Social Care Worker’s and Social Worker’s Post Registration Training and Learning (PRTL) is a priority for the Social Care Council to ensure the provision of quality social work and social care services for the public and to ensure workers are safe and competent to practice.

PRTL also provides benefits for registrants and employers, strengthens skills within the profession and enhances public confidence in social work and social care.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

What is Post Registration Training and Learning (PRTL)?

Continuous professional learning and development throughout your career is essential in building your confidence and professional practice as a Social Care Worker and Social Worker. It supports you to:

• improve the service your provide;
• develop and enhance your job skills, knowledge, behaviour and practice;
• keep up-to-date with developing practice, legislation and policy;
• provide evidence that you have met the Standards of Conduct and Practice.

Social care workers and social workers must undertake and record 90 hours of continuous professional development and learning – this is called Post Registration Training and Learning (PRTL). 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Standards of Conduct and Practice 

The Standards of Conduct and Practice are binding on all social care workers and social workers and require you to be accountable for your learning and development as follows:

Standard of Conduct 6:

• You must be accountable for the quality of your work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills.

Standard of Practice 6:

• As a social worker, you must develop yourself and others.
• As a social care worker, you must develop yourself as a social care worker

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Renewal of Registration

At the end of a registration period, registrants must renew their registration with the Social Care Council. When registrants renew their registration they are asked to:

• Confirm that they have undertaken the required 90 hours of PRTL;
• Pay a registration renewal fee;
• May be called for PRTL audit

A registration period is as follows:

• 5 years for a social care worker and senior care worker;
• 3 years for a social care manager and social worker.

Go to Registration for more information on fees and registration renewal.

________________________________________________________________________________________

PRTL Audit

Each year the Social Care Council audits a random sample of registrants. This means at your renewal point you could be asked to submit an audit submission form. This is why keeping a record of your learning is important, and keeping up-to-date with emails or texts from the Social Care Council.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Learning Zone Resources

The Social Care Council have developed a range of digital learning resources to support registrants continuous learning. These include reflective learning scenarios and questions that have been developed to allow registrants to evidence their learning including registrants’ Post Registration Training and Learning requirements.

It is important that registrants discuss and share their completed questions with their mangers during supervision or team meetings. Go to Learning Resources to find out more.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

More Information and Guidance

See Associated Resources to access key guidance documents and forms.

Click on the tiles below to access digital guides providing more information on PRTL requirements for social care workers and social workers and PRTL Audits.