HPC launches consultation on the registration renewal date for social workers in England

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has launched a consultation to invite stakeholders for their views on setting the registration cycle for social workers in England. 

The Health and Social Care Bill currently before Parliament provides for the transfer of the regulation of social workers in England from the General Social Care Council (GSCC) to the Health Professions Council (HPC). Subject to Parliamentary approval of the Bill, the GSCC register for social workers in England is expected to transfer to the HPC on 31 July 2012. 

Unlike the GSCC where individuals renew in three yearly cycles on the anniversary of their registration, each profession registered with the HPC renews its registration in two yearly cycles. This means that when a profession is due to renew its registration the HPC writes to each individual and asks them to renew their registration by the end date of the registration period for their profession. 

The HPC is proposing that the registration cycle for social workers in England should end on 30 November in even numbered years. 

Assuming that the GSCC register for social workers in England is transferred as planned on 31 July 2012, this would mean that social workers in England would be required to renew their registration for the first time between August 2012 and 30 November 2012 making the first registration cycle 1 December 2012 to 30 November 2014. The end date for the renewal cycle for social workers in England would then continue to be 30 November in even numbered years on an on-going basis. 

HPC’s Director of Policy and Standards, Michael Guthrie, said: “The registration cycles for each member of the professions we regulate are set out in our statutory rules and in order to set this cycle for social workers in England, the relevant dates must be added to these rules. This consultation will be of particular interest to social workers in England who will be regulated by the HPC in the future as well as interested groups and individuals.  We would welcome responses to our consultation as well as comments on any related issue.” 

The consultation will run from 7 December 2011 - 29 February 2012. For more information visit the HPC website.