The General Social Care Council is pressing for changes to a proposed European Union directive on professional qualifications saying it would seriously undermine public protection.

If agreed, the EU directive would allow social workers from other European countries to work in England unregistered for 16 weeks. That means that someone found guilty of professional misconduct in one country could move to England to practise.

Rodney Brooke, the chair of the GSCC, said: “We support the principle of the free movement of labour. However, we cannot allow this principle to take precedence over public protection. The GSCC exists to increase public protection and encourage higher standards of care.

“The directive could undermine public protection by allowing unsuitable people to work in the UK for 16 weeks without registering. That could have potentially serious consequences for the people who use services. We cannot support it in its current guise and are working with the other regulators to press for changes.”

The GSCC is responsible for regulating the social care workforce in England. It was set up under the Care Standards Act 2000. Some 1.2 million social care workers will eventually join a register designed to increase public protection and improve standards of care.

In May 2001, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission developed a Proposal (draft directive) intended to clarify and simplify EU rules on professional recognition by incorporating the 15 Directives into one. The aim was to create a clearer, more secure and quicker system for the recognition of qualifications in regulated professions to secure freer movement of labour.