Introduction
Information for employers of registered social workers, social care and children and young people workers.
Are your staff registering within three months?
People starting a new role in social care, children or young people services need to apply for SSSC registration within three months of starting employment. This new deadline came into effect from 3 June 2024.
As an employer, it’s your responsibility to make sure your staff apply in time.
Find out more on the How do I register page.
How to support your staff to apply for registration
Employers have a legal responsibility to make sure all staff apply for registration within three months of starting their role and are registered within six months.
If staff do not apply for registration within three months and / or are not registered within six months, they may not be able to work. If you have any queries about what role an employee can do if they are not registered after six months, please contact your Care Inspector.
Find out more in our guidance SSSC Registration – time to register and exceptional circumstances.
As part of their induction make sure your staff have the information they need to complete their registration application.
You can find information on applying on the How do I register(Opens new window) page.
How to support your staff once registered
When someone registers, they need to keep their registration up to date in several ways. There’s more information on the Manage my registration page.
Under the Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers we expect employers to help registered workers gain any qualification they need for their role.
It is also important that you discuss and plan with your staff how they continue to meet their continuous professional learning (CPL).
Discussing registration at supervision can help staff understand how to maintain their registration and make this more meaningful to their role.
How to manage staff registration as a countersignatory
You can manage your staff’s registration on MySSSC if you are a lead countersignatory, additional countersignatory or have employer access.
It’s important to have the right people in these roles as they are the main contact between the SSSC and your organisation for all matters relating to staff registration. You should read the Countersignatory guidance before applying.
You can apply for a countersignatory role in your MySSSC account by choosing the ‘Are you an employer?’ tile.
We’ll email you to let you know if your countersignatory request is successful. Once you have access to the employer’s area in MySSSC our help centre may be useful.
Maintaining standards and raising concerns
Employers 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 in circumstances that would otherwise would have led to their dismissal.
Read our guidance for employers making a fitness to practise referral.
Endorsing an application and employer changes in MySSSC
This step-by-step video will guide you through endorsing a registration application and how to see recent employment changes for your staff in your MySSSC account.
Watch the video(Opens new window)
Who should apply to register
Registration is compulsory for many social service roles.
Use our tool to help you with Register parts, fees and qualifications.
Search the Register
Check the registration status of a social worker or social care, children or young people worker employed in Scotland.