New employees

If you’re a member of a professional body, or registered with a professional or regulatory body and this is required for your post, your membership/registration must remain current for the duration of your employment. Failure to remain current may result in disciplinary action which may lead to the termination of your employment.

Social Workers

Social Workers working in Scotland need be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). If you’re registered but not in Scotland you can retain your registration if you're registered with one of the following Care Councils but have six months from the date of commencing employment in Scotland to achieve registration with the SSSC:

• Care Council for Wales,
• Health and Care Professions Council or
• Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Social Care and Early Years’ Workers

It can take the Scottish Social Services Council SSSC up to two months to process applications, so please be aware of this. If you fail to achieve registration within six months, you’ll be subject to our Disciplinary procedure which could result in dismissal due to your failure to comply with a statutory requirement.

Social Care and Early Years’ Workers employed in posts subject to registration with the SSSC are required to be registered. Registration must be on the part of the register which describes the post or role recruited to.

If you’re not registered or your registration’s not on the correct part of the register you have six months from your start date in post to achieve registration on the correct part of the register.

If you’re registered with another regulatory body you cannot register with SSSC if you’re registered with the:

• Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC),
• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or
• General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)

If you maintain this registration you will not be required to register with SSSC.

How to register with the SSSC

1. Read the guidance on the Scottish Social Services Council website about what you need before you start the application process, or call them on 0345 60 30 891
2. Submit your completed application form for registration and endorsement, within 14 days of your start date in post to:

SSSC Registration for CEC employees
Waverley Court
Business Centre 1.7
4 East Market Street
Edinburgh
EH8 8BG

Telephone: 0131 553 8471 

email: ssscregistration@edinburgh.gov.uk

Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme

The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership scheme requires those who work, paid or unpaid, with vulnerable people to be registered. All new starts and existing employees must be PVG Scheme members if they undertake regulated work with children and/or protected adults. However, simply having contact with children and/or protected adults doesn't make a post eligible for a PVG check. 

Defining regulated work

Regulated work is defined by the:

• activities carried out,
• establishments in which the work is done,
• position held,
• people for whom the worker has supervisory or management responsibility.

Also, an activity or work has to be part of normal duties and not incidental.

What posts require a PVG check

All posts across the Council have been assessed by senior managers and each area has a list of posts which are eligible for a PVG check. A PVG check must be carried out before a new employee can start in a post that's regulated work.

At your interview, the recruiting manager will have indicated what type of check (if any) is required and given you the relevant form. However, if you need further forms or guidance, please go to the apply for PVG on my.gov.scot website.