Information Agenda Item 4
BOROUGH OF POOLE
Report to the Community Support and Education Scrutiny Committee
13 December 2005
NATIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR SOCIAL WORKERS TO BE REGISTERED WITH THE GENERAL SOCIAL CARE COUNCIL
1.0Background
1.1This report outlines details of Social Worker Registration requirements and action taken to ensure compliance with this statutory requirement.
2.0Recommendation
2.1To consider measures put in place to ensure that registration for Social Workers required by the Care Standards Act are complied with.
3.0Report Detail
3.1A new legal restriction contained in the Care Standards Act 2000 came into force on 1st April 2005. From this date the title of Social Worker may only be used by those who are qualified and registered with the General Social Care Council (GSCC). This important change allows service users to be confident that their Social Worker is properly trained and accountable for their practice. It also protects the professional status and reputation of Social Workers. It has become a criminal offence for an unregistered person to use the title of Social Worker with an intention to deceive.
3.2All practicing Social Workers, or those whose posts require a Social Work qualification must register with the GSCC to demonstrate they are qualified and to comply with the law. Those who hold a Social Work qualification but are not currently practising do not have to apply but are encouraged to do so. They cannot use the title Social Worker if they do not.
3.3Registration is a rigorous process and before a social worker can be registered, the GSCC checks they hold a recognised social work qualification, requires them to sign up to the codes of practice, looks at their fitness to be in the workforce and also asks for an endorsement from the employer confirming that there is no reason why they are not suitable to be in the workforce.
3.4It is the responsibility of individual Social Workers to ensure that they have complied with the law by registering with the GSCC. All Social Workers in post in the Borough of Poole at the time the regulations came into force were supplied with details of how to register. The Adult Social Services Units, Children and Families Service Unit and the Pupil and Youth Service Unit (which employs qualified social workers in the Education Welfare Service) have managed the process of ensuring that all staff who are employed in relevant posts, including managers and policy staff as well as practitioners, have applied for registration and are subsequently formally registered.
3.5Each unit keeps records of staff who require registration and ensures compliance with the requirement. Copies of registration forms, when received back from the GSCC, are forwarded by the service units to Personnel and Training so that a copy of the registration certificate may be placed on an individual’s personnel file.
3.6The GSCC have received large numbers of applications and there has been some delay in Social Workers receiving their registration certificate. In such cases a letter is issued by the GSCC confirming that an application has been received. A copy of this letter is sufficient to allow Social Workers to continue practising pending the processing of their full application.
4.0Measures taken by the Borough to ensure compliance
4.1Recruitment – New Appointments
a)All person specifications for posts that require a Social Work qualification state that GSCC registration (or an application pending) are a requirement for all applicants.
b)All advertisements for posts that require a Social Work qualification state that applications will only be accepted if applicants are registered with the GSCC (or have an application pending).
c)Short listed applicants for Social Work posts are asked to bring their original registration certificate (or letter acknowledging application pending) to their interview. The appointing Officer will take a photocopy of this and forward to Personnel & Training Services for the successful applicant. A permanent copy of this is then kept on the successful applicant’s Personnel file.
d)No appointing Officer may make an offer of employment unless they have seen and taken a copy of an individual’s GSCC registration certificate (or letter acknowledging application pending).
e)No contract of employment for Social Work posts will be issued by Personnel and Training Services unless a copy GSCC registration form (or letter acknowledging application pending) has been enclosed with the appointment paperwork.
4.2Current Employees
a)The Adult Social Services Units and Children and Families Service are responsible for monitoring the registration of Social Work staff within their units. This applies to both existing Social Work employees and those who have been appointed since April 2005. For appointees post April 2005 the above recruitment procedures have been put in place, which will ensure 100% compliance for the future.
b)In terms of pre-existing Social Work employees, each Social Services Unit maintains their own database including registration number and the expiry date (the registration must be renewed every three years). These are updated as new appointees join the Service Units. Some existing Social Work employees have experienced the aforementioned delay in receiving their registration certificate. In these cases the Service Units have taken copies of the acknowledgement letter and undertake to follow up these applications to ensure that full registration is obtained.
c)Fundamentally however it remains the responsibility of the individual Social Worker to ensure that they comply with the law by obtaining registration. This is in keeping with other Service Units where registration with a controlling body is a legal requirement of practicing e.g. lawyers within Legal and Democratic Services and Environmental Health Officers in Environmental and Consumer Protection Services. In these cases also it is the individual’s responsibility to ensure compliance. Failure of an employee to comply with such legal requirements may result in disciplinary action being taken by the Borough.
5.0 Compliance at 30th November 2005
5.1 Children and Families Service Unit
Within the Children and Families Service 94% of Social Work Qualified staff have obtained GSCC registration, including two staff members who have written confirmation from the GSCC that an application has been received. Of the four registrations outstanding, one staff member is on maternity leave and the others have been delayed due to clarification being sought re specific requirements. These four applications are currently being urgently processed and it is expected that the Unit will be 100% compliant by the end of December 2005.
5.2 Pupil, Parent and Youth Services
Of the eight Pupil, Parent and Youth Service Education Welfare Officers, six are qualified Social Workers. All six are registered with the GSCC. Of the remaining two workers, one is unqualified, therefore does not require registration and the other has recently completed their studies and is in the process of registering.
5.3 Adult Social Services Provider and Commissioning Units
Across Adult Social Services (Provider and Commissioning) there is 100% compliance with the requirements of the Act. All staff in Social Work posts have registered with the GSCC, and a database is in place which records staff registration. Copies of registration certificates and/or letters of confirmation are kept with the database as a well and forwarded to Personnel and Training Services. A system is to implemented to remind all staff when their registration is due to be renewed and to subsequently record re-registration.
5.4Policy Directorate
The Policy Director ( Social Services) is registered with the GSCC.
Charlie Sheldrick, Head of Adult Social Services Provider Unit
John Dermody, Head of Adult Social Services Commissioning Unit
Gerry Moore, Interim Head of Children and Families Service
Vicky Wales, Head of Pupil, Parent and Youth Service
Jenny Manaton, Personnel and Training Services