Employers

As an employer, you will be aware that all qualified social workers should be registered. Over 75,000 social workers and social work students are now registered with the General Social Care Council (GSCC).

Registration fees
A £30 registration fee is paid annually. If you paid the first registration fee for your staff, it is important to clarify whether you will reimburse further fees for them. We recommend social workers pay the annual fees by direct debit to avoid any problems with maintaining registration.

Do you have staff not registered?
The title "social worker" has been protected by law in England since 1 April 2005. All social workers should be registered to comply with the law, making it a criminal offence to use the title or operate as a social worker if they are not registered.

There are a small number of applications where social workers made a declaration about health, character, or a disciplinary matter. In most cases registration has, or will be granted shortly. In some instances, the matter may be referred onto our Registration committee for further consideration. We recognise this will create some difficulties for the individuals involved and their employers. For further guidance please contact our Registration enquiries line: 0845 070 0630.

Registration applications from social workers outside UK
Applications from international social workers will continue to take a number of weeks to process, due to the need to assess the equivalency of qualifications gained outside the UK. The GSCC advises such social workers to apply to register before seeking work in the UK, to avoid any delay in taking up a position. More information on which qualifications may be recognised.

Work Permits UK has advised the GSCC that social workers will need to be properly registered before a work permit is granted. They will require a valid registration number. This will be an important factor to consider in international recruitment campaigns.

Student registration
Registration is now open to student social workers, and all students studying on the social work degree should register before their first practice placement. You can check their registration on The Social Care Register.

Post-registration training and learning
All Registered Social Workers must undertake 90 hours or 15 days of post-registration training and learning (PRTL) over the three year registration period.
Employers, under the Codes of Practice, are obliged to support staff to help them meet these requirements and provide training and development opportunities to strengthen skills and knowledge.

For further employer enquiries on registration contact:

The Registration Enquiries Team
GSCC
Myson House
Railway Terrace
Rugby CV21 3HT

Registration@gscc.org.uk

Telephone: 0845 070 0630