The Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) regulates social workers in Northern Ireland under the Health and Personal Social Services Act (NI) 2001. The annual fee is £65; internationally qualified applicants pay £435 for the first application, then £65. The public check is the Public Facing Register at portal.niscc.org. As in Scotland and Wales, the register also covers the wider social care workforce — the check must confirm the register part. The Northern Ireland disclosure regime is AccessNI, not DBS.
What it costs to qualify
- Social Work Student fee
- £20[3]
Sources & verification
- The NISCC regulates social workers in Northern Ireland under the Health and Personal Social Services Act (NI) 2001; the fee is £65 annually (internationally qualified: £435 first application, then £65), source, Last verified 2026-06-10
- NISCC registration can be checked on the Public Facing Register at portal.niscc.org, source, Last verified 2026-10-14
- Social Work Student fee: £20, source, Last verified 2026-10-14 🔶 source re-checked
Verified reference information, not professional, medical, legal or careers advice. Regulations change; always check the cited primary source before relying on it.