Our investigation process

In this section you can find out about our investigation process and what happens if someone raises a concern about you.

Find out what we expect from employers and registered workers, HEIs and students and what we can tell you about an investigation. There is also information on Temporary Orders and what they mean for you.

Find out more if you are:

Fitness to practise process

This flowchart shows our fitness to practise process from referral to outcome.

Click here to download a printable version of our fitness to practise process.

Step 1. Referral received proceed to Step 2 ‘Screening decision’. Step 2. Screening decision. Continue to Step 3 if ‘Referral opened for investigation’. If ‘Referral closed’, stop. Step 3. Referral opened for investigation. Continue to Step 4 ‘SSSC decision’. Step 4. SSSC decision. Continue to Step 5 if ‘Decision to impose a sanction’ is made. If ‘Referral closed with no further action’, stop. Step 5. Decision to impose a sanction. Continue to Step 6 if ‘Worker asks for a fitness to practise hearing’. Continue to Step 7 if ‘Worker doesn’t ask for a fitness to practise hearing’. Step 6. Worker asks for a fitness to practice hearing. Continue to Step 8 ‘Hearing held’. Step 7. Worker doesn’t ask for a fitness to practise hearing. Sanction imposed. Step 8. Hearing held. Hearing outcome: a sanction is given. Hearing outcome: no further action.

Fitness to practise

Providing a witness statement

Have you been asked to provide a witness statement?

Find out more

Wellbeing line

We have a dedicated wellbeing line for people undergoing fitness to practise investigations.

Find out more

The Rules and our decisions guidance

View the documents that set out how we carry out our regulatory function and provide guidance to decision makers on when to apply the different sanctions available to them.

View the rules and guidance

The Codes of Practice

The Codes of Practice set out the standards of practice and behaviour expected of social service workers and their employers.

Find out about the Codes

What we publish about hearings and decisions – Fitness to Practise Public Information Policy

Read The Public Information Policy to see what information we publish in advance of our hearings, what we don’t and why.

Read The Public Information Policy

Other websites by the SSSC

The SSSC has created a number of other websites that provide specific services for learning and statistic reporting.

Workforce Data

As an Official Statistics provider, The SSSC publishes data on the social service workforce in Scotland.

Learning Zone

Develop your skills with resources you can use on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Step into Leadership

Find resources and information to develop your leadership skills, whatever your role in social services.

Open Badges

Open Badges are digital certificates recognising learning and achievement.