General Social Care Council

The General Social Care Council (GSCC) is the social care workforce regulator in England. They seek to protect the public by requiring high standards of education, conduct and practice of all social workers.

They maintain a compulsory register of social workers and issue and enforce codes of practice for the profession. GSCC conduct panels hear evidence against social workers alleged to have committed misconduct, and if someone is found to have breached the codes of practice, they can take action, the strongest penalty being removal from the register.

Social workers who have been removed from the register are no longer able to practise social work legally in England.

The GSCC works with social work employers and educators on the development of the standards which they must meet. They promote high standards in social work education and training by inspecting and approving the quality of social work courses and qualifications.

In addition to the social work degree, social workers must maintain and extend their knowledge and skills in order to remain on the register.

The GSCC’s functions are to be transferred to the Health Professions Council, with the changes planned to come into effect in 2012. Further information about the planned changes to the regulation of the social care workforce is available here.

Contact details

Telephone: 020 7397 5100

Email: info@gscc.org.uk

Website: www.gscc.org.uk 

Postal Address

General Social Care Council
Goldings House
2 Hay's Lane
London
SE1 2HB