The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has announced a deadline of 30 June 2017 for the registration of supervisors in Care at Home or Housing Support services. To meet this date, supervisors should apply for registration by the end of December this year. This will need to be received by December 31st to guarantee that registration will be completed by the end of June 2017.
The SSSC website defines the roles of supervisors in these services as follows:
‘Supervisors in housing support services are defined as workers who hold responsibilities for providing and supervising the provision of care and/or support given directly to a user of a housing support service.
Supervisors in care at home services are defined as workers who have responsibility for supervising workers and overseeing and monitoring the implementation of care plans.’
An exception to the above is that it only applies to supervisors who were in post before 31 July 2014. Any worker who started after 1 July 2014 must apply for registration as soon as possible after they start employment and must be registered within six months of starting in their role.
The requirement to register does not yet apply to support workers in these services, and the SSSC has undertaken to announce on its website when the Government decides on the schedule for this.
So supervisors who have not yet applied, and began their work before 31 July 2014 should apply for registration before the 31 December 2016, if they have not already done so.
What does the SSSC do?
The SSSC was set up by legislation to ensure that social service workers, and their employers, work to a high standard to provide safe and effective support for the people they serve. This covers social care services and field social workers also. Workers are required to register unless registered with other specified professional bodies. They must pass the requirements to be competent in their work, to be of good conduct in their life, and to have the right character to work with vulnerable people. This is known as the ‘fitness to practice’ model.
Another requirement is that individuals must be familiar with, and work in accordance with, the SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and their employers. These have been reviewed and rewritten this year, and are made directly available to all services and to individual workers. Registration must normally be renewed every five years. A record of training and personal professional development must be maintained by workers who are registered.
If employers, or members of the public, have concerns about how workers deliver their service, the SSSC should be informed, and in certain circumstances, the practice of the worker or employer concerned can be investigated. One outcome of this could be the de-registration of individuals, prohibiting them from carrying on their work.
Advantages
Registration may seem yet another burden on hard-pressed services. However, it allows workers and employers to demonstrate that the service is delivered by people who are competent, of good character and who have the service user’s needs at the centre of their work. The SSSC website is user-friendly and has a wealth of guidance and support resources for reference. Information on topics such as training, supervision, leadership and ongoing practice issues all feature on the site. The organisation enables and supports good practice, as well as regulating it.
A reminder again that if you fall into the category of supervisor outlined above then you need to ensure your application is received by the SSSC before the 31 December this year.
