There are many social workers currently working in England who trained and qualified outside the UK.
To practise within England all social workers need to be registered with the GSCC. If you are a social worker who has trained and qualified outside the UK, you will need to meet our criteria on qualifications, assessed practice, health and good character to register. We currently assess qualifications gained outside the UK against the UK Diploma in Social Work (DipSW). This will change to the degree in social work from 1 October 2008. Access more information on the new qualification equivalency, our assessment criteria.
To register up to the 1 October 2008 you will be required to complete an application form that has two parts, Part I and Part II.
- Part I of the form requires you to provide personal and employment details.
- Part II of the form will help establish whether your qualification meets the requirements of the DipSW.
Both parts must be completed before we can proceed with your application. You can find Part I and II of the application form and related guidance notes at the bottom of this page. You will also find detailed information relating to your current circumstances by accessing the links below.
Change to the equivalency assessment – effective from 1 October 2008
The degree in social work was introduced in England in 2003 as the entry for the social work profession, replacing the DipSW. The degree is now the dominant qualification held by those entering the profession in the UK. For acceptance onto the register we will be changing the qualification equivalency, our assessment criteria, for social workers trained and qualified outside the UK from the DipSW to the degree in social work. This change will come into effect from 1 October 2008.
The main changes to the equivalency assessment are:
- raising the threshold of qualification in social work to degree standard; and
- introducing a minimum period of 130 days of supervised and assessed practice as part of initial training or completed after qualification.
If your application to the register is received on or after the 1 October 2008 it will be assessed using the new equivalency. Depending on your circumstances this could mean that if your application arrives at the GSCC on or after the 1 October 2008, your qualification and training may be assessed as not equivalent and your application to join the register may be refused.
To find information relevant to your current circumstances, or to find out how the new equivalency assessment may affect you, please access the following.