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UAE: Abu Dhabi calls on social care professionals to obtain official licences

The Department of Community Development works to apply the penalties against violators of the licensing regulations

The Department of Community Development (DCD) has called on all social care professionals to obtain a licence to practise the profession. This comes as part of DCD's role in regulating the social sector in Abu Dhabi in accordance with the emirate's laws.

This is part of the department's efforts to regulate the social care sector. The department works to apply the penalties against violators of the licensing regulations, based on the Administrative Violations and Fines Schedule for Social Care Professionals in Abu Dhabi.

Saeed Mubarak bin Amro, Manager of Social Control Division at DCD, said: "Since its inception of licensing social care professionals and adoption of licensing standards, the department has organised several awareness workshops for social care service providers, to highlight the role played by the department in regulating and licensing workers in the field of social care.

"It has also developed professional diplomas in cooperation with the UAE University to qualify and raise the efficiency of professionals in the social sector as part of the support plan. In addition to that, the department has organised competency tests available at multiple testing centres, both locally and globally. It has also automated licensing procedures to be submitted through the 'Tamm' platform, the official electronic platform for Abu Dhabi government services."

He also added that the department's keenness to implement administrative fines will help organise the provided social care services, and ensuring that they are of the highest quality, and are provided by professionals who are licensed in accordance with the approved standards. Furthermore, it will ensure social care sector development based on professional ethics, high efficiency and best professional practices.

Social care professions that are licensed by the department include five main categories: social worker, psychotherapist, applied behavior analyst, psychologist, and counselor — each with their various specialties specified according to the approved standards.

The DCD began working on the project to license social care professionals at the end of 2020, to ensure proper coordination of those in social care professions and to monitor their commitment to providing the highest quality services, in accordance with legislations and in collaboration with the relevant authorities.