Additional Qualifications Accepted For Registration
By News Scotland

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the organisation established to register key groups of people who work in social services in Scotland, has recently extended the list of qualifications it recognises and accepts for the purposes of registration. Qualification requirements are set as part of the eligibility criteria for registration to help ensure the competence and professionalism of the workforce.

The SSSC consults with the workforce before setting any qualification requirements and the recent additions to the list include new qualifications developed for early education and child care workers, and existing qualifications which the SSSC has now deemed acceptable for the purposes of registration.

Applicants for registration who do not hold the required qualifications may, if they meet all other eligibility criteria e.g. evidence of ‘good character’, be granted registration subject to the condition that they achieve the required qualifications within a specified period – normally their first three years of registration.

With over 138,00O social service workers in Scotland, registration is being done in phases. Phase one began in April 2003 and included the registration of:

  • Social workers
  • Social work students on the new honours degree and postgraduate course
  • Care Commission officers
  • Residential child care workers
  • Managers of adult residential care, and
  • Managers of adult day care services.

Phase two of registration begins in October 2006 and includes the registration of early education and childcare workers, adult residential care workers and workers in housing support services.

A full list of qualifications accepted by the SSSC including the recently added qualifications are on the SSSC’s website at www.sssc.uk.com 

{mospagebreak}The following qualifications have been added to lists previously agreed by the Council:

Phase One Residential Child Care Workers:

  • SVQ Level 3 in Early Years Care and Education plus a qualification at SCQF level 7 with 96 credits
  • SVQ Level 3 in Children’s Care Learning and Development plus a qualification at SCQF level 7 with 96 credits

Phase Two Support Workers in Care Home Services for Adults:

  • HNC Social Care (all awards) plus SVQ Health and Social Care Units DK4R04; DK4K04; DK5704
  • University of Manchester B.A. (Hons.) Learning Disability Studies

Phase Two Practitioners in Care Home Services for Adults:

  • HNC Social Care (all awards) plus SVQ Health and Social Care Units DK4R04; DK4K04; DK5704
  • University of Manchester B.A. (Hons.) Learning Disability Studies

Phase Two Supervisors in Care Home Services for Adults:

  • HNC Social Care (all awards) plus SVQ Health and Social Care Units DK4R04; DK4K04; DK5704
  • University of Manchester B.A. (Hons.) Learning Disability Studies

Plus

  • An additional supervisory or management qualification with a minimum of      15 academic credits at SCQF level 7 or above

Phase Two Housing Support Workers:

  • HNC Social Care (all awards) plus SVQ Health and Social Care Units DK4R04; DK4K04; DK5704
  • University of Manchester B.A. (Hons.) Learning Disability Studies

Phase Two Supervisors in Housing Support Services:

  • HNC Social Care (all awards) plus SVQ Health and Social Care Units DK4R04; DK4K04; DK5704
  • University of Manchester BA (Hons) Learning Disability Studies

Plus

  • An additional supervisory or management qualification with a minimum of 15 academic credits at SCQF level 7 or above

Phase Two Support Workers in Early Education and Childcare:

  • SVQ Level 2 Children’s Care, Learning and Development
  • SCOTEC Certificate in the Educational Care of Severely and Profoundly Mentally Handicapped Children

Phase Two Practitioners in Early Education and Childcare:

  • SVQ Level 3 Children’s Care, Learning and Development
  • SCOTEC Certificate in the Educational Care of Severely and Profoundly Mentally Handicapped Children

Phase Two Manager/Lead Practitioner in Early Education and Childcare:

  • SVQ Level 4 in Children’s Care, Learning and Development with the following optional units: DR4704 (CCLD413) Develop and implement operational plans for your area of responsibility; DR 5904 (CCLD 416) Assess quality assurance schemes against agreed criteria; DR 6604 (CCLD 418) Co-ordinate and support the revision of policies, procedures and practice for registration and inspection; DR 7504 (CCLD 425) Provide leadership in your area of responsibility.