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• Unite's executive council nominates Ed Miliband for Labour leader
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• Unite comment following Vince Cable's statement on Sheffield Forgemasters
• Unite condemns decision to abolish UK Film Council
• North Yorkshire health visitors told to take on school nurses’ work, as staff numbers fall
• Unite calls for talks over the abolition of the General Social Care Council
• ‘22,000 jobs could be lost’, as cuts hit higher education, says Unite
• ‘The most vulnerable could be at risk in government welfare reforms’, says Unite
• ‘13,000 jobs at risk if Trident is delayed’, says Unite
• Security fears over plans to move Porton Down research facilities to Essex, warns Unite

Unite calls for talks over the abolition of the General Social Care Council

28 July 2010

Unite, the largest union in the country, is calling for immediate talks with ministers over the decision to abolish the General Social Care Council (GSCC) - the primary agency for the regulation of social work.

Unite regional officer, Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe, said: ”This is a devastating blow to the staff at the GSCC after working so hard in putting social work regulation on the map for the first time, and then only to hear that the reward for their endeavour is dismissal.

”This puts hundreds of jobs at risk of redundancy as many employees are now staring into an uncertain future as the implications of this sudden announcement unravel.

”For the public this means there will be an uncertainty about how there will be a smooth transition between the GSCC and the Health Professions Council (HPC).

”Such an upheaval in the next couple of years could damage the well-established system of professional regulation of social workers, as this is to be integrated into a body - the HPC - that already regulates 15 health professions.

”Unite was not consulted by the coalition government or the GSCC board prior to the announcement and Unite will be writing to the chair of the board, Rosie Varley, and the minister responsible, Paul Burstow, to ask for immediate talks to discuss the details of the announcement and the effect on our members.”

The government announcement is part of its review of ‘arms length’ bodies within the Department of Health. The GSCC will be abolished by 2012 and its responsibility for the regulation of social workers will be transferred to the HPC.’  

The GSCC has offices in London and Rugby, employing about 200 staff.

Unite will be campaigning to ensure that as many of the existing jobs can be protected and should there be any job losses, displaced employees can find suitable alternative jobs elsewhere.

ENDS

Notes to news editors

For more information contact Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe on 07771 656 692 or Shaun Noble (Communications Officer) on 07768 693 940.

Unite is the only union recognised for collective bargaining by the GSCC.