General Social Care Council

Renewals Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are you due to renew your GSCC registration? If so, here are some frequently asked questions to help you with the process

Please refer to the guidance notes for detailed information on how to renew your registration.

• Why do I have to renew my registration?
• When will my registration need to be renewed?
• How will I know when to renew my registration?
• What are the criteria for renewal?
• What forms do I have to fill in?
• What do I do if my details have changed?
• What is the fee for renewal?
• What is the best way to pay?
• Who can endorse my application?
• I am registered with more than one care council, who do I renew with?
• I have transferred my registration from one care council to another, who do I renew with?
• What are the post-registration training and learning (PRTL) requirements for registration?
• How much detail should I put on the post-registration training and learning (PRTL) form?
• How will the PRTL form be assessed?
• What if I do not have enough PRTL?
• What happens if I do not renew my registration?
• I have sent you my renewal form but my registration expires today can I continue to work?
• I have declared a criminal conviction, or am undergoing a disciplinary investigation, what will happen when I apply for renewal?
• I no longer wish to be registered, what do I do?
• I have lost/damaged/made a mistake on/not received the renewal application form
• Where can I get the PRTL form?
• Do I need to complete a new direct debit form if I already have one set up?
• Where do I post my application to?
• How do I make my payment online?
• Who do I make the cheque payable to?
• Have you received my renewal application?
• My renewal date is imminent, can I have an extension?
• I have received a letter saying I need to get my form back within 28 days, what do I need to do now?
• I have received a letter saying I have been removed from the register, I still need to be registered, do I need to renew?
• Further information

Why do I have to renew my registration?

Renewing your registration shows you are competent and safe to practise and that you have continued to develop your skills and knowledge in order to provide people with the best possible service.

Registration is usually granted for a period of three years. Near the end of your registration period, we will write to remind you to renew your registration. If your renewal application is successful, you will be registered for another three years.

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When will my registration need to be renewed?

You need to apply to renew your registration before the end of your three-year registration period. You can check the dates of your registration period by either looking at your Certificate of Registration or checking the online register. You should keep renewing your registration as long as you wish to use the title social worker. If you leave social work you can apply to be removed from the Register (see I no longer wish to be registered, what do I do?).

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How will I know when to renew my registration?

We will send you a reminder letter (to protect your personal details the correspondence will be posted to your home address) and application form 84 days before your registration is due to expire. This will give you time to complete the form, collate your post-registration training and learning. You do not need to send it in with your renewal form but do keep it safe as we will be doing sample checks, and send your application back to us. 

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What are the criteria for renewal?

We will renew your registration where we have received satisfactory evidence of your:

• good character, good conduct, and competence;
• physical and mental fitness to perform whole or part of the work of a social worker;
• completion of the post-registration training and learning requirement; and
• fulfilment of any condition attached to your registration.

In addition:

• you must pay the renewal fee;
• all your previous annual payments must be up-to-date; and
• you must agree to continue to abide by the Code of Practice for Social Care Workers.

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What forms do I have to fill in?

Approximately 84 days before your registration expires, you will be sent a renewal application form to complete and return. The renewal form will need to be endorsed by your employer or other appropriate person. Further information about completing your renewal form is available in the guidance notes.

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What do I do if my details have changed?

Please remember to make sure that we always have up-to-date contact details for you.

Changes we need to know about include:

• to your name, including by marriage, civil partnership or deed poll;
• to your contact details, i.e. address, email address and telephone number;
• registration with another regulatory body;
• disciplinary or criminal proceedings taken against you;
• to your health that, in your judgement, could affect your ability to work in social care safely; or
• your employment, such as changing employer or taking up paid or voluntary work in social care.

The fastest way to amend your details are via MyGSCC, our online tool for registrants. You can set up a MyGSCC account via the GSCC website, alternatively you can email us with the changes at changeofcircumstances@gscc.org.uk or contact us by telephone on 0845 070 0630.

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What is the fee for renewal?

The fee to renew your GSCC registration is £30.

You are also required to pay any outstanding fees. You will be advised of how much you need to pay when we send the renewal form to you. If the correct fee is not paid then your form will be returned to you.

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What is the best way to pay?

The fastest way to pay your registration fee is online via MyGSCC or by Direct Debit. Alternatively, we do accept cheques, which should be made payable to the General Social Care Council. Please refer to the payment options page for more information.

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Who can endorse my application?

Applicant’s employment status	Examples of suitable endorsers
Employed in social care work.	The line manager, the HR manager, another manager more senior to the applicant (all from the applicant’s employer).
Employed in social care work by an employment agency.	A manager from the agency.
On secondment from a social care employer.	The line manager, the HR manager, another manager more senior to the applicant of the social care employer from whom the applicant is seconded.
Independent social workers who are self-employed in social care or Unemployed social workers who have worked for a social care employer during the last five years.	A manager, more senior than the applicant, of a social care employer, who could be: • a manager of a social care organisation, which employed the applicant for a period of six months or longer during the five years preceding the application; or • a manager of a social care organisation which commissioned the applicant’s services during the five years preceding the application.
Independent social workers who are self-employed outside of social care. Employed, but not by a social care organisation; or unemployed social workers who have not worked for a social care employer during the last five years.	One of the following: a manager of a social care organisation, which employed the applicant for a period of six months or longer during the five years preceding the application; a manager of a social care organisation which commissioned the applicant’s services during the five years preceding the application; a manager of the applicant’s current or last employer; or someone in authority from the higher education institution attended by the applicant e.g. tutor or course

I am registered with more than one care council, who do I renew with?

If you are registered with more than one care council, your renewal pack will be sent to you by your lead council (i.e. the first care council you registered with or the one in the country where you do most of your work). Depending on which care councils you are registered with, there may be some slight differences in the information each of the councils require to process your renewal application. You will need to submit the evidence required by all of the care councils with which you are registered. You must complete the record of your post-registration training and learning (PRTL) and keep this in a safe place as we may ask you to submit it at a later date as part of our sampling process.

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I have transferred my registration from one care council to another, who do I renew with?

Social workers who transfer their registration to a new care council, start a new three-year registration period with their new council on the date the transfer is approved, and their previous registration, and the training and learning associated with that registration period, is closed. You will be notified of your renewal date 84 days before the third anniversary of your registration date with your new care council. A new post-registration training and learning log is available from each care council and you are required to maintain a record of your 90 hours or 15 days training and learning received since registering with the new council.

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What are the post-registration training and learning (PRTL) requirements for registration?

The GSCC’s Registration Rules state the PRTL requirements as 90 hours or 15 days of study, training, courses, seminars, reading, teaching or other activities which could reasonably be expected to advance the social worker’s professional development, or contribute to the development of the profession as a whole. This should be completed within the current period of registration.

You must keep a record of the PRTL undertaken to provide evidence that you have met these requirements. If you are working towards the attainment of formal certificated post-qualifying (PQ) awards, you may include these studies as evidence of meeting PRTL requirements. You do not need to submit your PRTL evidence with your renewal form but do complete it and keep it in a safe place as we may ask you to submit it at a later date as part of our sampling process.

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How much detail should I put on the post-registration training and learning (PRTL) form?

Your PRTL form should include your name, registration number, and the date your registration started and will finish. You need to record for each item: the date the training or learning was undertaken; the duration in hours or days; brief details including, where appropriate, name of provider of the training or learning; a summary of how the training or learning has contributed to your professional development and informed your practice. Add the total in hours and/or days of the training and learning recorded. The form is available to download from the website of each care council. We will accept details of your training and learning in other formats as long as the content follows these guidelines.

You do not need to submit your PRTL evidence with your renewal form but your endorser will need to sign your renewal form to confirm that you have met the PRTL requirements. You should keep the evidence in a safe place as we may ask you to submit it at a later date as part of our sampling process.

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How will the PRTL form be assessed?

You do not need to send us a copy of your PRTL. You will need to show evidence of 90 hours or 15 days PRTL to your endorser, they will then confirm, to the best of their ability, that you have met the PRTL requirement during your last three year period of registration by endorsing your renewal application form. Please make sure you have indicated “yes” on the form if you have completed the PRTL.

The GSCC will conduct random sampling of PRTL and may ask you to send the evidence to us at a later date, therefore it is important that you keep a copy of your PRTL.

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What if I do not have enough PRTL?

PRTL can be study, training, courses, seminars, reading or other activities which could reasonably be expected to advance the social worker’s professional development, or contribute to the development of the profession as a whole; It is not necessarily formal training but can include activities such as shadowing a work colleague, or training a work colleague, as long as you can show how this has benefited your professional development.

If you have been unable to meet the PRTL requirement, please enter an “X” in the ‘no’ box, and use the continuation sheet available on the website, to provide further details about why you have been unable to complete the required amount of PRTL. Alternatively we will accept a covering letter. Try to be as detailed as possible about the reasons for this, however we may need to contact you again for more information.

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What happens if I do not renew my registration?

If you do not return your renewal form to us before the deadline given in your reminder letter we will remove you from the Social Care Register. Once you have been removed from the register you will no longer be legally permitted to use the title social worker. Your last known UK social work employer(s) will be informed that you have been removed from the register.

If you leave social work you can apply to be removed from the Register (see I no longer wish to be registered, what do I do?).

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I have sent you my renewal form but my registration expires today can I continue to work?

As long as your name continues to show on the Public Facing Register then you can continue to work.

If we have received your completed renewal application before your registration period expires you will be able to continue working until we have assessed your application. When we receive your renewal form we will send you a letter confirming this.

If you continue to practise after your registration has expired it is considered an offence, which is punishable by a fine of up to £5,000.

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I have declared a criminal conviction, or am undergoing a disciplinary investigation, what will happen when I apply for renewal?

We will need to look at any major changes to your details. It is difficult to say how long this will take, as each person’s circumstances will be different. If you submit your renewal form to us before your registration expiry date, then your application for renewal will be considered and you can continue to practise unless you are advised otherwise. When we have considered your application, a decision will be made regarding your continued registration with the council. There are rare occurrences when we need to suspend someone from the register until we have completed a thorough investigation and made a formal registration decision. We will notify you if you are affected in this way.

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I no longer wish to be registered, what do I do?

If you are no longer working in social work you can apply at any time during your registration period to be removed from the register. This is a formal process, and your request to be removed should be sent to us in writing. If you are registered with more than one care council you can apply to be removed from one or all of the Registers.

Please see further information for details of how to contact us.

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I have lost/damaged/not received the renewal application form?

You can print out a replacement copy.

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Where can I get the PRTL form?

You can either print out or save and fill in this Word document version of the PRTL form before printing out .

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Do I need to complete a new Direct Debit form if I already have one set up?

If you are already paying by Direct Debit you do not need to fill in a new mandate as we will continue  to take your payments with the details you have already provided.

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Where do I post my application to?

Please post your form to:

Renewals Team
GSCC,
Myson House,
Railway Terrace,
Rugby
CV21 3HT

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How do I make my payment online?

If you have an account already created you can access MyGSCC to pay your renewal fee online.  Tick the online account option box in the renewal form and, once you have received notification of receipt of your application form from us, you will be able to go online to pay your renewal fee.

To set up an online account please visit the MyGSCC section for guidance. For security, we recommend that you do not use an email address that you share with other people to request your access code.

Once you have created your account, you will have access to your registration details and will be able to make payments using a debit or credit card, or print a direct debit instruction. Please note: If you decide to use our online service, we will need to cancel your direct debit instruction on our system if you have one set up. Please contact us at payments@gscc.org.uk

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Who do I make the cheque payable to?

If you want to pay by cheque, please make the cheque payable to the General Social Care Council and ensure that your SCR number is written on the back of the cheque. Cheques should be fully completed as incomplete cheques will be returned to the registrant or destroyed, which may delay your application.

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Have you received my renewal application?

When we receive your application form, we will send you an acknowledgement letter in the post; you should receive this letter within 10 to 15 working days of your application reaching us.  As long as we have received your application before your renewal deadline you will not be removed from the register and you can continue to practise social work as normal. We encourage you to complete and send your application form back to us as soon as you receive it to avoid further delays.

If you sent in your renewal application more than three weeks ago and you have not heard from us please call our helpline on 0845 070 0630.

You can check the current processing times for applications for the latest processing times.

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My renewal date is imminent, can I have an extension?

We only issue extensions in exceptional circumstances. If we do not receive your renewal application before your renewal date we will write to advise you that you must return your application to us within 28 days. After the 28 days we will remove your name from the register.

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I have received a letter saying I need to get my form back within 28 days, what do I need to do now?

If you intend to continue practising as a social worker you will need to return your renewal application to us within the 28 day timescale otherwise we will remove your name from the register.

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I have received a letter saying I have been removed from the register, I still need to be registered, do I need to renew?

As your name has been removed from the register you will need to re-apply for registration, which is different to renewing your registration. You can get further information about reapplying, download an application form and access the guidance notes from the re-applying to join the Social Care Register section.

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Further information

If you require further information you can contact us at:

Customer Service Team
The General Social Care Council
Myson House
Railway Terrace
Rugby
CV21 3HT

Tel: 0845 070 0630
Fax: 01788 532475

E-mail: registration@gscc.org.uk

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