Standards of Proficiency for Social Care Workers

The Standards of Proficiency are the threshold standards of practice set by a Registration Board for safe and effective practice. The Standards of Proficiency provide detail on the knowledge and skills that all registrants must have. In the approval and monitoring of education and training programmes, the Standards of Proficiency are used to ensure that graduates of a programme holding a specific qualification have the required knowledge and skills to practice safely in a given profession. 

The standards of proficiency detail the skills and abilities that individuals must possess in order to enter the register. They are the threshold standards deemed necessary by the registration board at the level of entry to practice. They are not standards for practice after entry to the register. Rather they offer a snapshot of the standards at entry to the register.

This document below sets out the standards of proficiency for Social Care Workers under five domains:

1. Professional Autonomy and Accountability
2. Communication, Collaborative Practice and Teamworking
3. Safety and Quality
4. Professional Development
5. Professional Knowledge and Skills