The General Social Care Council is responsible for increasing the protection for people who use services, their carers and the general public by regulating the social care workforce and by ensuring that standards within the social care sector are of the highest quality. It is also our job to champion social care and to help give it the recognition it deserves.
Codes of practice for social care workers and employers
All social care workers and employers, whether registered or not, are expected to adhere to the GSCC's codes of practice for social care workers and employers.
- The codes set out the standards of professional conduct and practice required of social care workers and their employers.
- The GSCC will take account of these standards in considering issues of misconduct and decisions as to whether a registered worker should remain on the register.
- The Commission for Social Care Inspection also takes the codes into account in their enforcement of care standards.
The Social Care Register
The Social Care Register was launched in April 2003 and represents a significant step forward in improving standards of public protection. It will also raise the status of the social care workforce, bringing it in line with other public service professions.
- The register will ensure that unsuitable people are not retained in the social care workforce.
- The public are entitled to expect and check that everyone on the register has met our standards for qualifications, health and good character, and agreed to abide by the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers.
Social work education and training
The General Social Care Council carries out checks on social work education to ensure that it is good quality and consistent.
- The new social work degree, which is approved by the GSCC, has replaced the Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) in England.
- Qualified social workers can study for a range of post-qualifying awards in social work which are approved by the GSCC.
- We also help providers of GSCC-approved social work training with grants.
Your rights to information
In line with the Freedom of information Act 2000, the GSCC has made information that shows how we are carrying out our mission and aims publicly available.
The GSCC maintains a 'publication scheme' or route map that will help you find information about the GSCC quickly and easily which you can download in the right-hand column.