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Registration and regulation of workers is really important, firstly about valuing our staff and recognising the complex roles they have in social work and social care. Secondly around protection for the staff themselves and the people they support. The link between qualifications and social care roles has demonstrated the complexity of different roles and the theory and knowledge required to be a social worker or a social care worker. The Register provides invaluable information regarding workforce pressures, demography of workforce and also recognises the different social work and social care qualifications, ensuring social work and social care staff cannot undertake roles they are not trained or qualified to do.
I believe workers feel more valued and feel that social work, like other professions, including health professions, is distinct in what the profession does and empowers and enables social workers and social care staff to feel their role has a lot of worth. I believe staff feel more skilled following their training and are able to connect with people and support them to achieve their potential through the knowledge they have gained. They can also move to other jobs and roles, building on their experience and using their registration and qualifications to open doors for them, that pre-registration would not have been there.
Vulnerable people living in their own home know that the staff member coming in to see them, as well as being kind, patient and understanding is also trained to a specific level and can competently undertake their role. Training in moving and handling, risk assessment, medication management as well as complex roles relating to the individual mean that the person is better cared for and living a more fulfilling life. For social workers the postgraduate qualifications and continued professional development requirements mean social workers practice is still current and they are up to date with legislative and policy changes.
I see the profession as more valued and with an established place in society and health and social care. I still don’t think many people understand social work and social care unless they have direct experience of receiving support. Social work is regarded as the profession that promotes human rights and diversity and advocates for those who cannot advocate for themselves including all the different vulnerable parts of society. So it is a profession that carries on, behind the scenes, radically changing people’s lives every day.
It’s important for the social work and social care professions to maintain and actually increase the profile of human rights and advocacy for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Throughout the pandemic (and in the years before) we have seen the most humbling and fantastic social work and social care in action. As a profession we should be really proud of ourselves and promote ourselves more to those young people considering their future careers and not sure what social work and social care is.
I remember registration itself so well and my then Director of Social Work incentivising social workers registering through offering to pay for the Disclosure Scotland check. I was incredibly proud when my registration came in as I had to evidence I could register as a social worker through demonstrating my qualifications which I had worked hard to achieve. For me, registration was a defining moment in my career placing my profession at the same level as health colleagues and I could feel myself walking high because of this. I still remember the day I received my registration and how I felt.
