The latest podcast from the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s (the Social Care Council) ‘Care to chat?’ podcast series discusses the role regulating social care workers and social worker has in public protection.
In the latest episode host Dr Wendy Austin MBE welcomes Helen McVicker, Head of Fitness to Practise with the Social Care Council to talk about the role and challenges of regulating social care workers and social workers, when it comes to protecting the public.
Dr Wendy Austin MBE once again asks the questions that matter: What is fitness to practise? And what happens when a concern is raised through fitness to practise about a social care worker or social worker?
They speak about fitness to practise which is the public protection role of the Social Care Council, including the importance of the registration and the Public Facing Register (the Register), community awareness of this, how they work with others who have a role in public protection and what happens when a concern is raised about the standards of conduct and practice for a social care worker or social worker – proportionately, both for the practitioner and the person raising the concern.
Helen McVicker calls for social care worker and social workers to be proud that they are part of a regulated profession.
“We really want our registrants to be proud of the fact they are registered. They’re held to account. They sign up to adhere to standards of conduct and practice…and those standards should guide and direct registrants in their day to day practice. We want them to own those standards and be proud of trying to live up to them…which for most of the workforce they do.”
The Social Care Council releases a new episode every fortnight, discussing current topics about social care and social work regulation in Northern Ireland. Download, subscribe and listen to the latest Social Care Council ‘Care to chat?’ podcast episode today here, or by searching ‘Care to chat’ in your podcast player.
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For suggestions, questions or feedback about the ‘Care to chat?’ podcast, email comms@niscc.hscni.net.