The General Social Care Council (GSCC) has today (17 July) welcomed the announcement by the Department of Health (DH) of a public consultation on proposals for change to healthcare professional regulation.
The consultation follows the publication of Good doctors, safer patients a review by the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, following the Shipman Inquiry and The regulation of the non-medical healthcare professions, a review by the DH’s former Director General of Workforce, Andrew Foster.
Rodney Brooke, GSCC Chair said: “The GSCC continues to work with the Government to improve standards in social care. The interests of service users and public protection are central to our work and services users have a strong voice in the development of our regulatory policy.
“The GSCC will watch with interest the direction of reform in relation to workforce regulation in the health sector. We already have a lay-led Council with a strong emphasis on user involvement. We work closely with the relevant sector skills councils in relation to the training of the vast majority of our potential registrants. The need to extend the scope of regulation to include other health care workers emerges as an important theme in the consultation. At the same time, the GSCC is considering how to extend the benefits of registration to the broader social care workforce.
“We are already working closely with other regulators in all relevant sectors, in healthcare and beyond. Working together is an essential step in the delivery of a comprehensive regulatory regime for all professional groups and the public has the right to expect high standards of competence, conduct and care.”
ends
gscc 013.06 17 July 2006
Notes to editors
Media contact details:
Nicky Edwards 020 7397 5831
Out of hours: 0779 331 6070
1. The General Social Care Council came into being on 1 October 2001. It was set up in England under the Care Standards Act 2000 to establish codes of conduct and practice for social care workers and employers, to set up a register of social care workers and to regulate social work education and training. Similar bodies exist in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
2. The Council has a majority of lay members who have experience across the spectrum of social care, whether as service users, carers, or service providers from the public, private or voluntary sectors. By law, the Chair must be lay. The Council determines the strategic direction of the GSCC.
3. All social care workers are already required to abide by the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers and their Employers. The codes of practice are issued by the GSCC and all social care workers should have their own copy. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) take account of this in their inspections.
4. The Social Care Register opened to all qualified social workers on 1 April 2003 and Protection of title came into force on 1 April 2005. Protection of title is a legal restriction which means that only Registered Social Workers are able to describe themselves as social workers. Calling yourself a social worker with intent to deceive is a criminal offence.