Consultations
Collaboration is central to our work, from co-producing our organisation and formal consultations on big changes to engaging with social workers to understand trends across the country.
Live consultations
Consultation on proposed guidance for communicating online
We have developed new guidance to help social workers apply the professional standards when they communicate online. We have also developed guidance for our decision makers to help them when considering fitness to practise concerns relating to a social worker’s online communication. We have launched this consultation to seek feedback on both of these pieces of guidance.
The consultation is open from Wednesday 20 August 2025 to Wednesday 29 October 2025.
Read the guidance and respond to the consultation
Consultation on our adjudicator consensual disposal guidance
To help strengthen our fitness to practise approach, we’ve reviewed our case resolution processes. As a result, we plan to introduce an adjudicator consensual disposal process for cases that have progressed to the final hearing stage.
To support people with this process, we have developed new guidance. We’ve launched this consultation to:
- seek feedback on the clarity and accessibility of the accompanying guidance
- better understand the impact it may have on groups with protected characteristics
The consultation is open from Monday 20 October 2025 to 11.59pm on Monday 15 December 2025. We encourage everyone to provide their feedback on these proposals.
Our consultations
We're committed to our regulation being rooted in the values and principles that underpin the social work profession. Central to our work is collaboration and dialogue with anyone with an interest in social work, from co-producing our organisation and formal consultations on big changes to engaging with social workers to understand trends across the country.
We continue to work with everyone who has an interest in social work is by consulting on important issues. The feedback we receive is used to inform our work, generate new ideas and test our thinking. We consult on topics such as amendments to our rules and standards, policy changes and supporting guidance.
Consultation process
With every consultation we provide information on our website that details what we are consulting on, our thinking so far, and how people can get involved. Our consultations typically run for 12 weeks.
Once a consultation closes, we collate, read and analyse all the responses. All of the feedback is considered and supports us in reviewing our proposals. We publish a summary of this feedback alongside the final document. The summary sets out details of who responded and what they said, what we’ve changed and our reasoning.
Get involved
There are many ways to respond to our consultations and we accept responses by email or post. For some consultations, there will be an online survey or dedicated consultation events.
If you have any questions about our consultations contact consultation.responses@socialworkengland.org.uk
Read about how we're working with stakeholders through our regional engagement team.
Past consultations
When a consultation has ended and all documents have been published, our response is listed as an online publication:
- Consultation response on amendments to our registration rules (new)
- Consultation response on proposals to make changes to our fees (new)
- Consultation response on education and training standards for approved mental health professional (AMHP) courses
- Consultation response on education and training standards for best interests assessor (BIA) courses
- Consultation response on our strategy for 2023 to 2026
- Consultation response on readiness for professional practice
- Consultation response on further amendments to our rules
- Consultation response on fitness to practise guidance and policy
- Consultation response on amendments to our rules
- Amendments to rules, electronic service and remote hearings consultation response
- CPD consultation response (2021)
- EU exit consultation
- Reshaping standards, enabling change
- CPD consultation response (2019)
- Fitness to practise consultation
- Applicant guidance consultation
Our responses to consultations
Our responses to consultations from other organisations.