Hidden Castle Branch Page

NEW!

CASTLE BRANCH, INC. OFFERS BACKGROUND & CREDIT SCREENING

Criminal History and Credit Background Searches on Potential Employees &

Criminal History Background Searches on independent contractors:

Now Easy & Affordable For PSI Members!

PSI joins with Castle Branch, Inc. to Help You Solve the Age-Old Question:

WHO SHOULD YOU HIRE?

Sending one 'bad apple' into a client’s home can destroy your pet-sitting business!

Fact: One out of twenty applicants screened last year had a criminal record.

EXCLUSIVE HIRING PACKAGES FOR PSI MEMBERS

PSI CRIMINAL HISTORY

PSI CRIMINAL HISTORY & CREDIT REPORT

1. US County Criminal Search*
2. Residency History
3. Social Security Verification
4. Nationwide Sexual Offender Index Search

Standard Cost Per Applicant: $58
PSI Member Cost: $28

1. US County Criminal Search*
2. Residency History
3. Social Security Verification
4. Nationwide Sexual Offender Index Search
5. Trans Union Credit Report

Standard Cost Per Applicant: $73
PSI Member Cost: $36

*U.S. County Criminal: This search reports all felony, misdemeanor and pending charges in the current county of residence unless otherwise specified. Additional counties of past residence found within the residency history may be searched for PSI Members at $13 each (standard rate is $18). Exceptions include the following counties: North Carolina Counties ($8 each) and New York Counties ($18 each).

Please note that the court system reads all maiden names/aliases as separate entities, therefore the proper practice when conducting a criminal background check would be to treat the additional name(s) as a separate search.

DEFINITION OF SERVICES:

Social Security Verification: Validates Social Security Number – First Step in Process: Provides report with listing of all names used under the SSN searched.
Residency History: Provides Address History – Lists all counties where applicant has lived in the past seven years. From this you can determine how many counties need to be research.
U.S. County Criminal Search: Felony & Misdemeanor Search – Searches both felony and misdemeanor records. Many of the crimes that you would want to know about before sending someone into a client’s home might not be felonies, such as theft, vandalism, animal cruelty, etc. (If your candidate has resided in more than one county, you can purchase additional searches for each additional county from Castle Branch)
Nationwide Sexual Offender Index: National Search of Sex Offender Registries is a good way to know if your candidate is listed in any state.
Credit Report: Trans Union – One of the three national credit-reporting bureaus.

TWO EASY STEPS!

Step #1 - Open a Castle Branch Account. No set-up fee required! Click here to download your free account set-up form. (Follow the instructions on the form for submittal, then you will be contacted with information to process background checks.)

Step #2 - Select a Castle Branch Package:

PSI Criminal History – for candidates who will not have access to credit cards or your financial accounts.
PSI Criminal History & Credit for criminal history plus credit report.

Facts to Know Before Conducting Background Checks

Screen all potential candidates, not just those you suspect. Inconsistent screening can be interpreted as discriminatory.
Candidates have rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. You must follow the correct procedures when doing background checks, which include getting the appropriate release forms signed prior to the search. Castle Branch provides this information at point of purchase.
Check only what is relevant to the job. If the pet sitter will not handle money, it might be inappropriate to check credit history.
Remember, there is no such thing as a 'national' criminal background check. Some providers advertise this service, but it usually is limited only to the counties that subscribe. The only comprehensive search of criminal convictions is at the county level.
If an applicant's background check reveals an unfavorable criminal or credit history and you rescind a job offer, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that you follow a certain procedure (Adverse Action) and complete the appropriate documents. Castle Branch can provide direction on this process.

For more information, contact Castle Branch:

Mario Rodriguez, Phone 1 (888) 723-4263. ext. 7170,

or e-mail marodri@castlebranch.com.

To download a set-up form click here. Follow the instructions on the form to submit.

NOTE: Pet-sitting business owners wishing to pay up front for a criminal history search on an independent contractor may use the above set-up form. Be sure to check the independent contractor block on the cover page. Credit searches are not available for independent contractors.

Pet-sitting businesses who hire independent contractors on a regular basis might benefit from the services of sister company, Certified Background, where you can set up a blanket account through which IC's can produce and fund their own background verifications by your referral. The Certified Background service is designed for pet-sitting businesses who wish to have multiple independent contractor candidates pay for their own verifications.

PSI has selected CertifiedBackground.com as an approved source for criminal records and recommends CertifiedBackground.com for criminal history screening of job candidates. Selection of CertifiedBackground.com as a third party firm is fully at the discretion of the pet-sitting employer. All consent and disclosure requirements under the FCRA and FACT Act are the responsibility of the pet-sitting employer and CertifiedBackground. PSI will not be held liable for services offered through CertifiedBackground.com. The pet-sitting employer understands that in selecting CertifiedBackground.com, they are engaging in a business relationship with CertifiedBackground.com and not with Pet Sitters International.