Enforcement of compulsory registration for social care Workers

Legislation to enforce compulsory registration for the current phase of compulsory workforce registration is now in effect. Employers should be aware that under these Regulations, it is an offence for a provider to employ a person in the positions described below if they do not meet the requirements for relevant NISCC registration.

The Regulations place a responsibility on social care providers to ensure that staff employed in any of the positions listed below are registered on the relevant part of the NISCC Register.  New entrants to the workforce will be required to apply for NISCC registration as soon as is reasonably practicable after commencing that new employment.  Those already registered with other approved regulators (such as NMC) will not be required to undertake an additional registration with NISCC.

Staff positions affected by the Regulations are:

(a) A member of care staff of: a children’s home; a residential care home or a nursing home; and

(b) A manager of: a residential care home; a day care setting; a domiciliary care setting.

The Regulations to support enforcement are included in The Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland 2013 No 225 ‘Health and Personal Social Services – The Northern Ireland (Social Care Workers Prohibition) and Fitness of workers Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013.

Full text for these regulations is available online at www.legislation.gov.uk

A social care worker’s registration can be checked online via the NISCC Public Register at www.niscc.info