Research
As an organisation we are committed to learning about social work and to gathering data and intelligence about the profession and people's experiences.
Current research opportunities
We recognise the importance of retaining and supporting existing practice educators, giving them the credit and status they deserve, and encouraging others into the role. As part of our work to explore how we can enable this as the regulator we have recently commissioned 2 pieces of research. Please get involved by completing the surveys below.
How are social work students and apprentices assessed during practice based learning?
We have commissioned the University of Lancashire is do a research project which explores how social work students and apprentices are assessed during practice based learning. The research team would like to get the views of as many practice educators, social work employers and social work educators as possible.
Please complete the university's survey on this form. It should take no longer than 10 minutes. There are also opportunities to take part in focus groups and conversations. If you have any questions, please contact Dr Ruth Parkes, email rparkes@lancashire.ac.uk to find out more.
Finding out more about student experiences of social work placements
We have commissioned Leeds Beckett University and Northumbria University to carry out a research project about student experiences of social work placements. The research team is asking social work students and newly qualified social workers to complete a survey and share it amongst their networks.
The survey deadline is 25 February 2026. Please complete the survey on this form. You will be entered into a prize draw. There are also opportunities to take part in focus groups for which you may receive a shopping voucher. If you have any questions, please email the project lead, Dr Paula Beesley p.h.beesley@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.
Previous published research
You can see our previous research on practice education on our publications web page.
Annual survey for social workers
Closed: Monday 20 May 2024, 12pm
Thank you to everyone who completed the annual survey for social workers. We will analyse the responses and publish a summary in Autumn 2024.
Published research
Including research into the public perception of social work.
Research reportsWe're committed to learning
As an organisation we are committed to learning about social work and to gathering data and intelligence about the profession and people's experiences. We want to make a unique contribution to the evolution of regulation, inform our work as the new specialist regulator and provide a detailed picture of social work in England. Research is an important aspect of this work.
Research areas we are interested in
- The voices of the public and people with lived experience of social work
- Raising standards in social work education and training courses
- Supporting the sector to build an intelligence picture of social work in England and providing resources to support social workers
- Assessing the effectiveness of our specialist regulatory processes, including evaluations of our work
How we commission research
We’re committed to working with the people who have an interest in our work. Research proposals are considered by a scrutiny panel, which includes people with lived experience of social work and social workers. The scrutiny panel advises on:
- the suitability of research proposals, including the objectives and research questions
- the scope, time and value for money of any project
- ethical risks or considerations and managing the oversight of ethics in projects
Research and ethics
All bidders must complete a research ethics checklist. Checklists are considered by the research scrutiny panel to ensure that ethical considerations are given due review and approval.
Get involved
All commissioned research is subject to open and fair competition. After posting a research opportunity, we will allow a minimum of 4 weeks for researchers to submit their bids. Those who are successful at the shortlist phase will be invited to discuss their proposals.