The Scottish Social Services Council is responsible for promoting and developing education and training for the social services workforce in Scotland. It is also responsible for regulating and awarding professional social work qualifications.

Social work degree and postgraduate courses

The SSSC approves social work honours degree and postgraduate courses at universities across Scotland. Click to download the list of approved courses. 

You can find out more about a career in social work, social care and early education and child care in the careers section of this website.

Six new case studies to support the assessment of practice learning for social work degree students

Six new case study learning materials are now available to support the assessment of practice learning within the Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE) against levels 9 and 10 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).

Recent research highlighted inconsistencies in the SiSWE student practice learning opportunities for students on the degree in social work programme. Six case studies are now available to make sure all those involved in social work education and practice learning opportunities have a clearer common understanding about the changing expectations of practice learning as student's progress through the programme.

The materials have a range of possible uses in both agencies and Universities including student learning and assessment, preparation for practice and in supporting the learning of practice educators.

Download  Benchmarking the SiSWE against the SCQF: Six case studies (2.21 MB)

For further information please contact Karen McLaughlin at: karen.mclaughlin@sssc.uk.com or Alison Harold at: alison.harold@sssc.uk.com

Annual review of trends in qualifying social work training in Scotland 2007/08

As the regulatory body for social work qualifying training in Scotland, the SSSC has responsibility for quality assuring the undergraduate and postgraduate social work degree courses delivered by universities in Scotland. This document provides a summary of the quality assurance data collated for the academic year 2007/08 and uses 2006/07 data as a baseline on which to make comparisons and start to identify trends. A similar report will be published each year with comment about emerging trends over a period of time.

The report provides a profile of:

• who is applying for, and being admitted to, social work training
• the types of course being delivered and admissions onto these
• where practice learning opportunities are being undertaken
• how much funding is being spent on bursaries for postgraduate students
• how much funding is being spent providing practice learning opportunities for students
• information relating to student progression
• a baseline for establishing trends.

  Annual review of trends in qualifying social work training in Scotland 2007/08 (658.43 kB)

Study of Post-qualifying Social Work Education in Scotland 2001 - 2008

Find out about the experience of candidates, the barriers and facilitators to undertaking PQ study and attempt to identify the impact of PQ social work education to help to inform future developments in workplace learning by reading the Study of Post-Qualifying Social Work Education in Scotland 2001-2008.

 Study of Post-Qualifying Social Work Education in Scotland 2001-2008 (91.94 kB)

Key Capabilities for Child Care and Protection

As part of the quality assurance and quality enhancement processes for the Honours Degree in Social Work, the SSSC will require evidence from universities that Key Capabilities in Child Care and Protection have been embedded at the appropriate level in each year of the degree, from September 2007.

Click here for further information.

Modern Apprenticeships - Health and Social Care and Children's Care, Learning & Development

The SSSC manages the framework for two Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland - these are Health and Social Care and Children's Care, Learning & Development (formerly known as Early Years Care and Education).

Click here for further information

Childhood Practice awards

Rules and Requirements for Awards developed from the Standard for Childhood Practice 2008 are available. Please click the link for more information on the Childhood Practice awards.

Download the  Rules and Requirements for Awards developed from the Standard for Childhood Practice 2008 (88.04 kB)

Scottish Vocational Qualifications in the social services sector

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has produced a series of papers, on Scottish Vocational Qualifications provisions in Scotland, for the purposes of workforce planning.

The SSSC wants to know more about the workforce and is keen to have accurate information about the qualifications which employees are undertaking and achieving. The report sets out information we have gathered, which will assist education and training providers, employers, employees and other partners involved in workforce development activities.

• SVQ Quarterly update for January 2006 to December 2007
• SVQ Quarterly update for January to March 2008
• SVQ Quarterly update for April to June 2008
• SVQ Quarterly update for July to September 2008
• SVQ Quarterly update for October to December 2008
• SVQ Quarterly update for January to March 2009
• SVQ Quarterly update for April to June 2009
• SVQ Quarterly update for July to September 2009
• SVQ Quarterly update for October to December 2009 

Making Advanced Entry Work: The Experience of Social Work Education in Scotland

The SSSC through the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)social services project commissioned this study from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and the Open University (OU).


The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of students entering social work education with advanced standing.  The researchers were interested in a range of questions to do with students’ preparedness for study; the challenges they experienced in making the transition to a professional programme and the supports that helped them do so.


The findings suggest that students with advanced standing from both graduate and HNC/SVQ routes are able to make a successful transition onto the social work programme.  Students also suggested a number of ways in which programmes might improve the type or quality of support offered.


The research, though small scale, supports recent initiatives in Scotland to break down the boundaries between different qualifications by enabling progression from one qualification to another and giving recognition to prior qualifications through credit transfer.  In particular, the recognition of qualifications, such as HNC and SVQ, often gained whilst in employment by adults who may have lacked previous educational opportunities, may offer the potential to promote greater inclusion and equality of opportunity for under-represented groups in the social work profession.

View the report of this study - Making Advanced Entry Work: The Experience of Social Work Education in Scotland.

Involving service users and carers in the social work degree

The Scottish Government has recently awarded each University in Scotland delivering the Social Work Degree £5,000 as a contribution towards their activities in involving service users and carers in all aspects of the Social Work Degree. This is a requirement of the Standards in Social Work Education, the framework against which the Social Work Degree is approved by SSSC. The grant will be administered by SSSC and the Funding Scheme, setting out the conditions and eligible areas of expenditure can be found below:

Funding Scheme