The proposed changes aim to make SSSC registration simpler and easy to understand for workers and employers. They will also help to make sure people know about the benefit and value of being registered and the standards, skills and qualifications needed to deliver high quality care.
SSSC Chief Executive, Lorraine Gray said: ‘We opened our Register in 2003 and have now registered more than 164,000 workers across social work, social care and early years.
‘Over that time, we have used feedback from our registrants and sector employers to improve and develop. So much has changed for this sector over the last 20 years with significant developments to come including the National Care Service and The Promise.
‘We want to make sure that registration, and our processes are straightforward and streamlined and the qualifications we accept are fit for the future.
‘We want as many registrants, employers, partners and stakeholders as possible to tell us what they think of our proposals so we can make the changes that will help them. We’ll also be holding online events in the new year where people can share their views.
‘This is a particularly challenging time for our sector. The changes we are proposing will mean real improvements in the longer term and your views will make sure that the changes make real a difference. The consultation is open for 12 weeks until 14 March 2022 and I hope that people will be able to take part.’
The proposals
- Reduce the number of different parts of the Register.
- Review the time people have to apply to register when they start a new social care or early years job.
- Update and streamline the processes for applying and renewing registration to make it quicker and easier.
- Change the information about registrants which is visible to the public when they search the Register on our website.
- Remove the registration period which is either five or three years and bring in an ongoing registration period.
- Make qualifications more flexible so people can move more easily to work in different kinds of services.
- Change the level of the qualification required for people working at support worker level in adult social care.
- Review the length of time registrants have to complete their qualifications for registration.
- Develop return to practice standards for social workers and, potentially, other registrants who have not worked in the sector for a period of time.
- Change the continuous professional learning (CPL) requirements to include mandatory learning and skills development.
The consultation runs from 20 December 2021 until 14 March 2022.
Read full details, find out how to respond and sign up to the events on the Register for the future consultation page on our website.