Tuesday, 16 March 2010 16:15

 

What standard of care do you expect from your social service worker?

 

Do you look for your worker to protect your rights? 

Make sure you are listened to?

Help you to keep yourself and others safe from harm? 

Help you to be independent and be able to live your life and take risks in a careful way?

 

These are just a few examples of what you can expect from your social service worker!  Know what standards of care you should receive and have confidence in your worker.  The SSSC Code of Practice for Social Service Workers will tell you the standard of care you should expect.

 

Coinciding with World Social Work Day 2010 - Making Human Rights Real on 16 March 2010, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is launching an awareness raising campaign of the Code of Practice for Social Service Workers. 

 

The campaign highlights how the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Service Workers can give you confidence in care.

 

Anna Fowlie, SSSC Chief Executive said today:

 

"Everyone uses social services at some point in their lives whether it is social work, day care for children or a care home and it is vital that people know what standards and behaviour they can expect from their workers.  This campaign will help people who use social services and carers to be aware of the professional standards that social workers, early years workers and others work to through posters and leaflets in your local health centre, library or community centre."

 

All social workers, social work students and social service workers registered with the SSSC must abide by the Code of Practice for Social Service Workers.  

 

The Code supports the human rights of people who use care services.  It sets out clear standards of conduct for workers so people who use services know what they can expect from their workers.  In setting these standards, relationships between a social worker or social service worker and someone using social services are strengthened.

 

Posters and pocket-sized versions of the Code will be in your local GP surgery, social work office, community centre and libraries shortly.

 

 Codes of Practice awareness poster 1 (2.37 MB) 

 Codes of Practice awareness poster 2 (6.3 MB) 

 Codes of Practice awareness poster 3 (5.03 MB)

Notes to the editor

 

If you require further information contact Nicola Gilray, Communications Manager on 01382 207261 or Sandra Wilson, Information and Communications Assistant on 01382 207248.

 

 

The SSSC was set up in October 2001 under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.

 

Its objectives are:

 

• to protect those who use services
• to raise standards of practice
• to strengthen and support the professionalism of the workforce.

 

The SSSC has five main tasks:

 

• to establish registers of key groups of social services staff
• to publish Codes of Practice for all social services staff and for employers
• to regulate the training and education of the workforce
• to undertake the functions of the National Training Organisation for the personal social services - Workforce Development and Planning
• to promote education and training.

 

The SSSC registers and regulates the following groups of workers:

• Social workers
• Social work students
• Care Commission Officers
• All residential child care workers
• All workers in day care of children services
• All workers in care home services for adults
• Managers of adult day care centres
• Managers of school care accommodation services

 

The following groups of workers will be invited to register in December 2010:

• Managers of housing support services
• Managers of care at home services

 

Each country in the UK has its own regulatory body. They are: the Care Council for Wales, the General Social Care Council (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 services workers in their country. They work in co-operation with other regulatory bodies such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

 

For further information about the SSSC please visit: www.sssc.uk.com