The registration of domiciliary and residential care workers comes a step closer today with the launch of the General Social Care Council’s (GSCC) consultation on the details of registration for next groups. Issues around training requirements, fee levels, and how registration will be enforced for domiciliary and residential care workers in England have been set out for sector-wide consultation today by the GSCC.
Over the next 12 weeks, the GSCC is seeking the views of the social care sector on these and other issues.
Mike Wardle, Deputy Chief Executive of the GSCC, said:
“Extending registration to those working in residential and home care will raise standards, increase public protection and help prevent abuse. Registration should also help raise the status of the important work these staff undertake by increasing public confidence in them.”
“This consultation is the sector’s chance to have a say on how registration will work for them. We are keen to hear from as many people with an interest in social care as possible, and particularly from social care workers and employers themselves. Only by feeding back to us can we ensure that registration will work for the sector.”
“The extension of registration to these groups is an important step forward in ensuring that everyone in social care is working to nationally agreed standards and is accountable for their conduct and standards of practice. We look forward to working with the sector to achieve this.”
The consultation will cover issues including:
· training requirements at initial registration and at the point of renewal of registration;
· the timeframe registration will last in between renewals; and
· the logistics behind the registration, including the registration fee and how registration will be enforced.
Des Kelly, Director of the National Care Forum, spoke on the benefits of registration to the sector while acknowledging the “details” still need to be decided upon:
“It is our view that registration should improve public confidence in care services and has the potential to enhance the status of social care work. Whilst there remain a number of issues of detail to be negotiated, an appropriately implemented and managed social care register could help to reduce the recruitment and retention difficulties the care sector currently faces.”
Gary Fitzgerald also spoke of the vital protection registration will offer to service users:
“Registration of domiciliary and residential social care workers is an important part of the overall protective mechanisms currently being put in place. Specifically we know from evidence from our helpline and prosecutions that domiciliary care workers are in a crucial position in terms of having an opportunity to abuse the most vulnerable of people. Registration of domiciliary care workers is a whole part of raising standards in the service and Action on Elder Abuse has been working closely with the UK Home Care Association to assist in raising standards.”
The consultation is open for anyone to respond to and is available as a downloadable PDF or interactive form on the GSCC website at ww.gscc.org.uk. Copies are also available on request (including alternative formats) by phone on 020 7397 5800 or email info@gscc.org.uk. The consultation will be open until 12 May 2006.
Respond to the GSCC consultation on next groups to join the register
gscc.005.06
16 February 2006