Concerns
Information about how to raise a concern about a social worker and how we deal with concerns.
Support
An independent support service is available for social workers, witnesses, complainants and family members who may benefit from confidential emotional support during the fitness to practise process.
Concerns overview
Before you raise a concern (for members of the public)
- What we mean by fitness to practise
- Make a complaint to a social worker's employer
- Get support to raise a concern
- If your concern is not about a social worker
- What happens after you have raised a concern
Referrals (for employers and other organisations)
- Refer a concern about an employee
- Fitness to practise guidance for employers
- Refer a concern about a social worker (other organisations)
- Emerging concerns protocol
- Our fair referral principles (new)
How we deal with concerns
- What we do when we receive a new concern
- How we investigate concerns
- What interim orders are and why we have them
- Automatic removal
- What happens after an investigation
- Case examiner decisions
- Hearings
- Voluntary removal
- Voluntary removal decisions
- What happens after a fitness to practise decision
- Power to review case examiner decisions
Detailed guidance
For social workers
- Attendance of people at fitness to practise hearings
- Communicating online: proposed guidance for social workers
- Early reviews
- Evidence given outside of the UK
- Fitness to practise guide
- Health concerns
- Hearings guidance for social workers
- Interim orders for social workers
- Self-represented social workers at fitness to practise hearings
- Suspended social workers
For witnesses, members of the public and employers
- Fitness to practise guidance for employers
- Hearings guidance for witnesses
- How we use personal information when considering concerns
- Supervisors and reporters
- Supporting vulnerable witnesses
How we make decisions
- Adjudicator conflicts of interest policy
- Adjudicator consensual disposal guidance
- Adjudicators making registration appeal decisions
- Case examiner guidance
- Case examiner conflicts of interest
- Decision making guidance – concerns relating to social workers communicating online
- Discontinuance
- Emerging concerns protocol - sharing information in relation to fitness to practise concerns
- Equality and diversity: reasonable adjustments guidance (disabilities)
- Fitness to practise conditions bank
- Fitness to practise glossary of terms
- Fitness to practise process flowchart
- Impairment and sanctions guidance
- Just disposal of transfer cases policy
- Maintaining the independence of case examiners
- Postponements and adjournments of fitness to practise hearings
- Power to review case examiner decisions (rule 12G)
- Power to review case examiner decisions (guidance for case examiners)
- Pre-hearing case management
- Referral for consideration of an interim order
- Remote hearings protocol
- Restoration to the register after removal orders
- Service of notices and proceeding in the absence of social worker
- Triage guidance
- Voluntary removal during fitness to practise proceedings
Relevant policies
- Criteria for the appointment of legal advisers
- Drink and drug driving policy
- Empanelment, scheduling and cancellation policy
- Prosecution policy
- Publications policy
- Witness expense policy