Ex-CSCI chief Paul Snell to take temporary charge of GSCC

Former Commission for Social Care Inspection chief inspector Paul Snell has been appointed acting chief executive of the General Social Care Council.

Snell will replace Paul Philip on 1 October. Philip, who was drafted in to take over the GSCC on the suspension of its chief executive, Mike Wardle, in July, will return to the General Medical Council as acting chief executive

Backlog and public protection concerns

Wardle’s suspension came after the GSCC identified a backlog of 203 social worker conduct cases, 21 of which involved public protection concerns. This also sparked a review of the GSCC’s conduct function, which is being carried out by the Commission for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence and is due to report by the end of this month.

The GSCC said today that all conduct cases had now been reviewed and interim suspension orders applied for in relation to social workers where there were public protection concerns.

It said specialist support had been brought in to help ensure all older cases were concluded by the end of the year, while the regulator said it would also be increasing its number of conduct investigators to bring this about.

Snell’s regulatory background highlighted

GSCC chair Rosie Varley said: “I’d like to extend my personal gratitude to Paul Philip for the support he has provided in implementing these measures.

“As we build on this work, and with Paul Snell’s input, I feel confident that the organisation will be on a firm and sustainable footing for the future with regulatory practices in which service users and the wider public can be confident.”

She highlighted Snell’s background in regulating care services, given the GSCC’s current emphasis on encouraging employers to co-operate in the conduct process by reporting alleged misconduct.

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