Our employer assessment route will allow employers to endorse their workers’ application to register after assessing them against a list of competencies.
Read our frequently asked questions about the employer assessment route below.
1. What is the employer’s assessment route to registration?
This route allows employers to endorse their workers’ application to register after assessing their understanding against a list of areas. This route is for people who don’t have a required qualification.
2. How did we decide on the list of areas in the employer assessment?
As the social care workforce continues to grow, we know how important it is to make our registration process simpler to help encourage people to work in social care.
We listened to the sector and used the feedback we received to draw up this list. The list is based on understanding the principles of social care in Wales, which a social care worker will need to carry out their role. You should include these areas in the workplace induction.
After registering, social care workers will further develop their understanding by completing the All Wales Induction Framework. They’ll also need to complete the qualifications listed in the qualification framework within three years.
We expect social care workers to achieve this qualification within their first three-year registration period, but all social care workers have six years to complete it.
3. Will the Principles and Values and the All Wales Induction Framework still be available?
Yes, they’ll still be available. Principles and values are the first and second workbooks in the All Wales Induction Framework, but workers won’t be able to use them to register from October 2022.
4. Do workers still need to complete the All Wales Induction Framework?
Yes, every social care worker will need to complete the All Wales Induction Framework, but it isn’t needed for registration with us.
5. Who can register using the employer assessment route?
Anyone already employed by a regulated social care provider in Wales as:
- an adult care home worker
- a domiciliary care worker
- a residential childcare worker
- a residential family centre support worker.
The manager must be confident the worker has the necessary understanding, which is set out in the employer’s assessment.
6. What happens if my employee doesn’t have the appropriate understanding?
If you aren’t confident the worker has the appropriate understanding, don’t approve their application to register. Instead, you should work with your employee to develop their understanding so it’s at an appropriate level.
If this takes longer than the time they have to register, get in touch with our registration team.
7. Will a social care worker registering using the employer assessment route need to complete a qualification before they can renew their registration?
Yes. Social care workers who use the employer assessment route will need to complete the qualifications listed in the qualification framework.
We expect most social care workers to achieve this qualification within their first three-year registration period, but all social care workers have six years to complete it.
8. If somebody registers using this route and changes employer, is their registration still valid?
Yes. Employer assessment is a way for workers to register and this registration will be valid for three years. Registration isn’t linked to an organisation as it’s a personal registration.
9. What evidence is needed for the employer’s assessment?
We’ve put together a list of what social care workers need to understand, and what the manager must assess.
The list is used to confirm the social care worker has the appropriate understanding. We may carry out sample checks and ask for copies of the evidence you used to make your decision. This is to satisfy us that workers are suitable for registration.
Managers who provide false information could be subject to fitness to practise proceedings and this may result in them being removed from the Register of Social Care Workers. CIW will let us know if it has any concerns about a registered person’s competence.
10. How does a registered manager assess and confirm a social care worker’s understanding?
Once the manager and the worker are satisfied that all areas have been met, and the evidence has been identified, the worker can apply to register.
The worker will need to choose the employer assessment route in their application and select their registered manager.
The manager will be sent an email asking them to log into their SCWonline account and complete the statement electronically.
Here's a quick guide video to help employers understand how to manage employer assessment requests in their SCWonline account.
11. What if there isn’t a registered manager or they’re absent from the organisation?
In the absence of a registered manager, the responsible individual for your organisation must identify a relevant person to assess and confirm the application. This could be a HR or training manager who has access to the social care worker’s records. The relevant person doesn’t need to be registered, but will need to become a signatory for the organisation. Our registration team will be able to help you with this.
12. Is there a limit on the number of workers who can use the employer assessment route from any one organisation?
No.
13. Does continuous professional development (CPD) apply?
Yes. All registered social care workers must complete 45 hours of CPD training and learning every three years.
Registered social care workers can keep a record of their training and learning in their personal SCWonline account. We would encourage them to update it as and when they complete their training and learning. This will make the renewal process much quicker and easier for them.
First published: 14 February 2022
Last updated: 30 August 2024
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