July 2018 You can click on the headings below to read each section. Verifying and endorsing guidance This guide will explain the verifying and endorsing process for applications to join and renew on the Register of Social Care Workers (the Register). Endorsement of forms 1.1 What does endorsement mean? 1.2 Who needs to be endorsed? 1.3 Who should endorse your application? 1.4 How endorsement is completed? Verification of documents 2.1 What does verification mean? 2.2 Who needs verification? 2.3 Which verified documents do you need to send to us with your application to register? 2.4 Which verified documents do you need to send to us with your renewal of registration application? 2.5 Who can be a verifier? 2.6 What do verifiers need to do? Helpful links Contact us : registration@socialcare.wales Find out more at our website: www.socialcare.wales Access your SCWonline account: www.scwonline.wales 1
Endorsement 1.1 What does endorsement mean? Endorsing is confirming that you support a person s application to register or renew. It means that as far as you are aware the information that person has given to us is correct and you are not aware of any issues with their character, competence or fitness to practise, meaning that the person can be considered suitable to register with us. 1.2 Who needs to be endorsed? All of the below will need endorsement for their applications to join register: residential child care managers residential child care workers domiciliary care managers domiciliary care workers adult care home managers social workers (including applicants who are newly qualified and those qualified outside the UK) Endorsement is not needed to register as a social work student. All of the below will need endorsement for their application for renewal of registration: residential child care managers residential child care workers adult care home managers domiciliary care workers domiciliary care managers As a registered person you will be sent an invite to renew your registration 86 days before the end of your 3 year registration period. All applications to renew registration must be completed online in your SCWonline account. A complete form must be received at least 21 days before your renewal date, this includes having the form endorsed. Social workers will need to renew their registration but do not need endorsement. Social work students do not renew their registration. 2
1.3 Who should endorse your application? Endorsers should: be the approved Social Care Wales signatory for your organisation be a person in a senior role where possible have undertaken a police check such as a CRB or DBS be a professional who is not a relative or in a personal relationship with you the applicant. Approved signatories can: endorse applications verify documents verify post registration training and learning records (PRTL) help maintain an up to date register Information about becoming a signatory is available on our website You can use the below table to see who should endorse your form: You are Who should your endorser be? Employed in social care The Social Care Wales signatory for your organisation. Self-employed in social care (including managers) Employed in social care by an employment agency Working on secondment If you have more than one social care job, the signatories from both organisations will need to endorse your application. Two senior people from different social care employers. One needs to complete the endorsement section and one to countersign as a second endorser. If you are registered with Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) as a manager please let us know by emailing registration@socialcare.wales so that we can seek endorsement from them. The approved signatory for your employment agency. The Social Care Wales signatory for your employer and also the Social Care Wales signatory for the employer where you are seconded. Both employers should be listed as current employment. Continued on the next page 3
You are A newly qualified social worker Unemployed Employed outside of social care Your endorser should be. If you are employed in social care, the Social Care Wales signatory for your organisation. If you have not yet gained employment in social care, the Social Care Wales signatory from your social work course. The following options are available to you: your most recent social care employer if the employed you within the last 3 years or, the signatory for your social work or social care course or, someone senior from another social care employer or, the chair of the board or governing body for the organisation that you manage, an owner / manager of a social care business who is registered with us themselves and knows your work and a second endorsement from a professional individual for example, a registered professional, a magistrate, solicitor, your doctor or a headmaster. Where a person who can vouch for your good conduct is not a signatory they cannot endorse your form but can provide a character reference to accompany the first endorsement from the above list. Please ask them to include their home address, email address, contact details an explanation of how they know you. If you get a job in social care while you are applying a further endorsement from the signatory for your organisation will be needed. You will need to print your application after you have finished so that endorsement can be completed by hand. If you need to be registered, and can satisfy our renewal requirements, the following options are available to you: your most recent social care employer within the last 3 years or, the signatory for your social work or social care course or, someone senior from another social care employer or, the chair of the board or governing body for the organisation that you manage, an owner / manager of a social care business who is registered with us themselves and knows your work and a second endorsement from your current employer outside of social care or employment agency or, a professional individual who can vouch for your good character and suitability to register for example, a registered professional, a magistrate, solicitor, your doctor or a headmaster. Where a person who can vouch for your good conduct is not a signatory they cannot endorse your form but can provide a character reference to accompany the first endorsement from the above list. Please ask them to include their home address, email address, contact details an explanation of how they know you. If you get a job in social care while you are applying a further endorsement from the signatory for your organisation is needed. Continued on the next page 4
You are A social worker who trained or qualified outside of the UK Your endorser should be. Specific guidance is available to those who qualified outside of the UK. 1.4 How endorsement is completed Your SCWonline application form will ask you to choose the name of your endorser from a list of our approved signatories for your organisation or university. If you choose from this list and submit your form it is automatically shared with your chosen endorser(s). They will receive an email that lets them view and endorse your application. If your endorser is not one of our approved signatories you will need to print your form and if required your training record and ask your endorser to complete the endorsement sections by hand. You will then need to scan the endorsed form and verified PRTL print outs and upload them to your SCWonline account. To do this simply log in to your SCWonline account and select My Contact Details, then Upload a document from the menu. We may contact the endorser to confirm that they signed the form and to confirm their identity. We cannot process your application until all sections are complete, including endorsement. Your endorser must: read your application and check that the information you have provided matches the information that they have for you, including your disciplinary and fitness to practise information. An endorser will not see any health declaration or equality and diversity information you have provided to us when they see the information from your form check the form against your employment /student record confirm the date of the most recent DBS they have undertaken as part of your employment with them/social work course complete the required information in their SCWonline account to confirm they are endorsing you and check your post registration training and learning record (PRTL) if required We will send your endorser an email reminding them your form is waiting to be endorsed every 7 days until it s completed. While we send these reminders it is your responsibility as the person applying to make sure that the form, including endorsement is complete. Any incomplete forms will not be processed and this could lead to your registration lapsing at renewal or your application being closed and not registered. 5
Verification 2.1 What does verification mean? Verification is checking the original document, taking a photocopy and signing and dating it to confirm that it s a true copy of the original. 2.2 Who needs verification? We will ask all of the below who are applying to the Register for the first time for verified documents: residential child care managers residential child care workers domiciliary care managers domiciliary care workers adult care home managers social workers ( including applicants who are newly qualified outside of Wales and those qualified outside the UK) We will also ask you for other verified documents (for example your training record or qualification certificate) when you apply to renew your registration if we need them. If you have been registered with us before, you do not have to send us any identity documents as we will already have them. Social work students applying to register will not need to supply verified documents as your university will confirm your identity during the enrolment process. 6
2.3 Which verified documents do you need to send to us with your application to register? We will only need to see the verified copies and will never need you to send us original documents. To register with us for the first time, you need to send us copies, of your identity documents and qualification certificates. The copies you send us will need to be verified to show they are true copies of the original. Everyone applying for registration (except for students and people who have already been registered with us) must send us a verified photocopy of their; birth certificate and a verified photocopy of one of the following; the photographic identity page in your passport your photographic driving licence your photographic work identity card your photographic identity card from one of the British Armed Forces your national photographic identity card (EU countries only) The documents must be in date, and if they are not in Welsh or English a certified translation must be provided. Social care managers and workers: you will also need to send us a verified copy of your relevant qualification or social care induction framework certificate. The copy of your qualification or social care induction framework certificate must be verified by your line manager. If you are self-employed you can ask the person who acts as your endorser to verify. Social workers: social workers qualified in the UK do not need to send us their qualification certificates as we will confirm your qualification with your university. If you are a social worker qualified outside the UK please see the following advice for social workers with qualifications gained abroad. 7
2.4 Which verified documents do you need to send to us with your renewal of registration application? Qualification certificates If you registered with the social care induction framework at your first renewal you will need to send us a verified photocopy of your qualification certificate. Record of training: post-registration training and learning (PRTL) Registered social workers, social care managers and social care workers have to keep a record of their PRTL. This doesn t apply to social work students. You must do 15 days or 90 hours of training and learning during each three years of registration, we recommend that you update your PRTL throughout your registration period by keeping a log in your SCWonline account. Your training and learning must be discussed with your manager before you submit it to us. They must agree that you have completed the 15 days or 90 hours in your current registration period and that this training has advanced your professional development or contributed to the development of the profession as a whole. Verification of post registration training and learning (PRTL): Social care managers and workers: you must send us your training record when you complete your online renewal. Your record must be verified by your line manager. If you are self-employed you can ask the person who acts as your endorser to verify your training or submit a non-returnable (please don t send us original documents) portfolio of evidence that you have completed your 15days/90hours training. More information on how you do this can be found in section 2.6 What do verifiers need to do? Social workers: you must send us your training record when you complete your online renewal. A sample of social worker training records will be chosen at random to be verified every year. Your invite to renew will clearly state if you are chosen as part of the sample and need to have your record verified. If you are a social worker who is not chosen as part of the sample, you do not need your training record verified. 8
2.5 Who can be a verifier? You verifier can be a Social Care Wales approved signatory. Approved signatories are people nominated by employers and universities to work alongside us and support the registration process. A list of signatories for your place of work or study can be seen in your SCWonline account when you complete your application or renewal form. If your verifier is not a signatory your endorser will need to confirm that they are a suitable person to confirm your identity. Or If you are not currently employed in social care, a professional person who has known you for at least one year, who is not a relative and is not in a personal relationship with you can be your verifier. For example a registered professional, such as a magistrate, your doctor or a headmaster. A registered social worker can verify your documents if this person is approved by the person endorsing your application or renewal. If you are self-employed, the verifier should not be working for the same organization unless they are in a role senior to you the applicant. Approved signatories can: endorse applications verify documents verify post registration training and learning records (PRTL) help maintain an up to date register Information about becoming a signatory is available on our website 9
2.6 What do verifiers need to do? For certificates and identification documents Verifiers must see the originals and check that any photocopies are true copies of the original documents. On each photocopy they will need to: write their full name, job title, email address and the date sign their name write I have seen the original and this is a true copy Incomplete documents without the correct verification will not be accepted. For your training record (PRTL) at renewal If you need your training record verified and your verifier is an approved signatory for your organisation, you will be able to choose their name from a list as part of your online application to renew. Once you choose from this list, add all of your training to the PRTL section in SCWonline and submit your form, it is automatically shared with the person or people you have chosen. They will be sent an email telling them that they can access your form in their own secure SCWonline account, where they will be asked to confirm the information you provided. While we send these reminders, it is your responsibility as the applicant to make sure that the form including endorsement and required verification is complete. Any incomplete forms will not be processed and this could lead to your registration lapsing at renewal or your application being closed and not registered. If your verifier is not your endorser you should print off your training record and ask your line manager to verify the printed PRTL record. There is a print button at the end of the form so that you can do this. You will then need to scan the verified PRTL and upload it to your SCWonline account. To do this, log in to your SCWonline account, select My Profile and then upload a document from the menu. You can: 2.7 How do I send you my documents? Upload scans / photographs of your verified documents to your SCWonline account by using the Upload a document option in the My Contact Details section of your account. Please do not upload documents on behalf of someone else. Email scans / photographs of your verified documents to registration@socialcare.wales Send us your verified photocopies by post. Please never send us original documents. You should please include a cover letter with your name and date of birth to help us link the documents to your record. 10