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Are you an employer?
As an employer of social service workers you must adhere to the Codes of Practice for Employers. Please click the link below to download a copy.


Employer's responsibilities regarding conduct issues

manandwomanreadingAs part of the drive to raise standards of practice and increase the protection of the public, employers of social service workers have a duty to let the SSSC know if they dismiss a social service worker on the grounds of misconduct, or if a social service worker has resigned or left their job and the circumstances are such that the worker would otherwise have been dismissed for misconduct, or dismissal for misconduct would have been considered.


This responsibility is set out under the legislation for the regulation of social service workers in Scotland. The Scottish Executive wrote out to all employers in February 2006 to inform them of these new responsibilities.


It is important that employers notify the SSSC as soon as possible about such matters. To do so, please write to Ann Moffat, Conduct Case Manager, Scottish Social Services Council, Compass House, 11, Riverside Drive, Dundee DD1 4NY or email her at ann.moffat@sssc.uk.com


EXTRACT REGULATION OF CARE (SCOTLAND) ACT 2001

Section 57A Notification of dismissal etc to Council

The employer of a social service worker shall:-

(a) on dismissing the social service worker on grounds of misconduct: or

(b) on the social service worker resigning or abandoning the worker’s position in circumstances where, but for the resignation or abandonment –

(i) the worker would have been dismissed on grounds of misconduct: or

(ii) dismissal on such grounds would have been considered by the employer,

forthwith notify the Council of the dismissal, resignation or abandonment; and the employer shall in doing so provide the Council with an account of the circumstances which led to the dismissal or which were present when the resignation or abandonment took place.


Section 57B Provision of other information to Council by employer

The employer of a social service worker shall, when requested to do so by the Council, provide it with such information as respects the worker as it may reasonably require in connection with the exercise of the functions assigned to it under this Act or any other enactment.


Employers are also reminded of their responsibilities under the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003. Please see Section 2 of that Act set out below. For further information on the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003, please contact the Disqualified from Working with Children List on 0131 244 1567.


EXTRACT FROM THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN (SCOTLAND) ACT 2003

Section 2 Reference following disciplinary action etc.


(1) An organisation shall refer to the Scottish Ministers the case of an individual who is or has been working in a child care position if -
(a) any of the circumstances mentioned in subsection (3) below; or
(b) the circumstance mentioned in subsection (4) below, has arisen.

(2) An organisation which fails to comply with the duty imposed by subsection (1) above is, subject to subsection (5) below, guilty of an offence and liable -
(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;
(b) on a conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to a fine, or to both.



(3) The circumstances referred to in subsection (1)(a) above are -
(a) that the organisation has dismissed the individual on the ground that the individual has (whether or not in the course of the individual's work) harmed a child or placed a child at risk of harm;

(b) that the individual has resigned, retired or been made redundant in circumstances such that the organisation would have dismissed the individual, or would have considered dismissing the individual, on such ground if the individual had not resigned, retired or been made redundant;

(c) that the organisation has, on such ground, transferred the individual to a position within the organisation which is not a child care position;

(d) that the individual is, or was, employed by the organisation for a fixed term and the organisation has formed the opinion that -

(i) if the individual's employment was not due to expire at the end of the fixed term, the organisation would dismiss the individual, or would consider dismissing the individual, on such ground; or

(ii) if the individual's employment has expired at the end of the fixed term, the organisation, if the individual were still employed by the organisation, would have dismissed the individual, or would have considered dismissing the individual, on such ground.


(4) The circumstance referred to in subsection (1)(b) above is that -
(a) the individual has, in circumstances not falling within subsection (3) above -
(i) been dismissed by the organisation;
(ii) resigned, retired or been made redundant; or
(iii) been transferred by the organisation to a position within the rganisation which is not a child care position;
(b) information not available to the organisation at the time of the dismissal, resignation, retirement, redundancy or transfer has since become available; and
(c) the organisation has formed the opinion that, if that information had been available at that time and if (where applicable) the individual had not resigned, retired or been made redundant, the organisation would have dismissed the individual, or would have considered dismissing the individual, on such ground as is mentioned in subsection (3)(a) above.


(5) An organisation may (but, despite subsection (1) above, need not) refer the case of an individual to the Scottish Ministers under this section where the dismissal, resignation, retirement, redundancy, transfer or suspension took place or, as the case may be, the organisation's opinion was formed before the date on which this section comes into force.
 

Getting it right

Getting it right video

 

To help applicants fill in their application forms some of our staff from the SSSC Registry team have put together a short film that guides applicants through the form.  Click here to view the film.

Registration Rules and Conduct Rules

The Registration Rules explain how social service workers are placed on the Register. The Conduct Rules set down how we will investigate and hold hearings about allegations of misconduct against registrants.

Please click to view the Registration Rules and Conduct Rules.

Other regulatory bodies

To register with the SSSC you must work in a service that is registered by the Care Commission and not currently be registered with any of the following regulatory bodies:

Feedback on SSSC website

We welcome feedback on our website. This helps us to continually improve this service and allows us to ensure that you can access the information you need. Please forward your comments and suggestions to: enquiries@sssc.uk.com