The simple answer is yes. Care providers are regulated by the Commission for Social Care Inspection and are required to obtain a full employment history, two written and verified References and an enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) Disclosure. All Social Care Worker must adhere to the General Social Care Councils Code of Conduct.
It’s a better system than what it was, but we still have along way to go.
http://www.csci.org.uk/
http://www.gscc.org.uk/Home/