Unison still advising against registration

Unison will continue to advise its members against registering with
the General Social Care Council, after talks to get employers to
agree to pay the fee broke down last week.

A dispute over who should pay the £30 cost of registration has
yet to be resolved and now the union is seeking legal advice over
its position. It plans to issue new advice in September.

Talks between Unison and the National Joint Council on fees have
taken place for months but at a meeting last week the NJC refused
to add payment of registration costs into its terms and conditions
for workers.

Community care minister Stephen Ladyman said he was disappointed
that the sides could not come to an amicable solution.

“I am concerned they seem prepared to put a dispute over a few
pounds before the needs of service users and social workers,” he
added.

Social workers must be registered with the GSCC by April 2005. Just
nine months before the deadline, only 6,000 of the 60,000
application forms distributed have been returned.

Meanwhile, under an amendment to the Children’s Cases (England)
Regulation 2004 independent reviewing officers, of which there are
around 500 in England, will need to register with the GSCC by 27
September.