Social Workers Registration Board Return to Practice bye-law 2013

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 319/2013
• Year: 2013

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 23rd August, 2013.

The Social Workers Registration Board, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 31 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended), with the approval of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, hereby makes the following bye-law:

1. (1) This bye-law may be cited as the Social Workers Registration Board Return to Practice bye-law 2013.

(2) This bye-law comes into operation on 20 August 2013.

2. In this bye-law—

“Act” means the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (No. 27 of 2005), as amended from time to time;

“applicant” means a person who wishes to resume practice of the profession of social worker after not having practised the profession for two years or more;

“attesting signatory” means a registered social worker who has been in practice for a minimum period of three years; has not been subject to any disciplinary sanction under the Act and who satisfies such other conditions as the Board may determine from time to time;

“Board” means the Social Workers Registration Board;

“contact hours” means hours spent by the applicant actively engaged in activities relevant to the profession for the purposes of the period of updating;

“learning plan” shall have the meaning specified in paragraph (5);

“period of updating” means the requisite period of time specified in paragraph (4) during which an applicant engages in activities to refresh, update and improve his or her skills, knowledge and performance as are relevant for practice;

“practice” means the practice of the profession of social worker;

“profession” means the profession of social worker;

“register” means the register of the Social Workers Registration Board established and maintained under section 36 of the Act;

“supervisor” means a registered social worker who has been in practice for a minimum period of three years; has not been subject to any disciplinary sanction under the Act and who satisfies such other conditions as the Board may determine from time to time; and

“transitional period” has the meaning specified in the Act.

3. For the purposes of sections 31, 37 and 38 of the Act, the Board has determined that where a person wishes to resume practice after not having practised the profession for two years or more, the criteria and conditions set out in this bye-law must be satisfied and that person must provide satisfactory evidence of his or her compliance with this bye-law in his or her application for registration as a social worker.

4. (1) An applicant who has not practised the profession for any period of between 2 and 5 years must complete a period of updating consisting of not less than 210 contact hours.

(2) An applicant who has not practised the profession for any period greater than 5 years must complete a period of updating consisting of not less than 420 contact hours, at least 210 hours of which must be supervised practice.

(3) An applicant must have completed his or her period of updating within the two year period prior to the date of submission of his or her application, unless the Board permits otherwise.

(4) The period of updating shall consist of contact hours spent by the applicant engaging in one or more of the following:

(a) supervised practice;

(b) formal study; and/or

(c) private study up to a maximum of 105 contact hours.

(5) The applicant shall keep an accurate record in reasonable detail of his or her period of updating and if requested to do so, shall provide such record to the Board.

5. (1) For the purposes of the period of updating, supervised practice shall, subject to paragraph 8, consist of the applicant practising the profession:

(a) under the...