This is part of our changes to registration, qualifications and skills we introduced in June 2024. However, we delayed its introduction for the social care workforce after listening to concerns from employers and stakeholders.
Deadline for applications and updates
We’ll process any applications or updates (including those made through annual declarations), which result in a qualification condition on a registration, before the change, if we receive them by 25 April 2025. This relies on all the required information being provided.
If we receive them before 25 April the existing qualification condition timescale will apply.
We cannot guarantee processing any applications or updates received after 25 April 2025 before the three-year qualification condition timescale starts on 1 June 2025.
Positive change
The three-year timescale for new workers to gain their qualification for registration will help get staff qualified more quickly to make sure they have the right knowledge and skills for their role.
It’s important to note that registrants with an existing qualification condition will still have the same length of time to gain their qualification. Also, those who need to gain two qualifications, for example managers and supervisors, will still have five years.
Our Register data shows an improving rate of people gaining qualifications and people gaining their qualifications in less time, which is a more positive picture than before our 2024 registration changes.
Challenges
We know there are challenges in recruitment and retention, which impacts getting staff qualified, however, our Register data shows that retention rates are more stable following the pandemic.
Giving staff time away from the workplace to gain a qualification is also a concern for some employers, although that may ease if recruitment and retention continues to improve.
Our work with training providers tells us there is adequate provision to get the workforce qualified despite some local pockets of pressure to provide enough places.
Limited funding for the SVQ SCQF level 6, which is in most demand, is a continuing concern which we’ve raised with the Scottish Government, the Minister and the Scottish Funding Council.
What is the SSSC doing to help?
Another of last year's changes was introducing more flexibility in the qualifications we accept for registration, which will make it easier for people to move between children and adult services without having to gain another qualification.
Other projects include working with SQA on flexibility in the assessment strategy, so people can gather evidence more easily and naturally from their practice and the introduction of a new SVQ for people working in integrated settings.
We’ve also:
- published guidance on employing 16 and 17-year-olds
- improved the funding for training information on the SSSC website
- held online and face-to-face supervisor events specifically for adult social care.
We’re also developing careers pathways in a project with NHS Education for Scotland, an updated National Induction Framework mapped to the National Occupational Standards (NOS) and a new Workforce Skills Report to inform future planning.
Social care workforce
The social care workforce is the biggest and newest part of the Register, with mandatory registration from September 2020, so we’d expect to see more registrants with qualification conditions.
Care homes for adults, care at home and housing support are also services that see the highest staff turnover rates, which also has an effect.
There are around 34,000 social care workforce registrants with qualification conditions due in the next five years, with care home services for adults one of the least qualified groups on the SSSC Register.