The General Social Care Council (GSCC) was a

non-departmental public body In the United Kingdom, non-departmental public body (NDPB) is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to public sector organisations that have a role in the process of n ...

of the

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

which was the regulator of

social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

s and social work students in England between 2001 and 2012. It set down

codes of conduct A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization. Companies' codes of conduct A company code of conduct is a set of rules which is commonly writt ...

for social workers and social work employers, and maintained a register of around 100,000 social workers and students, using a conduct model to regulate and discipline registrants.

Creation and closure

The GSCC was set up in 2001 further to the

Care Standards Act 2000 The Care Standards Act 2000 (CSA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which provides for the administration of a variety of care institutions, including children's homes, independent hospitals, nursing homes and residential care ho ...

, which was enacted partly in response to criticisms in the late 1990s of

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

in Britain, in particular the high-profile case of

Victoria Climbié Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, a young girl who was abused and eventually killed by her relatives in north London despite having been known to local social services. The GSCC inherited the role of the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW), a previous body which had responsibility for regulating and funding social work education and the accreditation of social workers. The GSCC was given a broader remit to take a lead not only in education but in the strategic development and promotion of the whole social care sector in Britain. After the formation of a

Coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...

in 2010, the General Social Care Council was earmarked for abolition as part of a drive to reduce the number and cost of publicly funded organisations. On 31 July 2012 it closed, and the regulation of social workers was taken over by the

Health Professions Council The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC, formerly the Health Professions Council, HPC) is a statutory regulator of over 280,000 professionals from 15 health and care professions in the United Kingdom. The Council reports its main purpose i ...

, which was renamed the Health and Care Professions Council to reflect its expanded role. The GSCC's sister organisations in the other

countries of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), since 1922, comprises three constituent countries and a region: England, Scotland, and Wales (which collectively make up the region of Great Britain), as well as Nor ...

– the

Scottish Social Services Council The Scottish Social Services Council is responsible for raising standards in the country's social service Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly incl ...

(SSSC), the Care Council for Wales (in

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

: ''Cyngor Gofal Cymru''), and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council – continued to exist with their functions intact. At the time of its closure, the Chair of the General Social Care Council was Rosie Varley, and its Chief Executive was Penny Thompson.

Successors

The

Health and Care Professions Council The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC, formerly the Health Professions Council, HPC) is a statutory regulator of over 280,000 professionals from 15 health and care professions in the United Kingdom. The Council reports its main purpose i ...

regulated social workers until December 2019 when the function was transferred to

Social Work England Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

, a new non-departmental public body established by the

Children and Social Work Act 2017 The Children and Social Work Act 2017 (c. 16) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act was passed by the Conservative Government in 2017, having been launched in 2016 in the House of Lords by Parliamentary Undersecretary of S ...

References

{{Authority control Health in England Defunct public bodies of the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Care Social work organizations Social care in England 2001 establishments in England 2012 disestablishments in England Organisations based in the London Borough of Southwark Government agencies established in 2001 Government agencies disestablished in 2012 Regulators of England

Creation and closure

Successors

See also

References