diff --git a/app/controllers/schemes_controller.rb b/app/controllers/schemes_controller.rb
index cc9ac6fac..6c40107dc 100644
--- a/app/controllers/schemes_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/schemes_controller.rb
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ class SchemesController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def create
-    @scheme = Scheme.new(scheme_params)
+    @scheme = Scheme.new(scheme_params.except(:support_services_provider_before_type_cast))
 
-    validation_errors scheme_params
+    validation_errors scheme_params.except(:support_services_provider)
 
     if @scheme.errors.empty? && @scheme.save
       if scheme_params[:support_services_provider].zero?
@@ -100,11 +100,7 @@ class SchemesController < ApplicationController
 
   def validation_errors(scheme_params)
     scheme_params.each_key do |key|
-      if scheme_params[key] == "support_services_provider"
-        @scheme.errors.add("support_services_provider_before_type_cast") if scheme_params[key].to_s.empty?
-      else
-        @scheme.errors.add(key.to_sym) if scheme_params[key].to_s.empty?
-      end
+      @scheme.errors.add(key.to_sym) if scheme_params[key].to_s.empty?
     end
   end
 
@@ -169,12 +165,10 @@ class SchemesController < ApplicationController
                                                      :support_services_provider_before_type_cast,
                                                      :intended_stay).merge(support_services_provider: params[:scheme][:support_services_provider_before_type_cast])
 
-    required_params.delete(:support_services_provider_before_type_cast)
-
     full_params = required_params[:support_services_provider] == "0" && required_params[:owning_organisation_id].present? ? required_params.merge(managing_organisation_id: required_params[:owning_organisation_id]) : required_params
 
     full_params[:sensitive] = full_params[:sensitive].to_i if full_params[:sensitive]
-    full_params[:support_services_provider] = full_params[:support_services_provider].to_i if !full_params[:support_services_provider].empty?
+    full_params[:support_services_provider] = full_params[:support_services_provider].to_i if !full_params[:support_services_provider]&.empty?
 
     if current_user.data_coordinator?
       full_params[:owning_organisation_id] = current_user.organisation_id
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index d6dcdaa07..76709ba83 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ en:
               invalid: "Select if this scheme provides for another client group"
             support_services_provider:
               invalid: "Select who provides the support services used by this scheme"
+            support_services_provider_before_type_cast:
+              invalid: "Select who provides the support services used by this scheme"
         location:
           attributes:
             units: