The registration of domiciliary and residential care workers comes a step
closer with the launch of the General Social Care Council’s (GSCC)
consultation on the details of registration for next groups. Issues around
training requirements, fee levels, and how registration will be enforced for
domiciliary and residential care workers in England have been set out for
sector-wide consultation today by the GSCC.
Over a 12 week period, the GSCC is seeking the views of the social care
sector on these and other issues.
Mike Wardle, Deputy Chief Executive of the GSCC, said:
“Extending registration to those working in residential and home care will
raise standards, increase public protection and help prevent abuse.
Registration should also help raise the status of the important work these
staff undertake by increasing public confidence in them.”
This consultation is the sector’s chance to have a say on how
registration will work for them. We are keen to hear from as many people
with an interest in social care as possible, and particularly from social
care workers and employers themselves. Only by feeding back to us can we
ensure that registration will work for the sector.”
The extension of registration to these groups is an important step
forward in ensuring that everyone in social care is working to nationally
agreed standards and is accountable for their conduct and standards of
practice. We look forward to working with the sector to achieve this.”
The consultation will cover issues including:
· training requirements at initial registration and at the point of
renewal of registration;
· the timeframe registration will last in between renewals; and
· the logistics behind the registration, including the registration
fee and how registration will be enforced.
Des Kelly, Director of the National Care Forum, spoke on the benefits of
registration to the sector while acknowledging the “details” still need
to be decided upon:
“It is our view that registration should improve public confidence in
care services and has the potential to enhance the status of social care
work. Whilst there remain a number of issues of detail to be negotiated, an
appropriately implemented and managed social care register could help to
reduce the recruitment and retention difficulties the care sector currently
faces.”
Gary Fitzgerald also spoke of the vital protection registration will
offer to service users:
“Registration of domiciliary and residential social care workers is an
important part of the overall protective mechanisms currently being put in
place. Specifically we know from our helpline and prosecutions that
domiciliary care workers are in a crucial position in terms of having an
opportunity to abuse the most vulnerable of people. Registration of
domiciliary care workers is a major part of raising standards in the service
and Action on Elder Abuse has been working closely with the UK Home Care
Association ton this issue.”
