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Consultation on proposed guidance for communicating online

20 August 2025

Consultation on proposed guidance for communicating online

Published: 20 August 2025

Introduction

Communicating with people is at the heart of social work. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of online tools we use to communicate with people. These include (any of the following): 

  • email 
  • instant messaging 
  • video calling platforms  
  • social media and professional networking platforms  

Social workers use online communication tools in their day-to-day work to share knowledge and skills, collaborate on cases, or to connect with colleagues. It’s important that social workers communicate in a way that meets the needs of the people they support. Social workers also use online communication tools in their private and personal lives. 

Social workers are required to uphold the professional standards, which set out what they must know, understand and be able to do to practise safely and effectively. These standards apply to all social workers in all roles and all settings. They are designed to ensure public protection and maintain public confidence in the profession. When communicating online, social workers should exercise their professional judgement so they can uphold the professional standards. 

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. 

Before responding to this consultation, please read the proposed guidance: 

A summary of the proposed guidance

Guidance for social workers

The guidance for social workers is intended to help them apply the professional standards when communicating online. It does not create any new standards or obligations for social workers. It does not give instructions about how to communicate or which tools to use.   

This guidance sets out 4 general principles that social workers should think about when communicating online. These are (all of the following): 

  • Security: the importance of upholding privacy and confidentiality.  
  • Accountability: considering the impact of what they post online and knowing what to do if something goes wrong. 
  • Using the right tools: understanding the purpose of communicating online and choosing the most appropriate platforms and tools. 
  • Maintaining boundaries: the importance of knowing what other policies and laws apply and maintaining professional boundaries. 

It shows which professional standards are relevant when communicating online. It also outlines how we will consider concerns relating to social workers and their online communication. 

Guidance for internal decision makers

We may receive concerns about social workers and their communication online. If we receive a concern like this, we will consider it carefully to determine whether it is a fitness to practise concern. This guidance has been developed to assist decision makers when they consider these concerns.  

This guidance will ensure decision makers consider all the evidence available to them, and helps us to ensure there is consistency in decision making about these concerns.

How we are consulting

We are committed to consulting with the profession and the public when we make changes to our regulatory framework. 

We want to reach out to (all of the following): 

  • social workers 
  • employers of social workers 
  • organisations representing the interests of social workers 
  • people with lived experience of social work 
  • people providing, assessing, or funding education and training for social workers and prospective social workers  

Consultation questions

These questions are optional.  You can choose which parts of the guidance you want to give your views on:

1. To what extent do you agree with the following statements:

  • the guidance and language used is clear and easy to understand 
  • the guidance will help social workers to uphold the professional standards when communicating online 
  • the guidance is relevant to current social work practice 
  • the guidance for decision makers accurately reflects the expectations set out in the guidance for social workers, and it is clear how the two pieces of guidance are related 

Please give reasons for your answers.  

2. Do you think that this guidance could have a positive or negative impact on people with the 9 protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act (2010) (any of the following):  

  • age 
  • disability 
  • gender reassignment 
  • race 
  • religion or belief 
  • sex 
  • sexual orientation 
  • marriage and civil partnership 
  • pregnancy and maternity  

Please give reasons for your answers. 

If you would like a copy of the questions by email, please contact us at consultation.responses@socialworkengland.org.uk

How to respond

The consultation period is 10 weeks. Please complete the survey or return your response by 11.59pm on Wednesday 29 October 2025.  

You can respond to this consultation via our online survey form. You can also respond by email to consultation.responses@socialworkengland.org.uk

If you need any reasonable adjustments to help you respond, please contact us at consultation.responses@socialworkengland.org.uk

Following the consultation period, we will publish a consultation response along with the final guidance. 

Complete the communicating online survey form
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