The change will reduce the overall timescale and the gap between an individual starting employment and their fitness to practice being assessed and it will lead to greater public protection by deeming whether an individual meets the standards of character, conduct and competence that are necessary for them to do their job safely and effectively in line with the Scottish Social Services Council’s codes of practice. The SSSC carried out a consultation on its future-proofing programme, which ran between December 2021 and March 2022.