Social workers and their employers need to know what the new legal restriction on the title ‘social worker’ means for them, the General Social Care Council has highlighted.

The social care workforce regulator has issued a new pack of guidance and information on the legal change which comes into force next week. This guidance will help the sector understand the implications of this important new legal restriction, and the new social work landscape.

Speaking on the launch of the guidance, Chief Executive Lynne Berry said:

“Protecting the title ‘social worker’ is a legal landmark for social workers, the people who rely on them and the sector as a whole.

“Each individual social worker needs to know what their new legal title means to them and employers too are working hard to integrate this into their workforce plans. This is a new environment for social work offering the public new clarity. That is why the GSCC as the workforce regulator in England has put together information that will help employers and others take the right steps to comply with the law.”

The full guidance can be found on the GSCC website on the Protection of title page and has been sent out across the sector.

The legal basis for the development is the Care Standards Act 2000, and section 61 of the Act comes into force on 1 April 2005. The criminal offence created by someone not registering is clear – failure to apply for registration or pretending to be a social worker could lead to prosecution.