First ever regulation of the Scottish social service workforce begins

Monday, 31 March 2003 00:00

Monday, March 31, 2003

Nearly two million people using social services will benefit from higher standards of care and better public protection, as a result of the Register of Social Service Workers opening in Scotland and the Social Care Registers opening in the rest of the UK.

A major part of the drive for higher standards of care, registration will help to give social service workers the recognition they deserve, and will allow service users to be confident that they can depend on a trained and trusted workforce. This is the first time that the estimated 100,000 people working in social service work across Scotland have been regulated.

Survey evidence indicates overwhelming public support for regulation of the social service workforce, with over 90 per cent of people questioned in a recent NOP poll confident it will deliver higher standards of care and improved protection. Those working in social service work have long supported registration, to boost public confidence in their work, with 87 per cent support from those questioned in a MORI poll last year.

The Register for Social Service Workers will increase the protection of service users, helping employers to ensure that only suitable people are employed and retained in the social service workforce. Action will be taken against the small minority of the workforce whose behaviour is not up to the standard required in social service work. The register will put social service work on a similar footing to other public service professions, such as medicine and teaching.

Each country in the UK has its own regulatory body. They are the Care Council for Wales; the General Social Care Council (for England); the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and the Scottish Social Services Council. The Councils are each responsible for the registration and regulation of social service workers in their country. They work in co-operation and with other regulatory bodies such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Morag Alexander, Convener of the Scottish Social Services Council said: “Social services are undergoing their biggest transformation for 30 years. Registration represents a milestone in improving the protection of the nearly two million people who depend on vital social care services every day. Social service workers do crucial work such as helping disabled people live independent lives, supporting the needs of individuals and families, and protecting the interests of children and some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Registration is also a landmark for anyone employed in the sector, whether they’re a qualified social worker, a care assistant in a home for older people or a care worker helping young children. Registration provides public recognition that workers are committed to - and will be held to meeting – high standards of practice, something that doctors and nurses have enjoyed for years.”

Registration of social service workers in Scotland and the rest of the UK, has been welcomed by many employers and service providers.

Jim Dickie, President of the Association of Directors of Social Work (ADSW) said: “Social Work Directors in Scotland welcome the registration of the social service workforce. It is a major milestone in raising standards in the profession. The Register of Social Service Workers has an important contribution to play in improving the status and morale of the profession and it will further protect the public.”

Romy Langeland, Chief Executive of Aberlour Child Care Trust has also welcomed registration: “The new register represents a milestone for social care in establishing standards and it has been long awaited. As the social care field continues to expand and diversify, it is particularly important that good standards of practice are in place and that the status of social care is properly recognised. The general public and those who are receiving services need to be able to rely on the quality of the staff who work with them, whatever the setting, and the beginning of the regulation process means that we will now have a clearer means of demonstrating this.”

All workers will need to apply to be on the register. Within the next few years, only qualified social workers on the appropriate country’s register will be able to call themselves social workers, and employers will need to check that all their employees and applicants hold up
-to-date registration.

In view of the size of the social service workforce in Scotland, registration will begin incrementally and will take some years to complete. Those holding a recognised social work qualification will be the first group to be registered. Registrants will need to satisfy a number of criteria covering qualification and training, adherence to the Code of Practice for Social Service Workers and a declaration of good character. Every application will also need to be independently endorsed and validated by an employer
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Notes to editors
Media contact details:
Lorraine Gray 01382 207171