The following information applies to you if:
- you are working, or would like to work, as a social care manager in Wales and
- have a relevant qualification (from the UK or overseas) that isn’t listed on the qualification framework or the precedence list.
Qualifications gained in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England
Qualifications achieved prior to December 2026
If you are a manager moving to Wales and hold a qualification (achieved prior to Dec 2026. The date of achievement can be found on your certificate) which is recognised by Skills for Care (England), the Northern Ireland Social Care Council or Scottish Social Service Council you should complete aspects of the All Wales induction framework for social care managers that are relevant to your role and the service setting.
QEA Process from January 2027
If you are a manager moving to Wales and hold a qualification in England, Northern Ireland or Scotland, you
will need to check the precedence list to see if your qualification is accepted or not in Wales.
If the qualification is not already on the precedence list, you will need to request to have your qualification assessed through the Qualification Equivalency Assessment (QEA) process. You can find out more about this process on the qualification equivalency assessment webpage.
International qualifications
If you are a manager moving to Wales and hold an international qualification you will need to check the precedence list to see if your qualification is accepted or not in Wales.
If the qualification is not already on the precedence list, you will need to request to have your qualification assessed through the Qualification Equivalency Assessment (QEA) process. You can find out more about this process on the qualification equivalency assessment webpage.
European Economic Area (EEA) - European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - Free Trade Association (FTA) Arrangements (Regulated workforce only)
The EEA-EFTA-FTA is a comprehensive free trade agreement between the UK and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (Party States) and one of the areas it covers is the recognition of professional qualifications.
Under the agreement, we are required to recognise the professional qualifications of applicants from ‘Party States’ where they are comparable to those required for the relevant social care profession in Wales. We are required to offer adaptation periods where necessary and there are further requirements around how we process applications.
The Recognition of Professional Qualifications and Implementation of International Recognition Agreements (Wales) (Amendment etc.) Regulations 2023 implement the EEA-EFTA-FTA agreement in Wales and require Welsh regulators to comply with the provisions for the recognition of professional qualifications.
If you have completed your professional qualification in one of the specified states above, contact us for further information: QualificationEquivalency@socialcare.wales |
