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Fitness to Practise Panel Chairs
We’re recruiting legally qualified chairs for our Fitness to Practise hearings
The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is looking to recruit approximately 12 legally qualified chairs for our Fitness to Practise Panel hearings, each to be available to sit for 15 to 30 days per year.
This important role contributes to the work of SSSC, which is responsible for protecting and enhancing the safety and welfare of people who use social work, social care and children and young people services and maintaining public confidence in the social service workforce.
About the role
As chair, you will be part of a panel of three, including a social service and lay member. The panel makes decisions about workers’ fitness to practise. You will advise the panel on questions of law and chair the hearings to make sure the hearings are both legally compliant and fair.
You will be expected to apply the Nine Principles of Public Life to your work and to be aware of trauma informed practice and in particular the Trauma Informed Justice Framework (https://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/news/reducing-re-traumatisation-in-justice-system-new-approach-to-better-support-victims-and-witnesses/).
To be eligible for this role, you must currently be practising as a solicitor or advocate in Scotland and have extensive litigation experience in regulatory, civil or criminal law.
Our hearings
Hearings are usually held online or at our offices in Dundee. On occasion, hearings may be held in other locations throughout Scotland. Chairs will be paid a daily rate of £600 (exclusive of VAT). You will be entitled to holiday pay and, if eligible, to enrolment in and contributions to a pension scheme. There will be no additional payment for travel or subsistence expenses in connection with hearings (although certain expenses will be authorised in relation to hearings taking place outwith Dundee).
The main type of hearings are temporary order hearings and impairment hearings. Temporary order hearings are generally one to two days long and we will give you three to five weeks’ notice. Impairment hearings are on average five to six days long, with two to three months’ notice.
Availability
Applicants should indicate in their application form whether they would be able to chair temporary order hearings, impairment hearings or both. Successful applicants will not be restricted in the type of hearing they can chair. The availability of successful applicants will influence the number of chairs we appoint from this recruitment.
The overall time commitment varies depending on the number of hearings and the number and availability of chairs. Chairs need to be available for between 15 and 30 days each year. The appointment is for an initial period of two years with a potential for extension for up to a further five years.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, in particular Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, people with care experience and people with a disability.
How to apply
In order to apply for the post, please complete the form here and send a copy of your CV to panelmemberrecruitment@sssc.uk.com.
Closing date for applications is 14 August 2026 at midnight.
It is anticipated that interviews will take place at our office in Dundee and at other locations as required between 21 September 2026 and 2 October 2026.
It is anticipated that mandatory induction training will take place in person at our office in Dundee on 26 and 27 January 2027.
Questions
If you have any questions about this role, please email panelmemberrecruitment@sssc.uk.com.
