Consultation response to SSSC proposals on increased registration fees

Your views on the proposal to increase registration fees

To what extent do you agree that the proposed fee increase is reasonable? Please select on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is 'strongly disagree' and 5 is 'strongly agree'.

Rather than one large increase we are proposing to raise the registration fees by increasing each fee by a small amount each year for five years from 1 April 2025/26 to 31 March 2030. For example, taking this approach would mean that the fee for support workers would go up by £3 per year for five years. Do you support increasing the fee by a small amount each year for five years?  

Yes

You can provide more information to support your answer. *Maximum 1000 characters

SASW/BASW, the biggest professional association for UK social workers, acknowledges the need for fee increases due to inflation and supports a staggered approach. However, the proposed 50% increase over five years for social workers and 67% for students is excessive. The profession faces a crisis, characterised by significant recruitment and retention challenges, with a 10% vacancy rate and declining student enrolment. Enhancing the profession’s appeal is crucial. While Scottish teachers received a 14.6% salary increase, social workers saw only a 3.6% rise after years of minimal or no increases. A 50-67% fee increase during a cost-of-living crisis seems disproportionate and risks further burdening social workers. Most Local Authorities currently pay their employees’ regulator fees, but may not be able to if fees increase, causing a sharp difference for those workers who would suddenly pay £120.

Do you have an alternative option you would like us to consider?

Yes

Your views on the proposal to increase registration fees 

Please tell us more about the options you'd like us to consider. *Maximum 1000 characters 

Rather than comparing our fees to those professions whose salaries mostly bear no similarity to those on the SSSC register and their regulators, SASW recommends aligning with the fees of equivalent regulators. Social Work England has the highest fees among UK social work regulators, with fees up to £90. We propose a staggered increase over five years, capping at £95, higher than even Social Work England’s fees for future-proofing. This 18% increase exceeds current inflation and is significantly higher than recent salary increases but considers potential future raises.

Given students’ financial struggles and declining numbers, an increase in their fees seems unjustifiable. Therefore, we strongly oppose any fee increase for them. SASW has highlighted the negative impact of financial strains on students and campaigned for increased bursaries. A fee increase risks undoing recent improvements.

Your views on the proposal to increase registration fees 

We are proposing to keep the differences between the fee levels for the different parts of the Register. We do this to take account of the different salaries between roles in this sector and so that those on lower salaries pay less. To what extent do you agree with this approach? Please select on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is 'strongly disagree' and 5 is 'strongly agree'

13.You can provide more information to support your answer. *Maximum 1000 characters

SASW agrees that those who earn less should pay less and supports the current differing fee levels. Following the same logic, lower salary groups or those without income (students) should not see their fees increase as much as those on higher salaries. Student fees should not be increased at all and certainly not unless their bursaries are increased. We oppose significant fee increases for support workers, who are often on low pay. The impact of fee increases on part-time workers (mainly women) should be acknowledged. Social worker salaries vary significantly, from about £36.7k for the average social worker to over £100k for CSWOs. Thought should be given to ensure registration fees don’t simply work as a very regressive tax for social workers. The cost-of-living crisis has pushed many on low incomes into poverty and left them struggling to buy essentials. At such times, a fee increase for those on low salaries seems ill-advised.

Your views on the equality impact of the proposals

For further information please see our Impact Assessment (September 2024) covering several areas such as protected characteristics and children's rights.

What, if any, do you see as the main equality related issues that you feel could arise from the proposals set out in this consultation?*Maximum of 1000 characters

The professions regulated by the SSSC are predominantly composed of women. We know that poverty is gendered, and women are disproportionately affected by it. Women are more likely to live in poverty than men. Therefore, efforts should be made to change that rather than to increase the pressure on women by such fee increases.

The gender pay gap significantly contributes to this disparity. Additionally, it is likely that workers from black and ethnic minority backgrounds are well represented, if not over-represented, on the SSSC register. Poverty levels among minority ethnic communities in Scotland are double the national average and continue to rise. Therefore, an increase in fees is an equality issue that risks exacerbating poverty among women and individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds.

SASW would welcome the opportunity to continue the fee increase discussion should this be desired. 

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