SSSC

Fitness to Practise - Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)

Specialist Defence Lawyers for Registered Care Workers before the Scottish Social Services Council 

Registered Care Workers - Scottish Social Services Council - SSSC

We represent professionals at all stages of proceedings from initial referral and investigation to conduct and competence hearings. This covers preliminary hearings, interim orders panel hearings, and sanction reviews.

We can arrange payment through your insurer or arrange fixed fee stages and affordable payment schemes.

We can help protect your career against even the most serious allegations.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is responsible for registering people who work in social services and regulating their education and training. Social service workers include people working in social work and social care, such as care home services for adults and children/young people in the community and early years settings such as nurseries or out of school care clubs. The SSSC's Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers sets out the standards social workers, social care, early years and young people's workers and their employers should meet.

The Codes of Practice can be downloaded here:


The Code of Practice for Social Service Workers is a list of statements that describe the standards of professional conduct and practice required of social service workers as they go about their daily work. The Code of Practice for Employers of Social Service Workers sets down the responsibilities of employers in the regulation of social service workers. The Code requires that employers adhere to the standards set out in their Code, support social service workers in meeting their Code and take appropriate action when workers do not meet expected standards of conduct.

The Code dictates that Social service workers must: Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers;Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers; Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm;Respect the rights of service users whilst seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people; Uphold public trust and confidence in social services; Be accountable for the quality of their work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving their knowledge and skills. If an SSSC Registrant is alleged to breach the Code, they may have to attend an SSSC Committee hearing to answer the allegation. The SSSC in investigating an allegation may seek an interim order to suspend the Registrant pending the outcome of an investigation. Naturally, this may have an economic impact on the Registrant in both the short term and long term.

An SSSC Registrant may oppose attempts by the SSSC to suspend them on an interim basis and the individual is entitled to be represented by a solicitor for this purpose. The test that the Committee will deploy is whether the interim suspension is necessary for the protection of the public, in the public interest or in the interests of the Registrant. If the SSSC investigators ultimately determine that there is a case to answer, the matter may be escalated to Conduct and Competence Hearing whereby, the Registrant would be invited to attend the Hearing to accept or deny allegations of misconduct and to accept or deny that such allegations impact upon their fitness to practise. If the Registrant contests the allegations, a proof will be fixed and evidence led by both parties. Evidence can be in the form of oral testimony by witnesses, documented witness statements or productions such as patient reports, progress reports, case notes, CCTV, tape recorded evidence and so on. Again, the Registrant is entitled to instruct a solicitor to represent his or her interests in a proof.
Employment Law Advice for Professionals Affected by Allegations of Misconduct
The vast majority of fitness to practise investigations stem from initial concerns brought to the attention of an employer. As such employment law advice is often required to go hand in hand with our specialist fitness to practise services. Issues such as unfair dismissal and constructive dismissal are often overlooked against the backdrop of a regulatory investigation. However, advice should be taken as often the regulator relies heavily on the findings of the employer's own disciplinary process. Your voice should be heard in that process.  
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