Happy to be registered

You, our readers, have once again impressed us with your optimism.
With just 12 months left to go before registration for some groups
becomes a legal requirement, social care professionals are upbeat
about the new regime’s impact on their lives and those of the
people they work with.

According to new Community Care research the vast majority
of people working in social care understand and support the
introduction of registration. Of the 1,800 social care workers we
surveyed, eight out of 10 believe that the General Social Care
Council and its counterparts will raise standards in social care,
and a similar number think it will improve the status of those who
work in the sector.

There was also almost universal support for the idea of public
hearings for those accused of misconduct. And more than eight out
of 10 respondents agreed with spot checks being used to ensure
social care staff kept their practice and learning up to
date.

Yet this overall enthusiasm masks some deep anxieties about the
shape of things to come. Despite strong support for the ultimate
sanction of striking people off the register, there is much
speculation about how this will work in practice. Few believe that
registration will prevent unsuitable people from working, and many
are worried that innocent people could fall foul of the
system.

Added to this is frustration with the registration process itself,
and concern that the new requirement for continuing professional
development represents one more burden for an already overstretched
workforce.

The message for the GSCC and its counterparts is clear. They have
launched themselves bravely into a mammoth task, and have made
significant progress. The sector wholeheartedly supports their work
and usually approves of the way they have gone about it. But
everything hinges on the detail, and for those at the sharp end,
those details will remain thin on the ground until the scheme
begins in earnest.