Guidance about registration.
If you’re a social worker or social care manager, you must register once you’ve completed your qualification or a relevant route to register, and started in post.
If you’re a social care worker in a role that requires registration, you have six months to register from the date you start working in your role.
Social care workers and managers
Here’s a step-by-step guide to what you need to do to register with us:
1. Check if you need to register
Most people working in social care in Wales need to register with us. You can find a list of who needs to register here.
2. Create an SCWonline account
If you need to register and you’re applying for registration for the first time, you’ll need to set up an account on our registration system, SCWonline.
This lets you:
- apply to register
- pay your registration fees
- keep your details up-to-date
- renew your registration after three years.
3. Gather the information you’ll need to apply
When you fill in your application to register, you’ll be asked for:
- a personal email address
- your national insurance number
- employment details (including address, job title and start date or future start date if it’s a new job)
- your bank details to set up a Direct Debit or credit card details to pay your fees
- the date of your most recent criminal records (DBS) check
- confirmation that you intend to work in Wales
- verified copies of your ID documents, unless you’ve had a DBS check in the last three years or you’re on the DBS update service.
Disciplinary record and criminal offences
You must tell us if you:
- have a disciplinary record
- are currently the subject of an investigation
have a criminal record.
Detailed guidance on what you need and don’t need to disclose is available within the application form.
4. Choose your route to register
Registering with a qualification
Take a look at our qualification framework to see what qualifications we accept for different roles within social care. We also have a precedent list of other qualifications that are accepted.
If your qualification is listed, you’ll need to send us a copy of your qualification certificate when you fill in your application form.
Registering without a qualification
Social care workers can register without a qualification through a process called employer assessment.
This means your employer assesses your understanding against a list of areas. If they’re satisfied you can do the job, they can confirm your application to register.
Once you’ve registered, you’ll need to complete one of the qualifications listed in the qualification framework within six years.
5. Get your application endorsed
Your application must be endorsed to confirm:
- your good character
- there’s no reason you shouldn’t be on the Register.
You’ll be asked to choose someone – known as a signatory – from a list of approved people from your organisation. The signatory will be able to see all the information in your application, except for your equality and diversity answers.
The signatory mustn’t be related to you and mustn’t have a personal relationship with you.
If you’re qualifying in social work in Wales, choose a signatory from your degree course provider (Higher Education Institute) or your current social care employer. If you get a job by the time we receive confirmation of your qualification, we’ll contact your new employer. This happens before we complete your registration.
Find out about the endorsement process.
6. Send us your documents
You’ll need to send us copies of your original documents.
Find out more about what you need to send us.
7. Pay the registration fee
Fees vary depending on your role.
8. Submit your application
Once submitted, applications usually take up to six weeks to process.
Social work degree students
If you've been offered a place on a social work degree course in Wales, we’ll email you asking you to create an SCWonline account so you can apply to register.
You must be registered with us before starting your course.
There’s a social work bursary available to social work students in Wales to help with study costs.
Social workers returning to practice
Social workers who have qualified outside the UK
Read our guidance for social workers who qualified outside the UK and want to register to work in Wales.
Returning to the register
If you have been removed from the register for failure to pay your annual fee or an incomplete renewal, and you are currently working in social care, you will need to re-apply to register. You should use your existing SCWonline account and complete a new application form.