Register of 22,000 health and social care workers available to public

Coru sets standards for training and quality for professions including counsellors, social workers, medical scientists and physiotherapists. Picture: PA Photo/iStock.

The public can now search a register of over 22,000 health and social care workers thanks to the expansion of regulatory body Coru.

The body sets standards for training and quality for professions including counsellors, social workers, medical scientists and physiotherapists.

Last year, 58 complaints were received in relation to fitness to practice, the Coru annual report, published on Wednesday, shows.

“Our ultimate responsibility is to ensure that every patient or service user of a Coru-registered professional consistently enjoys the highest quality of care,” chief executive Ginny Hanrahan said.

“In 2021, we received 58 complaints in relation to fitness to practise and processed 36 enforcement files, demonstrating our commitment to act whenever concerns are raised.” 

These included a social worker whose registration was suspended with conditions attached, and a speech and language therapist who had conditions attached to registration.

The annual report also shows that overall, 82% of people working in these professions are women.

“This is reflective of the trend within the professions we regulate,” a spokeswoman said. 

“Globally it has been observed that many of these professions attract a high proportion of female practitioners.” 

Among social workers, 84% are women, 98% of dietitians are women and 92% of occupational therapists. 

The professions with the most men are dispensing opticians (40%) and physiotherapists (28%).

Anyone working in the 17 designated professions is legally required to register with Coru. 

Members of the public looking to employ or work with anyone in these professions can search online to make sure the person is recognised, with some registries under development.  

The number of recognised professionals has increased by 15% since last year, up to over 20,000, the report shows. The body expect to have 35,000 registered within four years.

“This growth empowers Coru to protect an increasing number of people in the years ahead," the spokeswoman said. 

The name comes from the Irish word “coír”, which means fair, just and proper, the report states.