There will be a new regulator of the social work profession from December 2019 it has emerged.
Speaking at the National Association of Directors of Children’s Services conference, the Minister for Children and Families, Nadhim Zahawi announced that Social Work England will replace the Health and Care Professions Council as the regulator of the social work profession, taking responsibility for registration, professional standards and fitness to practise.
Marc Seale, Chief Executive of HCPC, said: “We will continue to work closely with Social Work England to ensure there will be a smooth transition. Good progress has been made so far, and this will continue until the regulatory functions are effectively transferred. Until that time, we are committed to regulating the profession and delivering our core purpose of public protection. We will also ensure that our work on the regulation of the 15 other professions remains unaffected by our focus on the transfer of social workers.”
The new social work regulator was announced initially in 2016 as part of social work reforms which were backed by legislation in the Children and Families Act 2017.
Colum Conway, Chief Executive of Social Work England, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce that we will soon become the new specialist regulator for social workers. As a social worker, I understand the positive impact that professionals have on millions of people. I also understand the complexity of the work and the competing priorities in the role. That is why we are putting collaborative working at the heart of all we do and our recent consultation on rules and standards was just one example of this.
“Over the course of the year we will continue to work with the HCPC to ensure an efficient and smooth transition. We are also committed to exploring new approaches that offer responsive and proportionate regulation - empowering professionals to be the very best they can be," he added.
