Conduct of social service workers

The SSSC is responsible for registering and regulating people who work in social services in Scotland. Our role is to increase the protection of people who use social services, to raise standards of practice and to increase public confidence in the sector. The SSSC aims to protect people who use services and their carers by promoting high standards of conduct and by taking action where the public are at risk.

When a social service worker applies to register with the SSSC they must agree to abide by the Code of Practice for Social Service Workers which sets out the conduct expected of social service workers and informs people who use social services and the public about the standards they can expect. 

What can you expect from social service workers?

The SSSC publishes Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers. These are standards of conduct and practice which all social service workers and their employers must follow.  The Codes state that social service workers must:

• protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers
• strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers
• promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm
• respect the rights of service users while seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people
• uphold public trust and confidence in social services
• be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills.

The vast majority of social service workers act in accordance with the Code of Practice and consistently meet the high standards expected by the public.  However, the SSSC can take action against registered workers who do not meet the standards expected of them.