National Care Service - social work: contextual paper

National Care Service - Social work in Scotland: Contextual paper

This paper describes the current status of social work in Scotland. It is part of a collection of papers, setting out key information about social care and related areas in Scotland linked to the development of the National Care Service.

Key points

• The social worker title is protected. Before practicing as a social worker you must pass a qualifying course and register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). At 2021 there were 10,987 social workers registered with the SSSC. Of these, 6235 work in local authorities.