Social Care Register

The Social Care Register is a register of people who work in social care, and have been assessed as trained and fit to be in the workforce.

Currently the register is only open to social workers and social work students. Over time, the register will be open to other groups of social care workers.

Registration ensures that those working in social care meet rigorous registration requirements and holds them to account for their conduct by the codes of practice for social care workers and their employers. Qualifications, health and good character are checked as part of the registration process. Every Registered Social Worker has to complete 90 hours or 15 days of post-registration training and learning (PRTL) during every three-year registration period in order to renew their registration.

All qualified social workers have to be registered in order to practice in England. The title "social worker" has been protected by law in England since 1 April 2005 (from the Care Standards Act 2000) to ensure that only those who are properly qualified, registered and accountable for their work describe themselves as social workers.
Service users and carers can check the registration of a social worker with the GSCC and establish whether they meet our standards. They can also raise concerns about the conduct of a Registered Social Worker and ask us to investigate through the conduct process. Click here to access the register.