Social Work in England is regulated by Social Work England, and it has established requirements around the registration and renewal of registration of social workers. Prior to 2nd December 2019, this was the responsibility of the Health and Care Professions Council.
Social Work England has Professional Standards which are the threshold standards necessary for safe and effective practice and apply to all registered social worker. The standards and accompanying guidance can be found on their website.
Social Work England has Education and Training Standards against which qualifying programmes are assessed and approved. Social Work England has two sets of standards which reflect a transitionary period of migration away from the HCPC standards. They can be found on their website, with guidance.
During the transition period, some qualifying courses may still refer to the HCPC Standards of Proficiency which can be found on the HCPC website.
Social work England has established ‘rules’ that govern aspects its function around matters such as fitness to practice and the operation of the professional register. They can be found on the Social Work England website.
The Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) is an overarching professional standards framework that sets out consistent expectations of social workers at every stage in their career. The PCF is maintained by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). It serves as a backdrop to both qualifying social work education (where it is commonly used to assess students on placement) and continuing professional development after qualification. The PCF was revised in 2018.
The PCF applies to social workers in England and you can download the latest version of the PCF here.
The Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) describe the knowledge and abilities expected of social workers in England who work in a variety of roles related to children, adults and practice supervision. These statements are post-qualifying standards that set out what a social worker should know and be able to do by the end of their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). They also inform qualifying education and various career pathways in social work.
The latest KSS related to child & family practitioners, practice supervisors and practice leaders can all be downloaded here.
The latest KSS related to achieving permanence (with Looked After Children) can be downloaded here.
The latest KSS related to adult’s practitioners can be downloaded here.
The latest KSS related to adult practice supervisors can be downloaded here.
Social Work Degree Apprenticeships (SWDA) are work-based route for qualifying education in England and were approved in November 2018. Other UK countries may develop similar apprenticeship standards. SWDAs are approved by the HCPC, as with all qualifying provision.
The Social Work Degree Apprenticeship occupational standards apply to England and can be downloaded here.
In England, Newly Qualified Social Workers complete the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment. Different Knowledge and Skills Statements (KSS) apply to social workers with Children’s and Adults roles and are used to assess performance on the ASYE.
The KSS for Child and Family Practitioners can be downloaded here.
The KSS for Adults Practitioners can be downloaded here.
Further information about Children’s and Adults ASYE processes scan be found here.
The UK’s social work regulatory bodies all have standards and/ or guidance that inform the process of re-registration for social work practitioners which, in turn, relates to various forms of professional development that continues throughout a social worker’s career.
Continuing professional development (CPD) is an key part of Social Work England's professional standards. CPD is designed to improve public safety and confidence in social work by demonstrating the reflection and learning activity that social workers undergo to maintain and improve their practice through out their careers. You can find our more about more about CPD through the Social Work England website.
In England, Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) undertake assessments under the Mental Health Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Such Mental Health specialists exist across the UK, but there are slightly different titles and functions for this role in each of the nations of the UK and the regulatory bodies websites.
AMHP roles and the programmes that confer the qualification are regulated by Social Work England. Further details can be found on the Social Work England website.