Scottish profession ‘is over-regulated’

Social work in Scotland has been over-regulated by the Scottish parliament, a former Holyrood health minister has admitted.

In a debate on the 21st Century Social Work Review in Scotland, Susan Deacon said the bureaucracy faced by front-line staff, which the review identified, was in part due to over-regulation.

Deacon said: “We should acknowledge we were a wee bit too trigger-happy in the early years of devolution by putting in place more and more layers of legislation, regulation and inspection.

“There was good intent, but many people are now reflecting on the practical implications of some of the arrangements.”

Education minister Peter Peacock also announced the creation of a forum for social work stakeholders to feed ideas into the cabinet group implementing the executive’s reform proposals.

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