The white paper on the regulation of long-term care was welcomed this week by the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work.
A structure of national organisations for the personal social services will be established. The CCTESW said this would build on its work towards regulating training over the past 26 years.
The white paper says that its proposed general councils would take over some of CCTESW's functions in regulating professional training.
It endorses many of the proposals made two years ago by Malcolm Johnson, director of the International Institute on Health and Ageing at Bristol University.