Eight per cent of social workers had completed key tasks required for retaining their registration at the end of the first month of the renewal period, the regulator has said.
Social Work England said practitioners’ progress on completing their registration renewal form and meeting CPD requirements as of 30 September 2024 was lagging slightly behind the position at the same point in 2023.
However, it added that progress had picked up in the first days of October.
A record 104,342 must renew their registration by 30 November 2024 if they want to retain their right to practise as a social worker in England. To do this, they must:
- submit their registration renewal application form;
- pay their £90 registration fee (though most social workers do this through a direct debit paid on 1 October and 1 April);
- record a minimum of two different pieces of continuing professional development (CPD), one of which must include include a reflection carried out with a peer.
Progress on registration renewal
As of 30 September 2024, 14,995 social workers (14.4%) had completed the renewal form, compared with 17,430 (17.1%) at the same point in 2023. Of this group, 8,417 – 8.1% of registrants – had also completed the CPD requirements.
Overall, 11,732 (11.2%) practitioners had met the CPD requirements as of 30 September 2024, compared with 14,026 (13.8%) a year earlier.
Social Work England’s executive director of regulation, Philip Hallam said: “The number of applications submitted and CPD recorded is slightly lower than the same point last year. However, there has been an increase this week as a result of sending the first registration renewal reminder emails on Monday 30 September.
“We encourage all social workers to complete their application to renew in plenty of time, to avoid the last-minute rush and allow sufficient time for focus and reflection.”
CPD spot checks dropped
The news came after the regulator revealed that it would not be conducting spot checks on social workers’ CPD following this year’s renewal round.
In previous years, it has reviewed 2.5% of practitioners’ submissions to check whether they had met the requirements. However, it has dropped the practice for the current cycle because of a wider review of the CPD process it is carrying out.
The only group of practitioners who will have their CPD reviewed are those whose submissions were checked in the last round and found to have not met requirements, resulting in the social worker being given advice on how to improve.
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Is deja vu rehashed still news?
It’s not news and nor will it next year and on subsequent years. The only response to a clueless incompetent ‘Regulator’ is mirth and ridicule. Until you remember you are paying them £90 for the contempt.
It took SWE 12 months to inform me about a complaint from a parent regarding me challenging the parent about their legal parental duties and responsibilities to their child. SWE then announced it would undertake an investigation. SWE then took a further 17 months to complete this investigation (to October 2023) with a conclusion that there was no impairment as to my Social Work practice and no further action. Throughout the 2 years and 7 months of this investigation there were no limitations placed on me regarding practicing as a Social Worker. But the stress and anxiety SWE placed on me was considerable. After all I was just doing my job as a Social Worker. I have little faith in SWE
I’m sorry to read about your terrible ordeal with SWE, David.
I can’t even imagine how much each case like David’s costs the taxpayer and registrants. SWE’s fitness to practice backlogs must be costing us an absolute fortune. This is totally destroying social work and is unsustainable. When will the Government step in?
I lost faith on the day SWE took over as I was emailed confidential details of fitness to practice concerns that had been raised about another SW and their case worker contact information. To this day I’m still not convinced they followed data breach protocol.
I have heard so many stories of delayed investigations, hearings, mismanaged cases and high staff turnover from other people in the profession, I find it hard to have faith in this organisation.
Re David above. Thanks Sarah N. The parent could not provide any evidence to justify their allegations. The Local Authority I was working for at the time as a locum also contradicted the parental allegations.
Yet it took SWE 2yrs and 7 months to declare no case to answer and no impairment regarding my Social Work practice. There has to be something wrong here
I’m not a fan of Social Work News, but even they are on to SWE’s incompetence now – https://www.mysocialworknews.com/article/is-social-work-england-in-breach-of-its-own-standards?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=96593603&utm_content=96593603&utm_source=hs_email
At last it’s incompetence is being recognised