Perfunctory or purposeful? Reflecting on 20 years of justice social worker registration in Scotland

In Scotland the role of the ‘probation officer’ must be undertaken by qualified social workers, called justice social workers. Here ‘social worker’ is a protected title and all social workers are required to register with the national regulatory body, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). The...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mullins, Eve (Author)
Contributors: Trayner, Kenneth ; McCulloch, Trish
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: Probation journal
Year: 2025, Volume: 72, Issue: 2, Pages: 167-185
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
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Keywords:
Probation
public protection
Professional Identity
justice social work
Regulation
professional registration
Description
Summary:In Scotland the role of the ‘probation officer’ must be undertaken by qualified social workers, called justice social workers. Here ‘social worker’ is a protected title and all social workers are required to register with the national regulatory body, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). The principal aim of social work registration in Scotland is to protect the public. Registration requires that all social workers meet and maintain set standards of conduct and practice which, it is proposed, strengthens professionalism and promotes confidence in the sector. In this article, we map Scotland's journey to professional registration of justice social workers, the opportunities and challenges registration criteria presents for the workforce, and possible tensions between core aims of public protection, strengthening the workforce and public confidence. We highlight the lessons learnt from the two decades of professional registration in Scotland.
ISSN:1741-3079
DOI:10.1177/02645505251337442