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Regulation of social care work – an all-island challenge
New legislation governing social care workers in the Republic of Ireland introduces a different regulatory model to that used in Northern Ireland. So, what does this mean for organisations operating in both countries?
REGULATION
Dunia Hutchinson
Group Director of Intellectual Disability & Autism Services, Inspire Wellbeing
Dunia Hutchinson
Group Director of Intellectual Disability & Autism Services, Inspire Wellbeing
Issue 80 | October 2025
Statutory regulation of social care workers in Ireland is imminent through protection of title. This is an uncommon model in the EU and the UK for this workforce and it introduces new challenges to all-island working in ways that are currently unknown. So, what will it mean and how can we prepare?
In 2005, the Health and Social Care Professionals (HSCP) Act introduced a regulatory model based on title protection for 12 professions in Ireland, restricting use to qualified practitioners listed on their public registers by their respective Registration Boards. A further six professions have since been added to the list.
CORU is the multi-profession health regulator established by the legislation, which specifically listed the title of Social Care Worker in addition to Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, and Dietician among others.
Of those Registration Boards, 13 have now opened their registers and in December 2025, the transition period for social care workers will close and the only pathway to using that title will be securing a CORU-approved qualification. Currently, that is set at a level 7 degree (an ordinary degree) on the NFQ.
“The transition period for social care workers will close and the only pathway to using that title will be securing a CORU-approved qualification.”
Diverging approaches
Our organisation is one of a number of charities which deliver social care services across the whole island and most of our services are regulated by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland (NI) or the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) in the Republic of Ireland (ROI).
In addition, social care workforce regulation is long established in the North through the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC), which maintains the register of staff and managers of specific listed social care settings, people providing personal care with individuals in their own homes and social workers. This is a familiar model across the EU and the UK where the entry level for social care workers doesn’t require specific qualifications, and ‘social work’ is understood to be the professional articulation of social care.
Operating in two legal jurisdictions already tests our organisation’s resources, where they sometimes require different and not always complementary processes. However, the principles underpinning these frameworks are broadly aligned – person-centred, rights-based care and support are central to service delivery and quality standards.
However, the legislative approach taken in the ROI to workforce regulation in this sector marks a significant divergence from process in NI, creating a distinct profession in one region with the same work considered unskilled at the point of entry in the other. Bearing in mind that the workforce is highly mobile across this island, it’s difficult to foresee the impact this will have on our services, our retention and our staffing models.
Impact on staff and service users
I know we are not alone in this – many organisations have been grappling with what action to take and in some cases have taken no action at all.
In the 20 years since the HSCP Act was passed, when the title of social care worker was listed but not actually regulated, a wide range of now entrenched anomalies have arisen across the sector.
As an all-island charity, we have been trying to understand what this development will mean for our staff and the people they support. We haven’t been using ‘social care worker’ as a job title, however, many of our staff have asked us about registration with CORU and we have supported their applications to join the Social Care Workers Register.
We’ve long embraced the principle of workforce regulation for public protection in NI so it makes absolute sense to us that we should support the same in ROI. The model may be different, but the goal is still promoting high standards of practice and a culture of continuous learning.
Staying focused
Much remains unknown (or unknowable perhaps) at this stage about what statutory funders will require of charity providers when they are commissioning services. Nor is it clear yet whether the services regulator, HIQA will take a view on CORU registration in the context of staffing regulations under its primary legislation.
While the landscape is still unclear and with an eye on the potential complexities of divergent jurisdictional models, the challenge for all-island providers is to stay focused on the areas of congruence in service delivery.
Adhering closely to the principles of person-centred support and a rights-based approach is the common thread that transcends these unknowns. Regardless of legal frameworks, holding fast to these principles will help us maintain high standards across the island. In fact, if we embrace the idea that frontline social care work is technical, specialist, and professional, this development in regulation could be the pathway towards raising standards in both jurisdictions.
Adhering closely to the principles of person-centred support and a rights-based approach is the common thread that transcends these unknowns.”
