Introduction
It is the job of the registration and inspection officer to make
sure that standards are met in homes such as residential adults'
and children's homes. Registration and inspection officers
are allocated a number of homes to look after, sometimes
specialising in either children's or adults' establishments,
depending on the authority they work for.
Work Environment
They have an office base in the council, but they spend a great
deal of time out and about, visiting the establishments they are
responsible for. They are also involved in numerous meetings
to discuss specific cases with colleagues and other professionals,
and to make decisions about action to be taken. They work
normal council hours of 37-hours a week, although flexible working
patterns such as job-share and flexitime are also be likely to be
available.
Daily Activities
Primarily, registration and inspection officers deal with all
aspects relating to registering and inspecting homes, making sure
that the services provided are up to scratch. They are likely
to:
- work as part of a registration and inspection team to devise
and carry out a programme of inspections;
- visit homes and evaluate their success against specific
criteria;
- take advice or consult with other professionals on any
appropriate action to be taken if standards are lacking;
- write up reports, building in provision for follow-up checks to
make sure changes have been carried out;
- look into the details of all new applicants proposing to open
homes or start up other relevant services;
- work with them to make sure that their department is satisfied
that they and their managers understand what is required of them
and are able to provide a high standard of care;
- work on particular projects when necessary - with a specific
group such as young people with learning difficulties, for
example;
- keep records and information systems including computerised
databases - and make sure they are continually updated and provide
the necessary information;
- write reports and letters on any matters relating to the
services that are registered and inspected - such as reports on an
inspection they have made, which will be made available to the
general public;
- meet deadlines to make sure work is carried out within a time
frame;
- provide records and statistics not only to colleagues within
the council but also to people outside the authority, so that they
could be assessed for quality assurance, used for monitoring
purposes, or as a basis for developing services;
- liaise and have meetings with managers and owners of services,
health authority staff, staff of other agencies such as
environmental health officers, other social services staff, and
council colleagues such as legal officers;
- prepare cases and present evidence to committee or
sub-committee hearings, tribunals, magistrates and other
courts;
- collaborate with local educational and training agencies to
develop training schemes for staff and management - and take part
in them;
- investigate complaints about standards of services.
Skills & Interests
Officers need to have:
- a logical and methodical approach to their work;
- an eye for detail and good organisational skills;
- an ability to listen to all sides of a case and to draw out the
salient points;
- good communication skills, both written and verbal;
- negotiating skills;
- an ability to get on with all kinds of people;
- teamworking skills;
- a driving licence.
Entry Requirements
To be a registration and inspection officer requires a diploma or
degree in social work, or another related subject. Entry onto
a social work degree course will require GCSEs (or equivalent) in
English and Mathematics at grade C or above. Although
universities will set their own conditions of entrance, possible
useful A-level (or equivalent) subjects would be law, sociology or
psychology. Vocational GCSEs and A-level subjects may also be
useful.
However, candidates over 21 do not need formal academic
qualifications but need to demonstrate that they are capable of
studying at the higher level - by enrolling on an Access course,
for example. They also need the pre-training experience in a
social work setting. It is usual to have between three and
five years experience after qualification (it varies according to
the employer), together with experience of care and related
proceedings, as well as court work. Some authorities employ
people with a nursing or health visitor background as registration
and inspection officers.
Future Prospects & Opportunities
There may be limited opportunities for promotion within the
department an officer works for or they may need to move
authority. Registration and inspection officers may work in
independent units, commissioned by local authorities and paid at an
hourly or sessional rate.
Further Information & Services
British Association of Social Workers www.basw.co.uk
Care Council for Wales www.ccwales.org.uk
Community Care www.communitycare.co.uk
Department of Health www.dh.gov.uk
Health & Care Professions Council www.hpc-uk.org
Homes & Communities Agency www.homesandcommunities.co.uk
Skills for Care www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Social Care Association www.socialcareassociation.co.uk
You may find further information about this area of work through
Careers Wales (www.careerswales.com/) or
in your local library, careers office or school careers
library.