8. Recommendation

  • Overall: recommend / recommend with reservations / do not recommend
  • Strengths confirmed
  • Concerns or follow-ups
  • Signed and dated

Do not ask about health, family, age, religion or other protected personal information, and check the law where you hire.

Frequently asked questions

Who should be the referee for an aged care worker?

A care manager, registered nurse or shift supervisor who worked shifts with the candidate in the last two years. A co-worker is a useful second referee.

What should I do if a referee mentions a complaint?

Ask what happened, how it was handled and what the outcome was. Record the answer in the referee's words, and check it with a second referee before deciding.

Can I send these questions online?

Yes. Referees in care roles often work shifts, so an online form they can finish on their phone between shifts gets faster replies than phone calls.

Send these aged care worker questions online instead.

HiveRef emails the referees, chases them for you and puts every answer into one report. First 4 checks free, no card needed.

Start freeSee a sample report