If you employ care workers in Wales, certain categories of staff must be registered with Social Care Wales (SCW) to practise lawfully. Social Care Wales maintains the register of social care workers, sets qualification standards, and has the power to remove individuals who are not fit to practise.
As an employer, you have legal obligations to ensure your staff are registered (or working towards registration) and to notify Social Care Wales of any concerns about their fitness to practise.
How to ensure your staff are registered
-
1
1. Identify which staff must register
Review your workforce against the mandatory registration categories. Social workers, residential child care workers, domiciliary care workers, adult care home workers, and managers of regulated services must all register with Social Care Wales. Check the current registration schedule as categories are being extended over time.
-
2
2. Check registration status of existing staff
Use the Social Care Wales online register to verify each employee's registration status. Staff must hold current registration to practise. Keep a record of each person's registration number and renewal date.
-
3
3. Support new staff through the registration process
New starters in registrable roles must apply to Social Care Wales within a set period of beginning employment (typically within six months, though this varies by category). Support them to gather the required evidence including DBS checks, qualifications, and references. The registration fee is paid by the individual worker, though some employers choose to cover it.
-
4
4. Ensure staff meet qualification requirements
Each registration category has specified qualification requirements. Staff who do not yet hold the required qualification may be granted conditional registration while working towards it. As an employer, you must provide time and support for staff to achieve the qualification within the specified timescale.
-
5
5. Embed the Code of Professional Practice
All registered workers must comply with the Social Care Wales Code of Professional Practice. Ensure all staff have read and understood the Code. Include it in your induction programme and reference it in supervision sessions. The Code covers professional conduct, competence, integrity, and accountability.
-
6
6. Manage fitness to practise concerns
If you have concerns about a registered worker's fitness to practise, you must notify Social Care Wales. This includes misconduct, incompetence, and health conditions that affect their ability to practise safely. Social Care Wales may investigate and can impose conditions, suspend, or remove a person from the register.
Your obligations as an employer
As an employer of registered social care workers in Wales, you must:
- Not employ anyone in a registrable role unless they are registered or within the allowed registration period
- Notify Social Care Wales if a registered worker is dismissed or resigns in circumstances related to their fitness to practise
- Support workers to meet their continuing professional development (CPD) requirements
- Comply with the Social Care Wales Code of Practice for Employers, which sets out your responsibilities towards your workforce
What next
For CIW registration of your service, see Register with CIW. For ongoing compliance requirements, see RISCA 2016 compliance requirements.