Registration fee for social workers is set

Qualified social workers will be required to pay an annual
registration fee of £30, the General Social Care Council has
announced.

The £30 fee for social workers is in line with decisions
made by the Scottish Social Services Council and Care Council for
Wales, the GSCC said, as it announced the initial findings of a
consultation on registration fees for social workers.

Social workers will be the first group to be registered and the
level for other social care workers has yet to be set. The GSCC has
agreed, however, that the fee will differ depending on
responsibilities, reflecting the views of the people they
surveyed.

Currently, teachers pay £23 per year, which is rising to
£30 per year in 2004. Nurses pay £60 every three years
and doctors pay £290 per year.

GSCC chairperson Rodney Brooke said the GSCC was still looking
at the exact package of benefits registered workers will receive.
“But perhaps the single most important benefit is the potential for
increased status and standing for the profession.”

“Increased status for the profession could bring huge benefits
in terms of improved recruitment, retention and morale, and
contribute to the overall raising of standards,” he added. “All
this adds up to better services for the million-plus people who use
social care services.”