The introduction of registration represents a significant investment in raising the public status and standing of social care workers in the United Kingdom. Social care is little understood by the public - despite being relied on by well over a million people in England - and has suffered from negative publicity.
By registering, social workers will demonstrate their professional standards and abilities and that they are committed to high standards of conduct, practice and accountability. All social workers, the public and the people who use services will know the standards they should meet. One of the aims of registration is to improve public trust in social care.
Qualifications, health and good character are all checked as part of the registration process. Registered social care workers are required to complete post-registration training and learning before renewing their registration every three years.
Do I have to register?
Yes. Registration benefits social workers as well as service users and the sector in general. However, it is not optional. To deter 'bogus' social workers, there will be a new criminal offence from 1 April 2005. It will become illegal for someone to call themselves a social worker with intent to deceive unless they are registered, and the police can investigate such cases. This will affect people with 'social worker' in their job title, but also people in roles which require a social work qualification or involves work normally only undertaken by social workers. Prosecutions could result in the person gaining a criminal record and a fine of up to £5,000.
When should I register?
Every person working as a social worker needs to be on the register before April 2005. In order to ensure registration, you should get your application in as soon as possible. As a Recruitment Agency, we require all qualified social workers that trained outside of the UK to have their Letter of Verification and Registration before we put you forward for any positions. Application forms are available now. You can contact the General Social Care Council Registration Team by emailing them on registration@gscc.org.uk or calling 0845 070 0630 if calling from within the UK or +44 1788 572 119 if calling from abroad. You need to ask for the international pack (code AF2). The GSCC will send an application pack to you.
Do workers with a Letter of Verification need to register?
Yes, because the Letter of Verification does not confirm that the social worker has met the requirements of the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) or involve the same checks as registration. All internationally qualified social workers will have to go through the registration process.
What is the application process?
The application package for internationally qualified social workers is in two parts. Part I is the same for social workers qualified in the UK or abroad. Part II of the application package is the 'equivalency procedure', which is only for internationally qualified social workers.
What is the registration fee and payment process?
Holders of the Letter of Verification will pay £30.
Those who do not have a Letter of Verification will pay a fee of £155.
Payment must be in sterling and either a cheque drawn on a personal bank account in the UK or a sterling bank draft drawn on a bank (which may be outside the UK). This fee is higher than the fee for the registration process for UK-qualified social workers to cover the extra costs of checks on the equivalency of your qualification. Your registration will need to be renewed annually at a cost of £30 each year.
How long will the GSCC take to process applications for social workers with qualifications from abroad?
Due to the additional step of establishing equivalency it is expected that the international registration process will take between eight to 10 weeks in most cases.
How long will it take to apply?
It takes on average about 50 minutes to complete the application form.
How long does registration last?
Registration lasts for three years. The GSCC will tell you the dates of your registration period when they write to confirm you have been registered. They will send you a reminder at least 28 days before your renewal is due.
Will social work students be registered?
Social work students studying a GSCC-approved social work degree course in England can be registered from autumn 2004. Students on the new degree in social work will be spending 200 days working with service users so it is important that they meet the same criteria as qualified social workers.
For more information, see the General Social Care Council www.gscc.org.uk
