News Archive 2002
Click on the titles below to check out 2002 news and press releases relating to NISCC. Earlier material for previous years can be accessed by clicking on the links on the left hand side.
Executive Information Service
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Press release
MINISTER WELCOMES NORTHERN IRELAND SOCIAL CARE COUNCIL CODES OF PRACTICE FOR SOCIAL CARE WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS
The Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Bairbre de Brún, MLA, today welcomed the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s launch of the first ever set of Codes of Practice for social care workers and employers. NISCC is the new regulatory body for the social care workforce here, set up by the Minister in October 2001 to protect the public, through improving safeguards for vulnerable people and raising the standards of social care practice by registering and regulating the social care workforce.
Minister de Brún said:
“Social care workers provide care and support services to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. At some stage in our lives, each one of us will either use, or become involved with social care services. We have a right to expect high quality services, delivered by suitably trained staff. The NISCC Codes of Practice make clear what is expected of social care workers and their employers in England, Scotland, Wales and here. They set out the standards of practice and behaviour service users and the public can expect, building on the good practice already existing in the social workforce here. They will be the cornerstone of the forthcoming Social Care Register.”
Dr Jeremy Harbison, Chair of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council, presented the Minister with a copy of the NISCC Codes of Practice. He said:
“Consulting on the Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and working together to ensure they are aligned throughout England, Scotland, Wales and here has been a very affirmative process. It has shown how open the sector is to the benefits of proper regulation for the first time. On behalf of NISCC I would like to thank everyone who worked with us to develop them. Within the next few years, everyone involved in providing or delivering social work and social care services will be registered with the Council. This is a mammoth task, but with the continued support of colleagues throughout the sector, it is a challenge we look forward to meeting.”
Notes to Editors
1. The Northern Ireland Social Care Council is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. It was established under Section 1 of the Health and Personal Social Services Act (NI) 2001 and came into operation on October 1 2001.
2. Similar councils have been established in England, Scotland and Wales.
3. The Northern Ireland Social Care Council is comprised of 23 members appointed by the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Membership includes a range of interests, including one third lay people (users of services, carers and members of the public), one-third registrants and one-third other stakeholders (employers, unions and professional associations). Chair of the Council is Dr. Jeremy Harbison and Chief Executive is Mr Brendan Johnston.
4. The Council has a duty to promote high standards of conduct and practice among social workers and social care workers and high standards in their training. It will do this by establishing registers of particular groups in the social care workforce, publishing and promulgating codes of practice for all the workforce and complementary codes for employers, regulating the education and training of social workers and undertaking the functions formerly carried by the Training Organisation for Personal Social Services (TOPSS). NISCC has the power to deregister those who do not meet the terms of registration.
5. The Council has already embarked on a significant programme of work, which includes working, in co-operation with the Councils in England, Scotland and Wales to procure a computerised system for registration of the workforce and developing codes of conduct and practice. Council staff are also working closely with DHSSPS officials on developments relating to the reform of social work training. NISCC has also launched an advertising campaign to promote social work as a positive career choice in NI.
6. The Council has been active in placing emphasis on the views of service users and it has established sub-committees of users and carers to guide its considerations on policy issues.
7. Further information can be obtained from Andre McKeown, NISCC Information Officer (Tel: 028 9041 7610).
23 September 2002
MINISTER INTRODUCES THE HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES (QUALITY, IMPROVEMENT & REGULATION) BILL
The Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Bairbre de Brún, MLA, today introduced the Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) Bill into the Assembly.
The purpose of the Bill is to:
i. make provisions for a statutory duty of quality to apply to all Health and Personal Social Services bodies delivering services;
ii. establish a Health and Social Services Regulation and Improvement Authority which will be responsible for monitoring the quality of services delivered by the Health and Personal Social Services by reviewing clinical and social care governance arrangements within the HPSS; and
iii. provide for the HSSRIA to be responsible for the regulation and inspection of an extended range of services.
The Minister said:
"At some stage in our lives every one of us will have a need for services provided by the HPSS. We have a right to expect, on our own and each other’s behalf, that those services are provided to the very best standards that can be achieved. We should also be able to expect that those standards are consistently met and applied equally across the whole spectrum of health and care services and are maintained and indeed improved upon by experience and good practice. We also should expect to be assured that risks to the vulnerable, the elderly and young children are quickly identified and resolved.
All citizens are entitled to be assured that their child, elderly parent, nearest and dearest is receiving high standards of consistent care and attention.
"For this reason I have decided to introduce these provisions as part of an overall framework designed to underpin quality in the HPSS."
The Minister continued:
"These new arrangements will bring benefits to both HPSS staff themselves and the people using the services. The introduction of a system of clinical and social care governance will ensure that controls are in place to reduce the risk that those receiving services may be harmed in the process and staff will receive proper support to train and continuously keep up with developments."
The Minister added that the establishment of the HSSRIA would be a pivotal step in rationalising regulation and inspection of services and monitoring of the HPSS. Once established, the four existing Health Board Registration and Inspection Units responsible for these activities would be subsumed within the Authority. Services would also benefit from the extension of regulation to cover a wider range of social care services.
Notes to Editors
1. The Chapter on "Working for Healthier People" in the Executive’s first Programme for Government, included a commitment to put in place a framework to raise the quality of services provided to the community and to tackle issues of poor performance across the Health and Social Services. As a first step in fulfilling this commitment, DHSSPS issued a consultation paper entitled "Best Practice Best Care" in April 2000. The results of this consultation were published in June 2002. The purpose of the HPSS (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) Bill is to put into effect those decisions made following the conclusion of the consultation process which require legislation.
2. The key features arising from the Bill’s proposals include:
- A new system of clinical and social care governance;
- The HPSS to be statutorily responsible for the quality of the services provided by their organisation;
- A standards and guidelines unit to be established within DHSSPS
- Regulations to be extended to cover a wide range of social care services
- Establishment of the HSSRIA as a single body to monitor, inspect and regulate the delivery of services.
3. By placing a statutory duty of quality on HPSS organisations, the quality of services delivered will be assured, in similar fashion to adherence to financial probity.
4. Clinical and Social Care Governance can be defined as a framework within which HPSS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of service and treatment. It is about organisations taking corporate responsibility for performance and providing the highest possible standard of clinical and social care.
5. This framework will build upon and strengthen existing activity relating to the delivery of high quality care and treatment, including:
- Audit
- Identifying promoting and sharing good practice
- Risk assessment and risk management
- Quality standards
- Complaints management
- Clinical and social care effectiveness
- Evidence based practice
- Research and education
- Effective leadership and management
A clear policy of improving communication between management, users, staff and local communities;
- User involvement
- Continuing professional and personal development
- Professional regulation
- Learning lessons from best practice as well as poor performance
Joint media release - 23 September 2002
Greater public protection with new codes of practice for social care
The first ever national codes of practice for social care workers and employers were unveiled today (23 September 02) by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and its partner Councils across the UK.
Seen as crucial part of raising standards in social care, the codes of practice set down what standards of conduct people can expect from social care workers and their employers.Social care workers who fail to meet the code could be removed from the register, due to be set up next year.
Social workers, care workers, child protection staff, residential workers and care home managers are amongst an estimated million or more social care workers in the UK who will be expected to adhere to the new codes, developed by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council, the Care Council for Wales, the General Social Care Council in England and the Scottish Social Services Council following extensive consultation.
Speaking on behalf of the four councils, Dr Jeremy Harbison Northern Ireland Social Care Council Chair said:
“Millions of people throughout the UK use social care services every day and many vulnerable children, adults and older people rely on the professional skills, honesty and integrity of social care workers to provide support at times of difficulty.
These codes set a clear benchmark. Building on the sound shared values of the profession and coupled with registration, they will raise standards and increase public protection. They have been developed with the sole aim of promoting the best possible services.”The codes were developed in consultation with workers, service users and carers and have been welcomed by the social care sector.
Michael Leadbetter, President of the Association of Directors of Social Services, said: “It is absolutely crucial that employers know what is expected of them when employing social care staff and that staff know, without a shadow of a doubt, what is expected of them when they take on their tasks.
“These codes are welcome in making that all the more likely. We need to celebrate their launch. They will enhance the standing of social care, further protect the public and, crucially, improve the status and morale of social care staff.”
Northern Ireland Social Care Council and its partner Councils across the UK are the first independent bodies to regulate social care workers. It is hoped that regulation of the profession will raise public perception and give equivalent status to colleagues in similar professions.
The Codes can be downloaded from the Registration section of the NISCC website www.niscc.info
Ends
Notes to Editors
1. For further information on this press release, please contact Andre McKeown, NISCC Information Officer (Tel: 028 9041 7610).
2. The Northern Ireland Social Care Council is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. It was established under Section 1 of the Health and Personal Social Services Act (NI) 2001 and came into operation on October 1 2001.
3. Similar councils have been established in England, Scotland and Wales.
4. The chairs/convener of the four UK regulatory Councils for the social care workforce are:
Northern Ireland: Jeremy Harbison
Wales: Mutale Nyoni
England: Rodney Brooke
Scotland: Morag Alexander
5. The Norther Ireland Social Care Council is comprised of 23 members appointed by the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Membership includes a range of interests, including one third lay people (users of services, carers and members of the public), one-third registrants and one-third other stakeholders (employers, unions and professional associations). Chair of the Council is Dr. Jeremy Harbison and Chief Executive is Mr Brendan Johnston.
6. The Council has a duty to promote high standards of conduct and practice among social workers and social care workers and high standards in their training. It will do this by establishing registers of particular groups in the social care workforce, publishing and promulgating codes of practice for all the workforce and complementary codes for employers, regulating the education and training of social workers and undertaking the functions formerly carried by the Training Organisation for Personal Social Services (TOPSS). NISCC has the power to deregister those who do not meet the terms of registration.
7. The Council has already embarked on a significant programme of work, which includes working, in co-operation with the Councils in England, Scotland and Wales to procure a computerised system for registration of the workforce and developing codes of conduct and practice. Council staff are also working closely with DHSSPS officials on developments relating to the reform of social work training. NISCC has also launched an advertising campaign to promote social work as a positive career choice in NI.
8. The Council has been active in placing emphasis on the views of service users and it has established sub-committees of users and carers to guide its considerations on policy issues.
Ends
Social Care Regulator Reaches out to the North-West
(NISCC Press release 26 June 2002)
Northern Ireland Social Care Council, the new regulatory body for social care staff in Northern Ireland, will be travelling to the city of Derry later this week to host their June Council meeting. The Council was established in October 2001 to improve the protection of the public and promote public confidence in the social care workforce.
It is responsible for raising standards in social care. Eventually all staff working in social care will be required to register with the Council. There are approximately 30,000 staff who make up the Northern Ireland social care workforce, including social workers and staff who provide personal care to people in residential and day care settings, as well as in their own homes.
NISCC members are service users, carers, social work staff, unions, employers and education interests.
Dr Jeremy Harbison, NISCC Chair, said,
"Members of the Council com e from a wide range of social care interests throughout Northern Ireland. It is important for some Council meetings to be held outside Belfast to reflect the fact that the Council represents everyone in Northern Ireland. A register of social care workers means that service users, their carers, social care workers and employers will now have confidence that staff registered with the Council are working to agreed standards of conduct and practice."
Reform of Social Work Education and Training
NISCC June 2002
In October 2001, the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Bairbre de Brún, announced her intention to improve social work training by introducing an Honours Degree course in Social Work from Autumn 2004. The Minister's decision follows consultation on the proposals in Reforming Professional Social Work Training, which was published in October 2000.
The proposals in brief include:
- introducing honours degree level training for all social work students;
- adding a year of assessed practice before students are fully qualified social workers;
- improving the curriculum;
- reforming funding support for social work students.
To take forward this work, Chief Inspector, Mr Paul Martin, has set up a project team, led by Social Services Inspectorate and NISCC. The team is working with key stakeholders to develop the curriculum and training arrangements for the new social work qualification. As the project develops, information will be posted on this website and on the Social Services website for social work reform, which will be launched later this summer. Students starting courses before the Autumn 2004 entry date will train for the Diploma in Social Work training, as detailed in the NISCC information pack "A Career in Social Work". This pack can be downloaded from the Careers and Training section of this site.
Major Step Towards Registration of the Social Care Workforce
(NISCC Press Release 24 April 2002)
Northern Ireland Social Care Council, the new regulatory body for social care staff in Northern Ireland, has now completed its consultation on Codes of Conduct and Practice for social care workers and their employers. The consultation is part of a UK-wide project, run in partnership with the social care/services councils in England, Wales and Scotland. Feedback and recommendations from the consultations will now be analysed. The four councils will meet in May to draft a final version of the codes, which will agree common standards of conduct and practice for social care workers across the UK.
Commenting on the success of the exercise, NISCC Chair, Dr. Jeremy Harbison said:
“There are over 30,000 social care workers in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council was established to regulate and register this workforce. This is a huge project and will take a number of years to implement. Social workers, managers and residential child care staff will be the first to register with the Council in early 2003 and the remainder of the workforce will be registered over a longer period of time. Service users, their carers, social care workers and employers will now have confidence that staff registered with the Council are working to agreed standards of conduct and practice.”
To ensure that all stakeholders could discuss their views on the draft codes, social care staff, employers, service users and carers took part in seminars, briefing sessions and focus groups across Northern Ireland. Over 300 people from the public, private and voluntary sector took part in these sessions. NISCC received 30 written submissions from organisations representing larger groups and the UK website for the consultation was visited by 15,000 people. The final version of the Codes of Conduct and Practice will be published by NISCC later this year.
You can download a copy of the Draft Codes from the Consultations and Projects section of this site. . Limited free copies are available in hard copy or can be emailed in word or pdf formats. To order a copy, Email NISCC Information Service or call 02890 417600.
Northern Ireland Social Care Council Open for Business
April 2002
Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) recently hosted the official opening of their new offices at Millennium House, Great Victoria Street, Belfast. Health, Social Services and Public Safety Minister, Bairbre de Brún performed the opening ceremony. Declaring the offices open, Ms de Brún thanked all those involved in establishing the Council and said "The work of the Council will help ensure that the public can have confidence in the services they receive when they are provided by a registered social care worker."
The premises have been designed specifically to meet the Council's needs. Facilities include the Council suite that will be used for workshops and presentations as well as hosting the main Council meetings and hearings. Dr Jeremy Harbison, Chair of NISCC, said: "The Council has been established to implement Government commitment to raise the quality of social care services. Registering such a large and diverse workforce, as well as regulating and raising practice and training standards, is a challenge we look forward to meeting."
Minister opens new premises for NISCC (DHSSPS Press release)
(DHSSPS NI Press Release 10 April 2002)
An important milestone for the recently established Northern Ireland Social Care Council was reached today when Health, Social Services and Public Safety Minister, Bairbre de Brún opened its new offices at Millennium House, Great Victoria Street, Belfast.
Declaring the building open, Ms de Brún said that the Council would lead the way on raising standards of practice in social care. The Minister said, "In the Programme for Government, we have given a commitment to putting in place a framework to raise the quality of social services provided to the community and to tackle poor performance. The Council will play an important role in helping to meet that commitment."
"There are over 30,000 people who work in social care. Those who provide social care services do so in a variety of settings, including the statutory, voluntary and private sectors. A high proportion of the social care workforce is unqualified and it will be one of the important tasks for the Council, to work for the development of the entire social care workforce."
In recognising the need to raise standards, the Minister went on to acknowledge the valuable contribution being made by the social care workforce to the protection of children and vulnerable adults.
"The vast majority of social care staff carry out their work quietly and effectively. They often do not get the praise they deserve and I am pleased to have the opportunity to record my appreciation for the sterling work they do to help improve the lives of people who are experiencing difficulties.
"The Council will have a duty to promote high standards of conduct and practice among social care staff and high standards in their training. It will do this by establishing registers for particular groups in the workforce, publishing and promulgating codes of practice for all social care workers and complementary codes for their employers, regulating the education and training of social workers and promoting training for all of the social care workforce.
"The work of the Council will help ensure that the public can have confidence in the services they receive when they are provided by a registered social care worker."
National Training Organisations and Sector Skills Councils
March 2002
The Training Organisation for the Personal Social Services was Licensed by Government in 1998 to act as the National Training Organisation for the Personal Social Services across the UK. NTOs were to be employer-led, organisations with UK coverage. Charged with workforce and skills development, including responsibility for setting national occupational standards. Northern Ireland Social Care Council took over the functions of TOPSS in Northern Ireland in October 2001 and is currently responsible for the development of education and training for the Personal Social Services workforce in Northern Ireland.
Following the government review of National Training Organisations, National Training Organisations are to be replaced by new Sector Skills Councils (full details available at www.dfes.gov.uk/sectorskills). SSCs will have a similar remit to NTOs. Government intends to increase its level of support by providing core funding and the establishment of a new Sector Skills Development Agency to work alongside the new bodies.
All NTO licences will end in March 2002; those that intend to continue must apply to be licensed as Sector Skills Councils. TOPSS UK Partnership met on 15 November and the members reaffirmed their commitment to work together in partnership. They agreed to begin work on developing a Sector Skills Council for the care sector as a successor body to TOPSS. The member organisations of TOPSS, including NISCCC, will be discussing with relevant government departments how the care sector can best respond to the challenges set by the new Sector Skills Council agenda.
The new Sector Skills Development Agency has been launched and further information is available from the website www.ssda.org.uk
The TOPSS website www.topss.org.uk will remain online until later this year when the new Sector Skills Council for the care sector is licensed.
Social Work Works Promotional Campaign Generates Massive Interest
January 2002
SOCIAL WORK, WORKS, the recent NISCC promotional campaign to raise the profile of social work as a career choice, prompted almost 3500 people to get in touch to find out more about social work training. The campaign aimed to stem the falling numbers of applicants to social work programmes and to improve social work's image. The positive results to the advertising and PR work indicate that many more people are now thinking of social work as a career choice. Further research is now being carried out across Northern Ireland to measure campaign effectiveness. Results will be posted on the site when the report is completed.
Mary Stewart, Director of Training, NISCC said; "We are very pleased that response to the advertising and PR activity has been so positive. This campaign highlights the diverse nature of employment open to those with a Diploma in Social Work, which ranges from working in the criminal justice system, to becoming an Education Welfare Officer, to working with the elderly etc. We hope it will also have demonstrated to the general public the inclusive nature of the profession and the improvements it can make to peoples lives. NISCC would like to thank all of those who worked with us to develop this campaign."
You can download an overview of NISCC approved Diploma in Social Work courses in Northern Ireland from the Careers and Training section of this site. Limited free copies are available in hard copy or can be emailed in word format. To order a copy, Email NISCC Information Service or call 02890 417600.
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