Registration (CORU)

Members,

Please note information provided below is a direct lift from the CORU website www.coru.ie. Further information can be obtained by contacting CORU directly Ph. 01 2933160

Health & Social Care Professionals Council

Coru is the brand name and logo for the Health and Social Care Professionals Council. They are a regulator and their job is to establish the registration system for Health and Social Care Professionals as follows:

01) What is registration?

Anyone who wishes to use one of the 12 protected titles will be obliged to register with their Registration Board at CORU.  This means that the Board is satisfied that they hold an approved qualification in that profession and are a fit and proper person to engage in the practice of the profession.

02) What is a protected title?

A protected title is the professional title of the designated health and social care professions named under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. Only registered members of the profession may use the protected title. The following health and social care professions are designated:

  • Clinical Biochemist
  • Dietitian
  • Medical Scientist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Orthoptist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Podiatrist
  • Psychologist
  • Radiographer
  • Social Care Worker
  • Social Worker
  • Speech and Language Therapist

03) What is a Registration Board?

A separate Registration Board will be established for each of the 12 professions.  The objective of each Board is to protect the public by fostering high standards of professional conduct, education, training and competence among those registered.  

04) What is the register?

The register contains information on the registered members of the designated professions.  It will contain the following information about the registrant:-

  • Registration number
  • Full name
  • Registration renewal date
  • County and/or postal code (where applicable) in which the registrant practises
  • Fitness to practise (FTP) details and conditions (if any)

Any member of the public will be able to view the register online to check who is on the register.

05) How will I know when the register for my profession is open?

The register for Social Workers will open on a date to be confirmed in 2011.

The register for each of the other professions will open on a phased basis over the next number of years once a Registration Board for each profession has been appointed by the Minister for Health.

Announcements for the opening of the registers will be published on our website.

06) What will I need to do to register if I graduated within the last 2 years?

When the register for your profession is open in order to register you must:

  • hold an approved qualification
  • complete an application form
  • satisfy the Board that you are a fit and proper person to engage in the practice of the profession
  • pay the required fee

07) What will I need to do to register if I am an existing practitioner?

When the register for your profession is open, in order to register you must:

a)   apply within two years of the opening of the register

b)   hold a qualification

a. listed in Schedule 3 of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act  

or  b. a qualification that in the opinion of the board is sufficiently relevant to that profession and is of a standard not lower than a qualification listed in Schedule 3

c)    If you do not hold a qualification listed at either a or b above you must successfully complete an assessment of professional competence set by the Registration Board

d)    complete an application form

e)    satisfy the board that you are a fit and proper person to engage in the practice of the profession

f)     pay the required fee

08) What is a Schedule 3 Qualification?

Please see the education section of the website for a list of all schedule 3 qualifications.

09) Will I be able to work as a health or social care professional if I don’t register with CORU?

No. Under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act, if you wish to work in Ireland as a health or social care professional using one of the 12 protected titles, you will be obliged to register.  Existing practitioners in the State will have 2 years to apply from the date of opening of the register.  All others must register before commencing practice using the protected titles named in the legislation.

10) Will I have to register if I am working in Ireland using one of the protected titles but am from another country?

Yes, if you wish to practise in Ireland, you will have to register, regardless of where you come from.

11) Will I have to register if I am working abroad using one of the protected titles but am from Ireland?

No, but if you return to Ireland and wish to work here using one of the protected titles, you will need to register.

12) Will there be a system in place for verification of registration status if applicants are registered with another regulator in the UK or elsewhere?

You will be required to arrange with the regulator to submit a certificate of good standing to the Registration Board as part of the registration process.

13) Do I need CPD points in order to get onto the register?

No. CORU will not be seeking evidence of CPD for initial registration.

14) Does registration cover private practice?

Yes, all practitioners who wish to use the designated protected title will have to register.

15) Do you have to be a member of a professional body to be eligible for registration

No.

 

Further information can be obtained by contacting;

CORU - Regulating Health & Social Care Professionals

13-15 The Mall, Beacon Court, Bracken Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18

E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel: 01 2933160 Fax: 01 2933170
Report of meeting between representatives of the 12 Professional Bodies and the Department of Health PDF Print E-mail

Report of meeting between representatives of the 12 Professional Bodies and the Department of Health, 29th July 2011 

Representatives of the Professional Bodies met with the Department of Health in July. It was a significant meeting in that it was the first time we stood as a group speaking for all 12 professions. It was a positive opportunity for us to convey our welcoming of state registration, our chance to show that we wished to make a constructive contribution to progress, and to show that there are advantages for us to meet the Department rather than having CORU communicate on our behalf. 

Four issues were discussed. The first was around the experience of Social Workers, the first grouping to go through the registration process. Feedback was given, much of it unknown to the Department. It was made clear to us that the new Codes will be “living documents” which can evolve and change without the need for change in primary legislation. There was also a commitment to providing the “skeleton” code on which each profession can build, something that had not been made available to this point. 

Secondly it was a chance for us to discuss the proposed fees. The Department was adamant that CORU has to be self-financing but we pointed out some ways in which savings could be made and they assured us of their review to see if costs can be reduced further (there has been one reduction to this point) through procedural and operational efficiencies. 

Thirdly, the issue of transparency was discussed, notably in relation to the criteria used in appointments to the Registration Boards. We were told that the Government is looking to increase transparency in such appointments which we told them would be an important development. 

Fourthly, our view was outlined that CPD needs to be mandatory and that the professional bodies would be the likely competent authority to oversee this. The Department’s response was they will ask CORU to bring forward suggestions regarding CPD but that they could not conceive of any development in this area without full consultation with us. 

Those of us who attended felt that there was a great strength in our acting together and in continuing to share information about our experiences and the issues we see for the future. Having a direct voice to the Department increases our input into what is such a crucial area.

 

The Professional Bodies

 
 
OPENING OF SOCIAL WORK REGISTER - May 31st 2011 PDF Print E-mail

Opening of Social Workers Register

Tomorrow (31st May 2011) is a significant day for social workers and other health and social care professionals as it is the day that the Social Workers Registration Board opens the Social Workers Register.  From this day, CORU will accept applications from those wishing to register as a social worker. This is the first step in the regulation of social workers as a profession and will afford significant new protections to both the profession and the public. 

Health and social care professionals and their professional bodies have campaigned for the statutory regulation of their professions for many years and have welcomed its arrival.  Practising social workers will have up to two years to register, giving everyone currently working in the profession ample time to make the transition to statutory regulation. 

By May 31st 2013 all social workers will be required to be registered and only registered social workers will be allowed to use the protected title of social worker. To register, social workers will have to comply with the registration criteria (listed below) and agree to comply with the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Social Workers.  The public will be able to check online whether their social worker is registered.

 

Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics

The new Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Social Workers was prepared following consultation by the Social Workers Registration Board with the general public, social workers, their professional and representative bodies and employers. It specifies the standards of ethics, performance and conduct required of registered social workers in a clear and accessible manner. 

Under the new code social workers will have a responsibility to express any concerns they have in an appropriate way and to advocate for the fair distribution of resources based on identified levels of risk and need. The social worker’s overriding professional obligation will be to the Code, which will guide and support the social workers in maintaining high professional standards

 

Fitness to Practise

The fitness to practise regime will be introduced within two years. This will allow concerned members of the public to make a complaint about a registered social worker. If upheld, disciplinary sanctions can be imposed, including removing the person from the register. 

The name of every registered social worker will be published in the register, which will be accessible online. Only social workers who have satisfied the board that they hold an approved qualification and are “fit and proper” to engage in the practise of the profession will be entered on the register.

 

Registration Fees

In line with Government policy, CORU as a new regulatory body must become self-financing to avoid being a burden on the exchequer.  The application fee is €295.  Applicants who graduated within the two years prior to applying for registration will be charged a reduced fee of €100.  

The annual registration fee to be charged in future years will be determined by CORU in consultation with the Department of Health.  CORU’s intention is that the recurring annual fee will be set as low as possible while still delivering fully the intended public safeguards and consistent with the policy requirement that the regulatory body become entirely self-financing. 

Detailed study of the fee practices of both national and international regulatory agencies has already been undertaken.  This research will inform the further work being undertaken over the next two years to refine the approaches to be employed for regulation. 

 

Further Information

CORU will host a series of regional information forums nationwide later this year.  You can sign up to receive updates about these and other information regarding registration by visiting www.coru.ie.

 

What do Social Workers need to do now?

We would encourage you to apply to register as soon as the register is open.   Most employers will require registration for new posts and promotions.

 

Existing Social Work Practitioners

If you are a practising social worker in order to register you must:

  1. apply within two years of the opening of the register
  2. hold an approved qualification
  3. If you do not hold an approved qualification you must successfully complete an assessment of professional competence set by the Registration Board
  4. complete an application form
  5. satisfy the board that you are a fit and proper person to engage in the practice of the profession
  6. pay the required fee
  7. provide appropriate information as to language competency if English is not the first language

 

New Graduates in Social Work

If you are a new graduate in order to register you must

hold an approved qualification

  • complete an application form
  • satisfy the Board that you are a fit and proper person to engage in the practice of the profession
  • pay the required fee
  • provide appropriate information as to language competency if English is not the first language

    •  

    Other Professions

    The register for each of the other professions will open on a phased basis over the next number of years once a Registration Board for each profession has been appointed by the Minister for Health.

    Announcements for the opening of the registers will be published on our website.  You can sign up to receive updates related to your profession by visiting www.coru.ie.

     

    Sarah Gahan

    Communications Manager

    Coru - Regulating Health and Social Care Professionals

    8-11 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2

    W: www.coru.ie T: 01 6694716 F: 01 6619276 E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

     
     
    Consultation on Registration of Social Workers Nov'2010 PDF Print E-mail

    Coru is currently developing a system of registration that will protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education, training and competence for social workers and 11 other health and social care professions.  

    As part of this process, we would like to invite you to participate in our consultation process on the following two bye-laws:

    1.    Application for Registration of Social Workers Bye-Law

    2.    Approved Qualifications for Social Workers Bye-Law 

     (http://www.coru.ie/media-events/consultations/social-workers-bye-laws) 

    Coru, the organisation that will be responsible for regulating health and social care professionals is inviting you to comment on the development of procedures for registering social workers.  For further information visit www.coru.ie.

    If you have any queries or require further information please contact me on 01 6624775 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

    With kind regards 

    Sarah Gahan 

    Communications Manager

    Coru - Regulating Health and Social Care Professionals

    8-11 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2

    W: www.coru.ie T: 01 6624775 F: 01 6619276
     
    'Get Ready for Registration' Seminars PDF Print E-mail

    In 2009 and 2010 the IASW ran a series of half-day 'Get Ready for Registration' seminars in conjunction with Ginny Hanrahan (CEO of the H.S.C.P.C).

    • Dublin; 23rd April 2009
    • Dublin; 20th May 2009
    • Waterford; 30th September 2009
    • Dublin; 17th December 2009
    • Cork; 20th January 2010
    • Meath; 17th February 2010
    • Galway; 9th March 2010

    Further seminars will be scheduled later in the year, as soon as the H.S.C.P.C give further information on the offical date for registration.

    CLICK HERE to download Ginny Hanrahan's presentation from our recent 'Get Ready for Registration' seminar in Macroom, Cork on the 19th January 2010.