The Register for social service workers is function based, rather than qualification based, meaning that an applicant must be performing a relevant role in a service registered by the Care Inspectorate, rather than holding a specific qualification, before they become eligible to register with us. This means that you need to be in employment in an appropriate service to be eligible to apply to be on this Register.
The Register for social workers and students is based on either holding or studying for a suitable social work qualification.
The following groups of social service workers can apply for registration:
| Part of the Register | Date of Register opening | Date of compulsory registration |
| Social workers | April 2003 | September 2005 |
| Social work students | May 2004 | May 2004 |
| SCSWIS Authorised Officers | December 2004 | 31 March 2010 |
| Workers in residential child care services | ||
| Managers | June 2005 | 30 September 2009 |
| Workers with supervisory responsibilities | October 2005 | 30 September 2009 |
| Residential child care workers | July 2006 | 30 September 2009 |
| Workers in adult day care services | ||
| Managers | January 2006 | 30 November 2009 |
| Workers in care home services for adults | ||
| Managers | January 2006 | 30 November 2009 |
| Workers with supervisory responsibilities | October 2007 | 30 March 2012 |
| Practitioners | January 2009 | 29 March 2013 |
| Support workers | April 2009 | 30 September 2015 |
| Workers in day care of children services | ||
| Managers | October 2006 | 30 November 2010 |
| Practitioners | March 2007 | 30 September 2011 |
| Support workers | October 2008 | 30 June 2014 |
| Workers in school hostels, residential special schools and independent boarding schools* | ||
| Managers | November 2009 | 30 November 2012 |
| Supervisors**** | April 2010 | 30 April 2013 |
| House staff | November 2010 | 30 November 2013 |
| Workers in housing support services | ||
| Managers*** | January 2011 | 31 January 2014 |
| Supervisors | 2014 | 2017 |
| Workers | 2017 | 2020 |
| Workers in care at home services | ||
| Managers*** | January 2011 | 31 January 2014 |
| Supervisors ** | To be announced | 2017 |
| Workers ** | To be announced | 2020 |
*Workers in some services registered with the care Inspectorate as School Care Accommodation services are required to register as Residential Childcare Workers. If you are unsure if this applies to you, please contact our helpline on 0845 60 30 891.
**These are anticipated dates. The Scottish Government will announce these dates in due course.
*** Any new manager of a housing support service who is not registered with another regulatory body, must achieve registration within six months of commencing employment. This requirement applies to all new managers who commence employment after 21 January 2011.
**** The role of supervisor does not apply to independent boarding schools.
Workers are registered according to the role they perform. Download definitions of Register parts
Other regulatory bodies
Unless you are a social worker, to register with the SSSC you must work in a service that is registered by the Care Inspectorate and not currently be registered with any of the following regulatory bodies:
To register you need to have or gain a qualification. If you don't hold the required qualifications and meet all the other criteria for registration, such as evidence of good character, you may still be granted registration subject to the condition that you achieve the required qualification within a specific period of time - normally this would be the first three years of your registration.
Find out which qualifications you need for registration
Applying is easy online with our interactive form
For enquiries about registration you can contact us at:
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0845 60 30 891 (option 1)
Calls will be answered between the hours of 9am and 5pm.
If your application is incomplete we may contact you by telephone, this could be at any time between 9.00am and 9.00pm, the call could be to your home or place of work.
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