News Archive 2004
Click on the titles below to check out 2004 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.
News Release
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
19 October 2004
NEW SOCIAL WORK DEGREE BEGINS IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Mr Clive Gowdy, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, today welcomed the start of a new era in social work education, with the launch of a new degree in social work.
Speaking at the opening, Mr Gowdy acknowledged the importance of the new degree and the role that social workers play in securing and improving the health and well being of the people of Northern Ireland.
Mr Gowdy said: "Today’s social worker needs a range of personal qualities such as patience, determination and the ability to help people face painful and distressing problems. Importantly, social workers must also have the essential knowledge and professional skill to cope with the demands of the modern social work service. This is what the degree is intended to deliver.
"The aim of professional education is to ensure students are properly prepared to practise safely and effectively. I am confident that the degree students will benefit from the preparation offered for their new career by the degree in social work. Any of us who need social work services in the future, should benefit most of all from this innovation."
Almost 300 students have now commenced study on the course across six sites, taking their first steps towards a valuable, rewarding and crucial career in the Northern Ireland Health and Social Services.
The course is being provided in the two main Universities, and also in Institutions of Further and Higher Education, in partnership with Health and Social Services Trusts, the Probation Board and other employers of social workers, and has been approved by the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.
Social work employers in the voluntary sector, HSS Trusts, probation board and education welfare service are working, in partnership with education, to deliver the degree.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The new degree in social work has been introduced in six sites across Northern Ireland from September 2004.
These are:
Queen’s University, Belfast;
University of Ulster at Magee Campus;
Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education;
North West Institute of Further and Higher Education;
East Tyrone College of Further and Higher Education; and North Down & Ards Institute of Further and Higher Education.
2. The new qualification, set at honours degree level, represents the new entry level qualification for entry to the social work profession. Predecessor qualifications for social work will of course remain valid for those holding them.
3. DHSSPS, in partnership with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC), has led the development of the degree, with the publication of the Framework for the degree in March 2003 (see para five below). Since then, staff in universities, colleges and social work employers have developed the detailed arrangements, that are now in place for the first intake of almost 300 students. A list of those who participated is available at www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/hss/swtr
4. Social workers are in short supply in some places in Northern Ireland and we are confident that the successful graduates will make a significant contribution to social work services for children, older people, families and the wider community, in years to come.
5. The Degree was approved by the NISCC, www.niscc.info in line with its statutory function, reflecting the principles enshrined in the Northern Ireland Framework Specification for the Degree in Social Work and the Rules for the Approval of the Degree in Social Work both available at www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/hss/swt
Press Release
24 June 2004
'Macedon illustrates need for social care workforce registration' says NISCC.
Northern Ireland Social Care Council, the regulatory body for the social care workforce in Northern Ireland , today, re-emphasised the importance of social care workforce registration, in the light of the convictions in the Macedon Children's home abuse case.
Sarah Jayne Margaret Hewitt from Larne and Robert George Anderson, from Ballycarry, but now living in England, were convicted of a catalogue of abuse against children at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday 23 June 2004.
Most of the assaults took place at the Macedon home in Newtownabbey, on the outskirts of Belfast , more than 25 years ago.
Hewitt was found guilty of 53 out of 70 charges, including indecent assault, gross indecency and assault committed against eight children between December 1977 and June 1981.
Anderson was found guilty of 17 out of 28 charges, including indecent assault, two charges of rape and gross indecency committed against five children between January 1979 and June 1981.
They will be sentenced later. The Macedon home was closed and demolished in 1981.
Commenting on the outcome of the case, NISCC Chair Dr Jeremy Harbison said:
"The Northern Ireland Social Care Council has invited residential childcare staff and heads of homes as part of the first priority group, to become registered with the Council. Registration and regulation of the social care workforce is vital to protect those members of the public who use social care services. We recognise that the overwhelming majority of the social care workforce are highly dedicated professionals, undertaking very valuable work with thousands of people every day. They work to high standards and wish to maintain the reputation of their profession. They realise that the Council is needed to deal with malpractice by the few who abuse their position of trust. Social care workers on the Register will have to maintain high standards and be accountable for their work: they can be removed from the register for misconduct, which will mean that they cannot continue to work in the sector."
"The NISCC is committed to a Registration system that is robust, transparent, fair to all parties concerned and meets human rights concerns, at every stage; above all the process of registration and regulation must promote a system that will protect the public and increase the professionalism of staff." He added
Registration recognises the commitment of social care workers to providing quality social care services . There are almost 30,000 staff working in social care in Northern Ireland and the NISCC will be registering this workforce over the next few years. This is the first time that the social care workforce has been regulated in Northern Ireland . Staff and employers will be expected to meet the standards set in the NISCC Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and their employers. The Codes of Practice set down standards of conduct and training which people can expect from social care workers and their employers and they will be crucial in raising standards of conduct, practice and training. Registered social care workers who fail to meet the code could be removed from the register. Employers who fail to meet the code will be accountable to the newly formed Health and Personal Social Services Regulation and Improvements Authority (HPSSRIA).
Patricia Higgins, NISCC Director of Registration, added:
"Registration is good for us, as social care workers, good for social care and good for service users. It will help to put social work on a similar footing to other professions and give recognition to the valuable work done with thousands of people every day."
"Social care workers in the first priority group (social workers, team leaders, residential childcare staff or heads of homes and day centres) who have not yet received a Registration pack, can order one today by telephoning 9041 7600 or emailing registration@niscc.n-i.nhs.uk. There is more information on why you should register and how to go about it on the NISCC website, www.niscc.info." She added.
Ends.
Notes to editors:
• For further information on this press release, please contact NISCC Communications Officers, Andre McKeown or Brigid McSorley, Tel: 028 9041 7600 .
• 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.
• NISCC is responsible for the registration of social care workers and promoting high standards of conduct, training and practice in the workforce to increase public protection.
• Similar councils have been established in England , Scotland and Wales .
The Council is comprised of 21 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 NISCC Chief Executive is Mr Brendan Johnston.
NI social care regulator welcomes Parliament’s support for workforce registration
Northern Ireland Social Care Council, the new regulatory body for the social care workforce in Northern Ireland, has welcomed the focus on registration of social care workers to protect older people from abuse, by a Parliamentary Committee in a report published today (20 April 2004).
Commenting on the report, NISCC Chair Dr Jeremy Harbison said:
“Abuse of older people or other service users by the people who care for them cannot be tolerated. Over 200,000 people in Northern Ireland 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. To safeguard service users, we need to remove untrained, unchecked and unsuitable people from the social care workforce.”
“We are pleased the Committee recognised registration as central to ensuring service users receive care from properly trained and checked workers, committed to high standards and accountable for their practice.”
“We recognise that service users who are cared for in their own home, or those using outreach services are particularly vulnerable. This will be key to informing our approach to rolling out registration to other care workers.”
The Health Select Committee’s report stated that abuse of older people is a hidden, often ignored, problem in society – in many cases not reported because older people are unable, frightened or embarrassed to report its presence. It stated that ‘elder abuse’ can take many forms and can occur both in institutional settings and in the person’s home. The Committee recommended that domiciliary and other social care workers should be registered “as a matter of the utmost urgency” to reduce the risk to service users from a small minority of abusive care workers.
There are almost 30,000 staff working in social care in Northern Ireland and the NISCC will be registering this workforce over the next few years. This is the first time that the social care workforce has been regulated in Northern Ireland. Staff and employers will be expected to meet the standards set in the NISCC Codes of Practice for Social Care Workers and their employers. The Codes of Practice set down standards of conduct and training which people can expect from social care workers and their employers and they will be crucial in raising standards of conduct, practice and training. Registered social care workers who fail to meet the code could be removed from the register. Employers who fail to meet the code will be accountable to the newly formed Health and Personal Social Services Regulation and Improvements Authority (HPSSRIA).
The Committee recognised the need for a “measured and systematic” approach to registration and the need to ensure that the level of personal and professional accreditation it signifies is preserved whilst progressing registration as quickly as possible.
Registering this diverse workforce is an enormous task and will be addressed incrementally. The NISCC has already taken the first steps to implement the registration of around 5000 staff across Northern Ireland who are social workers, team leaders, residential childcare staff or heads of homes and day centres during the next year.
The NISCC is currently consulting with service users, carers, staff, employers and other stakeholders to prioritise the next groups of staff to be registered. This consultation closes on April 30th and its recommendations will take account of issues such as vulnerability of the service user, the degree of staff training and supervision, and the seniority level and setting in which staff work.
Registered social care workers need to maintain high standards and be accountable: they can be removed from the register for misconduct. Registration recognises their commitment to providing quality social care services. Social workers are already registering with the NISCC. This will help protect service users from unchecked and untrained workers, and reassure them that these staff are suitable to take on the responsibility of being a social worker. The DHSSPS (NI) will shortly enact legislation to prevent unqualified people from practising as registered social workers.
Registration of the social care workforce is just one part of the drive to raise standards and increase public protection in the sector. The NISCC is working closely with partner bodies in Northern Ireland, and across the UK, to review and update standards for service delivery and training for the social care sector. This will ensure service users receive the best possible care.
Ends
Notes to editors:
1. For further information on this press release, please contact NISCC Communications Officers, Andre McKeown, (Tel: 028 9041 7610), or Brigid McSorley, (Tel: 02890 417629)
2. The Health Select Committee investigated elder abuse by both paid health and social care workers and other carers. The General Social Care Council (GSCC) gave evidence alongside the National Care Standards Commission and the Commission for Health Improvement and the Committee also took evidence from the Community Care Minister Dr Stephen Ladyman MP.
3. 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.
4. NISCC) is responsible for the registration of social care workers and promoting high standards of conduct, training and practice in the workforce to increase public protection.
5. Similar councils have been established in England, Scotland and Wales.
6. The Council is comprised of 21 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 NISCC Chief Executive is Mr Brendan Johnston.
top