Senior staff asked to sign up to register

The General Social Care Council and the Association of Directors of
Social Services have written to senior staff encouraging them to
join the social care register.

The letter, signed by GSCC chief executive Lynne Berry, and ADSS
president Andrew Cozens, invites social services directors and
their senior management team to apply for registration.

Initially, some directors were reluctant to register because of
concerns over their ability to meet requirements for keeping up to
date with new practice developments. Also, not all directors and
managers are qualified social workers and so cannot register.

However, the letter explains that the training requirements for
those registering will be flexible and relevant for both front-line
workers and managers of services.

It says: “We would like to invite you to join us in demonstrating
senior commitment to registration and to raising the standards of
social care. It would be wonderful if all social work qualified
directors and assistant directors were registered with the
GSCC.”

Copies of the application pack were sent out with the letters, and
directors were asked to discuss registration with their management
teams.

Cozens plans to register himself but said that the ADSS would not
be dictating to senior managers that they should sign up.