Social Worker Regulation Consultation

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has launched two consultations to invite stakeholders for their views on first, its standards of proficiency for social workers in England and second, the threshold level of qualification for entry to the social workers part of the Register.

In July 2010 the UK Government published 'Liberating the NHS: Report of the arm's-length bodies review' which said that the regulation of social workers in England would transfer from the General Social Care Council (GSCC) to the HPC.

When the HPC regulates a profession it sets the standards of proficiency for that profession. These are the threshold standards for safe and effective practice that outline what a professional must know, understand and be able to do on entry to the Register. A professional on our Register, called a registrant, also has to meet the standards of proficiency which are relevant to their area of practice. The standards of proficiency therefore play a key role in ensuring public protection.

In December 2010, the HPC established a Professional Liaison Group (PLG) to prepare the draft standards of proficiency for social workers in England. The PLG consisted of 12 members, eight drawn from key stakeholder organisations in the field of social work in England and four from the HPC Council.

The PLG looked at existing standards and frameworks which apply to social workers in England as well as the work of the Social Work Reform Board Although the standards of proficiency have a specific role and function it was important for the PLG to take account of existing standards and frameworks so that it could develop standards which reflected existing requirements and provision.

Chair of the HPC, Anna van der Gaag, commented: "The standards of proficiency play a central role in how an individual becomes and remains registered with us and explain the key obligations that the HPC expects of registered professionals.

"Our standards of proficiency serve a particular purpose – they are threshold standards for safe and effective practise for social workers in England. Although they relate to the existing frameworks, they have to be created for each profession regulated by HPC in order to meet legal requirements.

"The key challenge was to ensure that the standards reflect the values of social work, the complexity of practice and diversity of contexts and settings in which social workers find themselves.

The standards of proficiency are divided into generic standards (which apply to all the professions) and standards specific to each of the professions regulated.

Alongside the consultation on the standards of proficiency, the HPC is also consulting on the threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register as a social worker in England. The HPC has to set the threshold at the level necessary for individuals who successfully complete a pre-registration education and training programme to meet the standards of proficiency for their profession.

The HPC will approve all those education and training programmes, historic and current, that led or lead to registration with the GSCC. Once the Register opens the HPC will visit programmes to check that they meet the standards that it has set.

The consultation will run until 18 July- 18 November 2011.

It is anticipated that, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary legislation the HPC Register for social workers in England will open in July 2012.

Anna further commented: "Once published, the standards will be subject to ongoing reviews and updates to ensure that they continue to develop and change with the profession. It is key that the standards reflect existing standards and frameworks for social workers in England, and that the relationships between these different standards and their particular purpose is clearly understood.

"I have no doubt that the collaborative spirit in which the PLG had been conducted will continue to influence the process as it unfolds, and I am grateful to all those who have worked with us to prepare these draft standards."

Consultation on the draft standards of proficiency for social workers in England

Consultation on the threshold level of qualification for entry to the Register for social workers in England