More than 800 responses have been received in response to the consultation on the Review of registration fees.
The Northern Ireland Social Care Council (the Social Care Council) thanks everyone who took part in the public consultation, which closed on Monday 9 November 2026.
The eight-week consultation received over 800 responses, coming from registrants, employers, representative bodies and other stakeholders across the statutory, private, community and voluntary sectors.
As well as responding to the online survey, people were able to take part in a programme of online engagement sessions for employers, social work registrants, social care registrants and members of the public and wider stakeholders.
Tracy Reid, Chief Executive of the Social Care Council, said:
“I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to this consultation. I recognise that this is an issue that matters to our registrants and employers, and the views and evidence you have shared will help shape the decisions that follow.
“Early analysis shows that respondents have raised a number of themes, including the affordability and phasing of any increase, payment options such as Direct Debit, the length of notice given before any change, and the information the Council provides on how registration fee income is used. These will be considered fully as part of the analysis.
“Nothing has been decided. Every response will be carefully considered.”
What happens next
All responses will now be analysed before any recommendations are made. The Social Care Council will also update the Equality Impact Assessment in light of the evidence received.
Following the analysis, a report on the consultation and its responses, along with its recommendations, will be submitted to the Minister of Health for consideration. Any change to registration fees requires Ministerial approval. The outcomes and findings of the consultation will be published on the Social Care Council’s website here.
Notes to editors
- The consultation on the review of registration fees ran for eight weeks from 14 September to 9 November 2026.
- The Social Care Council maintains the Register of almost 50,000 social workers, social care managers, social care practitioners and social work students in Northern Ireland.