Download our guide for parents.
Introduction
When you send your children to school, college, or a youth service, you put your trust in the staff who work there to keep them safe. In Wales, many of these staff, including teachers, support staff, and youth workers, must be registered with the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales, the Education Workforce Council (EWC).
Just like other regulated professions such as medicine, law, and social care, we regulate in the public interest, working to ensure that education practitioners working in Wales are qualified and competent. We’re here to safeguard learners and young people whilst ensuring the highest standards of conduct and practice are upheld across the sector.
This short guide has been written specifically for parents and guardians. It explains our role, why registration is important, the standards registrants must meet, and what you can do when things go wrong.
This guide had been prepared by the EWC, and has been endorsed by the charity Parentkind.
About the EWC
The Education Workforce Council (EWC) is the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales.
Our core function is to regulate in the public interest. This is important because we all have a significant stake in the education workforce in some way, whether it be as a learner ourselves, or for many later in life, as a parent or guardian. Our work enables us to maintain standards of teaching and quality of learning so everyone, from learners and young people, to you as their parents or guardians, can trust and have confidence in Wales’ education workforce.
In addition to our regulatory work, we also:
- support our registrants to be able to deliver the highest professional standards by providing useful information, resources, and services designed to offer guidance and direction
- seek out opportunities to shape and influence educational policy in Wales
- promote careers in education in Wales through the Educators Wales website and advocacy service
For further information about our role, please visit our website.
What is registration?
In order to regulate the workforce effectively, we maintain a register of education practitioners eligible to practise in schools, further education, youth work, and adult/work-based learning.
Anybody working in one of the roles listed below must be registered with us before they can legally work in Wales:
- school teacher
- independent school teacher
- further education teacher
- principal or senior leader working in further education institutions
- independent special post-16 institution teacher
- adult learning practitioner
- work-based learning practitioner
- youth worker
- school learning support worker
- independent school learning support worker
- further education learning support worker
- independent special post-16 institution learning support worker
- youth support worker
You can check that the staff working with your children are registered with us by using the Register of Education Practitioners. There, you can also see any individuals who have disciplinary orders currently imposed upon their registration.
Being registered with the EWC means that those working with your children have the right skills and knowledge to practice safely and effectively, and that their suitability to be registered has been assessed by us.
Regulation and registration are key to ensuring the safeguarding of every learner and young person, as well as the wider public.
What is the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice
Everyone registered with us must follow the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice (the Code). It’s a key document which sets out the standards expected of a registrant, both in and out of work. It is also a key document for you as a parent or guardian as it details what behaviours you can expect from a registered person.
By following the Code, registrants commit to upholding six key principles:
- Personal and Professional Responsibility
- Professional Integrity
- Collaborative Working
- Leadership
- Professional Knowledge and Understanding
- Professional Learning
Codes of conduct and practice are common across other registered professions including nurses, doctors, dentists, and solicitors.
We have lots of support on offer which helps people to use and understand the Code. This includes free group training and awareness raising sessions, and good practice guides offering helpful hints and tips.
Raising concerns about a registrant
We know that sometimes, things can go wrong. Although we are not a complaints body, as a parent or guardian, you can raise a concern with us about one of our registrants. If you do decide to raise a concern, there are a few important things you need to consider:
- a complaint must be about the alleged unacceptable professional conduct or serious professional incompetence of a registered person
- we can only accept a complaint if exactly the same complaint has already been reported to the registrant’s employer or agent, and you have received a response to that complaint
We have produced clear guidance with all the information you need should you wish to progress a complaint.
Stay informed
We’re here to make sure you can feel confident in the individuals working with your child.
If you'd like to learn more about the EWC, the Code, or how we support education in Wales, visit the website, follow us on social media, or subscribe to our newsletter.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to