Social Work England has removed 125 practitioners from the register for not meeting their final deadline to submit a piece of CPD in order to renew registration.
The regulator highlighted that this was less than half the number who were removed in 2020 after failing to submit CPD during the extension period. Last year, 256 social workers were taken off the register for this reason.
It also said there will not be an extension period for renewals in 2022 and recommended social workers record CPD regularly.
Second year
The smaller number removed is in line with the higher rate of CPD submission at the 30 November deadline in 2021 than in 2020, which was the first year social workers had to renew registration with Social Work England. It introduced the requirement to submit CPD after it took over regulation of the profession in England from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), alongside an annual rather than biennial renewal process.
In 2020, 1,349 social workers had paid their registration fee but not submitted CPD by 30 November. At the same point this year, 826 had applied and paid, but not recorded CPD. They were given an extension to 21 December to do so.
Overall renewal numbers were also higher at the deadline in 2021, with 2,869 (3%) of existing registrants failing to renew, compared with 4,590 in 2020.
There are currently 97,400 social workers on the register. Social Work England said this was a snapshot figure which changes almost every day due to people leaving and joining.
Restoration
Social workers who are removed from the register are unable to use the title ‘social worker’ in England or practice. If they wish to rejoin, they can apply through the restoration process which costs £135. They then need to pay the usual £90 registration free if approved.
Last year, social workers who were removed or failed to renew at the main deadline were given temporary registration, a measure that was in place to assist with the pandemic response. The option for temporary registration has since closed, although social workers registered in this way still hold it.
The regulator said the government would decide when temporary registration would end entirely. “We’re reminding social workers with temporary registration that they should apply to restore their full registration as soon as possible if they wish to continue to practise.”
Changes for 2022
Sarah Blackmore, executive director of strategy, policy and engagement at Social Work England said the regulator would like to thank all social workers who submitted CPD and completed their renewal application on time.
Blackmore said next year there would not be a grace period for completing renewals:
“Following consultation with the sector, we have made some changes to the CPD requirements for the new registration year, which can be found on our website. There will not be a CPD extension period in 2022 and we recommend that social workers aim to record CPD regularly and well before the deadline of 30 November.”
For the registration year running 1 December 2021 – 30 November 2022, social workers need to record a minimum of two pieces of CPD (previously it was one piece), and reflect on at least one piece with a peer.
CPD review
A sample of the CPD submitted by all social workers will be reviewed by the regulator to ensure it meets the requirements. Assessors will consider whether the CPD is relevant to social work practice, and whether there is a clear description of the impact it had on their practice. Blackmore said:
“We will select 2.5% of social workers who have submitted CPD on 5 January. Their CPD will be reviewed by independent assessors. Those selected will not need to do anything, but we will tell them they have been selected. There is full guidance here.”
Anyone looking to contact the regulator can find details and their Christmas opening hours here.
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Look forward to reading how many were removed for not meeting the expected standards in due course as presumably there isn’t a 100% pass rate.
I am abit dim so could be wrong. Are SWE saying that they will review 2.5% of CPD and if those are up to scratch, the other 97.5% will be automaticall deemed to have met the criteria even though they will not be scrutinised? Hoping to raise standards by assumption doesn’t seem that rigorous.
So my odds on SWE not checking my CPD is 97.5%. Ergo I can write any old made up narrative and there’s a very high probability that I will still be registered as a competent and safe social worker. On no verified evidence. How much longer are we going to collude with the pretence that SWE is a serious regulator?
We should all have at least 1 CPD scrutinised annually. Peer review could be the simplest answer. Perhaps this be part of the PSW role, so that they can get an understanding of issues within their own area.
Actually PSWs do have an understanding of the issues in their own area. It’s just that their careers and proximity to future promotion givers inhibit them from speaking the truth of our social work experiences. Much as I disparage SWE, I would not like to be ‘scrutinised’ by a career bureacrat preening as a social work “champion.”
Peer review risks collusion and PSWs have an inherent self interest in digging for failures even where none exist. What we need is a competent Regulator that sets out clear objectives with a transparent verification process and mechanisms we can trust and have confidence in. Writing for writings sake is the equviliant of giving a keyboard to a chimp and hoping it comes up with the Masque of Anarchy. Hope over expectation may be expedient for SWE but not all of us are content to be chimps, most of us want to be social workers still.
I think we should all boycott the SWE registration process. SWE are asking for 2 examples of CPD for 2022/23. More box ticking. I think our managers are fully able to spot poor practice and bring issues to light.
SWE brings no value to my practice. I preferred HCPC.
I hope CC will do a follow-up to see how many social workers are removed or sanctioned for uploading inadequate or inappropriate CPD evidence. The real test for getting the publics confidence is not removal of those who did not upload CPD because they want to come off the register, like me, but those who want to practice but don’t meet the ‘standards’ SWE tell us we must.