We have changed our fitness to practise thresholds to make it clearer when raising concerns about a worker.

Our fitness to practise hearings process changed to opt in hearings from 1 July 2021. This means we will only hold a hearing if a worker disagrees with the outcome of our investigation and asks for one.

We’re changing our fitness to practise hearings process. From this summer we will only hold a hearing when a worker asks for one.

If any of your employees are involved in a fitness to practice investigation and you also have involvement in their case, as their employer, we will be setting up an account for you in our fitness to practise online portal.

Earlier this year, before the pandemic, we spent the day at Capability Scotland, Dundee to find out how they work to the standards set out in the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Service Workers in everyday situations and how it reinforces their day-to-day work.

We have published new guidance, Wilful neglect, ill-treatment and corporate homicide, for social service workers and care providers who deliver social care and health services and support to adults, in partnership with the Care Inspectorate.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created uncertainty for social work students so we’ve agreed contingency plans with the Heads of Social Work Programmes in Scotland to help mitigate the impact on them.

From this autumn universities will be embedding the revised Standards in Social Work Education in their social work programmes.

We understand that as health and care professionals you may be feeling anxious about Novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 

When you make a fitness to practise referral about a registered worker there’s key information we need to know and it’s important that you give us as much of it as possible right from the start.

We’re working with the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic to help more SSSC registered workers to access free representation when they are involved in our fitness to practise investigations and hearings.