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The GSCC has produced codes of practice which sets out the standards of practice and conduct social care workers and their employers should meet.

All qualified social workers should also be registered on the Social Care Register and it means that those working in social care meet rigorous registration requirements and will be held to account for their conduct by the codes of practice.

The GSCC has also set up a conduct process which allows them to take action and investigate concerns about registered social workers in England. Social workers who breach the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers could be removed from the register through this process.

The Social Care Register

The Social Care Register is a register of people who work in social care, and have been assessed as trained and fit to be in the workforce.

Social workers and social work students are currently on the register but it will be rolled out to social care workers at all levels over time.

In order to register, workers need to meet rigorous registration requirements and must adhere to the code of conduct. Character references and qualifications are checked as part of the registration process and social workers need to complete post registration training and learning requirements in order to re register every three years.

Service users and carers can check the register.

All social workers should be registered and can register here

Post registration training and learning 

To enable a social worker to re-register after three years, they must have completed 90 hours or 15 days of post registration training and learning activities. These need to be logged and failure to do this can be counted as misconduct.

Activities counted as prtl should benefit career progression and the current employment. Activities could include shadowing a colleague in a related team or profession or undertaking research on a specific policy.

Codes of practice

The codes of practice were established in September 2002 and are for social care workers and employers and provide a clear guide for all those who work in social care, setting out the standards of practice and conduct workers and their employers should meet. Those registered with the GSCC will be required to comply with the codes as a condition of ongoing registration. Registered social care workers who breach the codes could be removed from the Social Care Register.

Conduct

All social workers in England must be registered on the GSCC’s Social Care Register and act in accordance with the codes of practice. Where a social worker breaches these codes, the GSCC may be called in to investigate it as a conduct referral, following the conduct process.

The types of issue that the GSCC will investigate are:-

·          if it is alleged that a social worker has taken advantage of their role or abused a service user

·          if their work has fallen well below the standard that is expected with serious or repeated mistakes;

·           if they have behaved in a way (in or outside work) that questions whether they are suitable to work in social care.

The GSCC does not investigate general employment issues such as sickness and timekeeping. Complaints about social care services should be directed to the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

As part of the conduct process social workers who have breached the code of practice may be removed from the register.

Initially a referral is made by a person or employer and the GSCC makes general enquiries to see whether it is an issue for them. The GSCC will then gather information to see if there is evidence of misconduct. The GSCC’s conduct committee then meets to decide whether it is suitable for this person to carry on working. If there is evidence of misconduct, the GSCC decides on appropriate sanctions to deal with the misconduct. Social workers have the right of appeal to the independent Care Standards Tribunal. The committee will decide if it is necessary to have a conduct hearing.

The conduct hearing is the final stage in the conduct process. The hearing is usually held in public and uses the civil standard of proof. It will hear evidence and decide if the social worker has committed misconduct. If so, it will decide if action should be taken against them. If a social worker is found to have committed misconduct, the conduct committee can impose:

·                                 Removal from the Social Care Register which would prevent them from working as a social worker;

·                                 Suspension from the Social Care Register which would prevent them from working as a social worker for the period of the suspension order;

·                                 Admonishment (a caution/public record).

Before a referral reaches the stage of a conduct committee, the GSCC will inform the social worker who is the subject of the concern. They can then make written representations to the GSCC. If the case reaches the conduct committee stage, they can attend to put their case or be represented, for example, by a lawyer or membership organisation. They have the right of appeal to the Care Standards Tribunal.   

Recent articles on conduct

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Social worker struck off social care register

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GSCC admonishes Preston social worker

Northern Ireland: Belfast social worker struck off register

GSCC strikes social worker off register after harassing couple

GSCC suspends London social worker for sexual misconduct