> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.officeridge.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Credentials and checks

> Credentials, background screening, and employment reference verification.

These tabs decide whether an employee may deliver care: their credentials, their background
screening, and their employment references.

## Credentials

Employee credentials and certifications with expiration tracking.

**Columns:** Employee · Type · Name · Number · Expires · Status

**Expires** is the field the whole module turns on. A credential with no expiry date never warns
you, and one that has passed its expiry makes the employee unassignable.

<Warning>
  An employee delivering care on a lapsed credential is a compliance exposure and, for many payers,
  makes the resulting visits unbillable. Treat the [Dashboard](/dashboard) **Expiring in 7 Days**
  tile as a weekly work queue.
</Warning>

## Background Checks

Background screening records with provider, result, and expiration details.

**Columns:** Employee · Type · Date · Provider · Result · Expires

| Field        | What it records                 |
| ------------ | ------------------------------- |
| **Type**     | The kind of check performed     |
| **Provider** | Who performed the screening     |
| **Result**   | The outcome                     |
| **Expires**  | When the check must be repeated |

Texas home and community-based care requires several distinct screenings. Record each as its own
check with its own type and expiry, rather than one combined entry — they renew on different cycles.

<Warning>
  Exclusion-list matches are the ones to act on immediately. The [Dashboard](/dashboard) **OIG
  Flags** tile surfaces staff matched against federal or state exclusion lists. Services delivered
  by an excluded provider are not payable and must not be billed.
</Warning>

## Reference Checks

Employment reference verification records with ratings and rehire eligibility.

**Columns:** Employee · Reference · Facility · Check Date · Status · Verified By

**Verified By** records who at your agency performed the check, which is what a surveyor asks for
when reviewing hiring practice.

## Credentialing an employee

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run background screening first">
    Complete screening before the employee has any member contact. Record each check type separately.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify references">
    Record each reference with the facility and who verified it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Record credentials with expiry dates">
    Enter the credential number and, critically, the expiry date.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm nothing is flagged">
    Check the Dashboard for OIG flags against the new employee before assigning work.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a renewal reminder">
    Add a recurring rule in [Task Manager](/tasks) for credential renewal cycles.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Keeping credentials current

<Steps>
  <Step title="Review expiring credentials weekly">
    Filter **Credentials** on **Expires** within the next 30 days.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Chase renewals before they lapse">
    A lapsed credential blocks scheduling, which means finding cover at short notice.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update the record on renewal">
    Enter the new expiry date. Do not create a duplicate credential row.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Repeat background checks on their own cycle">
    Screening expiry is tracked separately from credential expiry.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                                          | What to check                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| An employee cannot be scheduled                  | A credential or background check has expired, or the employee is inactive.                    |
| A credential is not appearing in expiry warnings | **Expires** is blank. Warnings depend on it.                                                  |
| OIG Flags shows a match I believe is wrong       | Investigate and document the outcome before allowing billable work. Do not simply dismiss it. |
| Renewed credential still shows expired           | The new expiry date was added as a second row rather than updating the existing one.          |

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Credentialing a caregiver" icon="route" href="/guides/credentialing-a-caregiver">
    Hire to first assignment, end to end.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Health records" icon="syringe" href="/employees/health-records">
    TB screening and immunisation records.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>