The General Social Care Council has been given six months to
turn its performance around in the wake of a damning report into
its regulation of social workers' conduct.
The Department of Health has told the GSCC it expects to see
"significant operational improvements" by the end of March 2010,
health minister Phil Hope told the House of Commons in a written
statement.
The government has placed the GSCC under special measures
following a
scathing review by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory
Excellence, ordered by health secretary Andy Burnham after a
backlog of 203 unallocated conduct cases came to light in July.
The report uncovered serious failings in the management of cases
and the validity of information provided to the council and
government about the GSCC's performance. In addition, it said the
backlog had existed for "many years", and at one time stood at more
than 700.
The DH
has already set out a detailed response to the report, in which
it notes "significant progress" has already been made since July in
improving case management and strengthening the GSCC's
infrastructure in its conduct department.
However, Hope said government officials would be working closely
with the GSCC to assist implementation of its recovery plan.
He added that he has asked the chair of the GSCC, Rosie Varley,
to "personally oversee reform of the GSCC's procedures" and report
back to ministers in March 2010.
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