General Social Care Council

Renewal of registration

Renewal of registration

It is compulsory for qualified social workers who intend to continue practising to renew their registration every three years. This does not apply to social work students. Protection of title means that it is an offence to use the job title Social Worker in England without being registered with the GSCC.

The GSCC sends out a renewal application pack to those on the register three months before registration is due to expire, so everyone should know in plenty of time what they have to do and by when. Remember to let us know if your contact details change by emailing us at changeofcircumstances@gscc.org.uk. For security purposes, please provide your name, address (including postcode) and your date of birth within your email.

You can now update changes to your details, pay your annual fee and (for qualified social workers) record your post-registration training and learning online using MyGSCC. If you would like to set up an online account, please follow the simple instructions on how to set up an account.

If you are re-applying to the Social Care Register because your previous registration lapsed or you voluntarily removed, you need to fill in the Application to Re-apply to the Social Care Register as a Qualified Social Worker. You will need to include payment for any fees that you owe from your previous registration period.

If you’ve already applied for renewal

Renewal applications can take several weeks to assess. There is no need for you to contact us to check the progress of your application. If we require more information we will contact you. Provided we receive your application before your registration expires, you will remain on the register and be able to continue to practise. On receipt of your application we will send you an acknowledgement letter which will state this.

Access the latest registration processing times

If you haven’t yet applied for renewal

Send your forms to us in plenty of time before your registration expires as it can take several weeks to review the information you supply. When you receive your application pack please read the guidance notes below as soon as possible so you will know what information is needed in order to complete your application.

It is important that you do not delay or forget to renew your registration. If we don’t hear from you by the date your registration expires, we will contact you to start the process of removing you from the Social Care Register, which will result in you no longer being able to practise as a social worker.

Post registration training and learning requirements

One of the most important requirements for renewal is Post-registration training and learning (PRTL). It is important that you read about PRTL, so that you are aware of the requirement before you renew your registration with the GSCC. Completion of PRTL is a condition of renewal and we may ask you to provide evidence that you have completed the required amount. You can access a PRTL form (record of achievement) below which is a suggested format for recording your training and learning.

Renewal and PRTL documents

• Application form (PDF 124KB)
• Continuation sheet (PDF 279KB)
• Guidance notes (PDF 284KB)
• Fees and payment options
• Post-registration training and learning: Record of achievement (PDF 21KB)
• Post-registration training and learning: Record of achievement (Word 156KB)
• Post-registration training and learning guidance notes (PDF)
• Health Management Statement (PDF 57KB)*

*You only need to complete this if you answer ‘Yes’ to the question on page 2 of the application form about having a physical or mental impairment, learning disability or health condition. If you answer ‘Yes’, as well as completing the Health Management Statement, you also need to give us more information about your declaration on the continuation sheet. If you don’t do this, your application will be delayed.

Where to send your renewal application

To process your renewal application as quickly as possible, please ensure that you post your form to the correct address:

• Renewals Teams
  General Social Care Council
  Myson House
  Railway Terrace
  Rugby
  CV21 3HT

Please make sure that you put the correct amount of postage on the envelope. You may want to add a return address in case of non-delivery.

• Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by direct debit (PDF 56KB)
• Health report consent form (PDF 27KB)
• Equal opportunities form (PDF 44KB)

If you need any further information or advice please contact the helpline team by email at registration@gscc.org.uk or telephone on 0845 070 0630. If you are calling from outside the United Kingdom, please telephone on +44 (0)1788 532402.

These documents are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to view them. If you do not have it you can download it by clicking on the image below.