Conduct Matters: The Regulation of Social Work in England

Abstract

From 1 August 2012, responsibility for regulation of social work transferred from the General Social Care Council (GSCC) to the Health and Care Professions Council ( HCPC). Professional regulation is seen as a way to safeguard the general public from dangerous and unsafe practice. Conduct processes and decision making must be seen to be reliable, appropriate and proportionate in order to assure this. This article reports on the findings and an analysis of GSCC conduct hearings held between April 2006 and July 2012. It considers some of the characteristics of appellants along with the types of sanction and proven misconduct. It is important that the HCPC maintains professional standards by investigating and taking action against those social workers who breach standards. Some comparisons will be made between the factors that have informed the decision making of GSCC and HCPC conduct panels in order to determine differences in the conduct decision-making process and identify ways that the regulator, educators and employers can support and encourage training and qualified social workers to practise competently and appropriately.