HPC launches consultation on social work standards…
19th July 2011
Social workers in England now have a chance to have their say on newly developed “standards of proficiency” for the profession. The HPC (Health Professions Council) has launched a three-month consultation on the draft standards.
The HPC will take over responsibility for the registration and regulation of social workers from the GSCC (General Social Care Council) in July 2012, and newly qualified social workers will have to meet the new standards before being allowed to register.
Once finalised, these standards will be the minimum benchmark that social workers will be expected to meet throughout their professional lives. They have been compiled by a team of practitioners, employers and academics, and include the ability to exercise professional judgement, maintain proper records and communicate effectively.
Anna van der Gaag, chair of the HPC, said:
“The standards of proficiency 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.”
