Community Development Authority urges social service professionals in Dubai to obtain licence
New licence, first of its kind in the UAE, is mandatory for social workers as per Dubai Government Executive Council Decision No. 20 of 2011
CDA will inspect facilities employing social professionals to ensure compliance with law
Move aimed at strengthening Dubai’s social care sector with global best practices
Dubai, UAE; November 2, 2011: The Social Regulatory & Licensing Sector of the Community Development Authority (CDA) has urged social care professionals in Dubai to obtain licences that have now been made mandatory for working in the social care sector, as per the Dubai Government Executive Council Decision No. 20 of 2011.
The new law, which is the first of its kind in the UAE, covers all social care professions in Dubai, and aims to introduce global best practices in social care and bring about greater accountability to the profession. By defining and streamlining social care through licensing, the new system will help elevate social care standards and attract new talent into the sector to provide the vulnerable sections of the community with the services they deserve.
All social care workers, special education teachers, therapists and counsellors working in Dubai, including in the Free Zones, must obtain the professional licence issued by CDA.
His Excellency Khaled Al Kamda, Director General, Community Development Authority, said: “For the first time in the history of the UAE, CDA is driving the effort to issue licences for social professionals to ensure that their service levels are on a par with international standards. The licences will bring transparency and accountability to our social service sector. It will also enable us to enhance the efficiency of social care and further demonstrate our commitment to raising social care standards as articulated in the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015.”
Dr. Omar Al Muthanna, Chief Executive Officer of the Social Regulatory & Licensing Sector of CDA, added: “We urge all social care professionals to apply for and obtain the mandatory licence, which will help us to establish a strong data bank of social service professionals, and give us a better overview of the services they provide. With accurate data on social care professionals, we will be able to identify the areas that need improvement, provide adequate training, and further promote social development of all sections of Dubai’s society.”
According to the Executive Council Decision No. 20 of 2011, social care professionals must be university graduates from an accredited institution in the same field of business and have one year experience in specific social service. Fresh graduates will also be considered for licences provided they have the adequate credentials to support their application.
“The licensing system creates a strong platform for advancing social care through knowledge-building and attracting fresh talent into this sector. We are committed to enabling competent and high quality social care and to encourage professionals and organisations to join in our efforts we have exempted licensing from any fee,” Al Muthanna said.
CDA will undertake routine inspection in various organisations including in the Free Zones, to ensure that the social care professionals employed are licensed. Fines will be imposed on organisations employing people without the CDA licence for providing social care service.
The Social Regulatory and Licensing Sector is the executive administration charged with the implementation and management of a progressive regulatory and licensing system that safeguards the social care beneficiaries in Dubai.
The Sector aims to improve the standards of quality of social sector services, and enhance the standards of safety. Its services include setting up a regulatory framework for social care providers, licensing and regulating social service providers and implementing quality improvement programmes. The social regulatory and licensing services can be accessed online too. For details, log on to: www.cda.gov.ae