Thursday, 01 December 2011 15:34

Scotland's social service workforce regulator welcomed the publication today of the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee's Inquiry into the Regulation of Care for Older People. The Scottish Social Services Council regulates staff in care home services for older people as well as social workers and other care workers.

Commenting on the recognition in the report that workforce regulation is making a positive contribution to improving the quality of care in Scotland, SSSC Chief Executive Anna Fowlie said:

"I am pleased that the Committee supports the registration agenda and welcome the recommendation that the Scottish Government's commitment to registration of the social care workforce continues to be rolled out.  We are the only UK country that has such plans in place; which recognises the ambition we have for providing high quality care in Scotland.  It is clear that the combination of qualified, confident staff, our Codes of Practice and the public assurance that regulation brings is having a positive impact on the outcomes and experiences of people using care services and their families.

"Registration is a huge task as this workforce is large and complex.  However, employers have already shown their commitment to up-skilling their staff in the categories we are currently registering and I believe they will continue to do that as the programme rolls out over the coming years.  We cannot pretend that it is not challenging for employers and individual workers to find the time and the money to gain the necessary qualifications, especially in the current economic climate and it is important that resources are available to support workforce development in this vital sector. 

"The Committee has also recommended that the National Care Standards should be reviewed.  Ten years on, the time is right to do this.  So much has changed in the last decade - it is an opportunity to bring the standards right up to date."

ENDS

Notes to the editor

Media enquiries:

Nicola Gilray, Communications Manager, 01382 207261/07766133243

Cristina Dello Sterpaio, External Relations and Media Officer, 07810156390/01382 346462.

Read the full report here http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/newsandmediacentre/44768.aspx

Find out more about the SSSC at www.sssc.uk.com

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

• protect those who use services
• raise standards of practice
• 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 Skills for Care and Development, the sector skills council for the social care, children's and young people's workforce and this includes workforce planning
• to promote education and training.

Each country in the UK has its own regulatory body. They are: the Care Council for Wales, the General Social Care Council in 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.