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A union that represents around 90 per cent of Northern Ireland’s social workers is advising members against registering with the country’s social care council, writes Sally Gillen.

The Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance argues that the regulator will not give social workers the same protection against complaints as their health colleagues.

Speaking exclusively to 'Community Care', assistant general secretary of Nipsa Kevin McCabe said: “One of the issues we are concerned about is the balance of proof. If a complaint is made against a nurse it must be proved beyond all reasonable doubt. But a social worker’s guilt must be judged against the much lesser standard of balance of probabilities.”

In Northern Ireland, social workers are employed by the health service rather than councils and work more closely with health professionals. Fewer than 10 per cent of Northern Ireland’s 2,500 social workers have registered with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council so far.

Talks between the union and the government have been ongoing since the NISCC was launched two years ago, but the issues are yet to be resolved.

Unless agreement is reached by the proposed September deadline for registration, the vast majority of social workers are likely to be sent home from work because they will not legally be entitled to practice as social workers or there could be industrial action, warned McCabe.

Chief executive of the NISCC Brendan Johnston added: “We have to have a balance between protecting the public and the human rights of the registrant.”

British Association of Social Workers’ director Ian Johnston said the association was “absolutely committed” to the balance of probabilities standard, which would protect service users.

He said that the General Medical Council had been unable to stop doctors at the centre of complaints practising in the past because not enough evidence had been gathered to prove cases beyond all reasonable doubt. 

“It is very unfortunate that Nispa is telling workers not to register. It is a petty approach,” he added.