General Social Care Council names acting chief executive

Paul Snell, former chief inspector of the Commission for Social Care Inspection, has been appointed as acting chief executive of the General Social Care Council (GSCC).

He will take up his position from 1 October, replacing Paul Philip who was brought in following the suspension of chief executive Mike Wardle, after the council identified a backlog of misconduct cases.

The GSCC said that all conduct cases have now been assessed and, where necessary, workers have been suspended pending investigations.

The council also revealed that specialist support has been brought in to help bring all older cases to a conclusion by the end of the year.

GSCC chairman Rosie Varley said: “We will benefit enormously from Paul’s vast experience in social care, not least his background in regulating care services, at a time when we are seeking to promote understanding among employers of the need for their co-operation in regulating the social care workforce.

“We have now introduced a number of measures to improve our processes and to deliver a robust approach to public protection, balanced against our commitment to the right to a fair hearing.”