Social Work Students
All students studying on the Honours Degree in Social Work course in NI must register with the NISCC when they start their course. This is a requirement of the course. Financial incentives for students which are provided by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (NI) are not released until registration is completed. Therefore students are advised to complete their registration application form promptly.
Students who have successfully completed their social work course must complete an application form to transfer to the Qualified Social Worker part of the register. They must also complete the Assessed Year in Employment to consolidate their skills and knowledge. Application forms and guidance are available in ‘Information for Registrants’.
Students will apply to register by completing an online application form available on our website that must then be printed, signed and posted to us.
The online form will include clear instructions on how it should be completed and what you will need to do next. Further information about registration and the role of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council is available in the Information Booklet
How to Apply to Register
Before you begin completing your application, please read through all of the information on this page.
The online application form will take approximately 30 minutes to complete and can be saved on your computer at any time to continue later.
The Code of Practice
To register with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council you must read and agree to abide by the Code of Practise for Social Care Workers.
Your Registration Data
The Northern Ireland Social Care Council is registered with the Information Commissioner and data supplied by you will be processed in accordance with the provision of the Data Protection Act 1998.
Registration Fees
There is an application fee to apply to register with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and an annual fee is payable each year following to remain on the Register.
The Social Work Student application fee is £10.00 then an annual fee of £10.00 each year.
Fee Information
On initial application you will have to make your payment by cheque or postal order which should be made payable to the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and must be signed and dated. Failure to do so may result in your application form and fee being returned.
Once registered you will be able to pay your annual fee either over the telephone or online.
Overview of the Application Process
The application form is an online form that you will need to complete on your computer.
When you have completed the form, you will need to print it and send it to us by post as we need your signature and accompanying documents.
Before you Begin
To complete the online form you will need the following:
• A computer with internet access
• Printer
You will need Adobe Reader to read many of our documents. The latest version can be downloaded free
Link to Adobe Reader
You will also need the following information:
• Your National Insurance Number
• Your Employer’s Address (if you are employed in Social Care at the time of applying)
• Birth Certificate
• Photo ID (e.g. passport, driving licence)
How to complete the Online Form
You can either complete the form in one session, or you can complete part of it then save it to your computer to continue later. Once saved you can make a copy to a disc or memory stick to transfer to another computer if required.
You can navigate back and forward through the various sections of the form at any time to check your entry or make corrections.
When you have completed all required fields in the form a final summary form shows the information you have entered and has additional pages that must be completed by hand and signed. You are able to return from this summary form to the input form if you need to make any corrections. When the summary form is complete you must print it.
Collate all the pages of your form and the additional identity documents required for new students and post to the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.
Please note: As we need the accompanying documents and payment with your application we are not able to accept your completed form by email.
If you wish to download a more detailed guide to the application process, further guidance is available in the Application Information document.
All of the information that you provide on your form must be correct to the best of your knowledge and belief. The provision of incomplete, false or misleading information may result in the Northern Ireland Social Care Council refusing to register you or in removal from the Register.