Guidance for supervisors and reporters

Last updated: 22 May 2026

This guidance outlines the roles of medical supervisors, workplace supervisors and reporters in Social Work England’s fitness to practise process.

• Introduction
• What is the role of a supervisor or reporter?
• How do we appoint a supervisor or reporter?
• Report writing
• Conditions specific to medical supervision
• Specific tasks for workplace supervisors and reporters
• Reviewing cases
• Keeping information secure
• Equality and diversity

Introduction

Purpose of this guidance

This guidance outlines the roles of medical supervisors, workplace supervisors and reporters in Social Work England’s fitness to practise process. It does not cover all possible situations a supervisor or reporter may face, but it does give practical advice on how to support a social worker going through fitness to practise proceedings.

This guidance contains links to other relevant guidance. We will update the guidance when there are changes to our processes or legislation, so please always refer to the latest version online.

The fitness to practise process: an overview

Social Work England’s primary aim is to protect members of the public and maintain public confidence in the social work profession. Our fitness to practise process and support through monitoring conditions can also help social workers who are unwell or are experiencing stressful situations outside of their professional practice to remediate.

There is no agreed legal definition of ‘fitness to practise’, but it is generally understood to mean that a social worker has the skills, knowledge, character and health to practise their profession safely and effectively, without restriction.

When we investigate a social worker’s fitness to practise, we are not trying to establish whether or not the social worker’s fitness to practise was impaired at the time of the event that led to the concern being raised. Instead, we are trying to establish whether or not their fitness to practise is impaired today and going forward.

The fitness to practise process is about protecting the public and the wider public interest now and in the future, not about blame or punishment for past mistakes. A concern about a social worker’s fitness to practise can arise from any situation, whether from their professional duties, personal conduct or physical and/or mental health.

As well as physical and mental health conditions, health also covers concerns about alcohol and/or substance misuse. The question we will ask is whether the social worker is managing their practice and has enough insight to stop the same concerns arising again in the future.

Conditions of practice are suitable in cases where the concerns about a social worker’s fitness to practise are not so serious that the social worker should be suspended, but where restrictions are required to ensure they remain safe to work with the public.

In some cases, the conditions may limit the type of work the social worker can do, or where they can work. When conditions of practice are put in place, a case review officer is assigned to monitor whether the social worker is complying with their conditions. The case review officer gets feedback on the social worker’s progress from the individuals and organisations involved in supporting them including their supervisor or reporter.

Conditions should always be set for the minimum amount of time needed to demonstrate re-mediation, but they can be imposed for up to 3 years at a time. This is because we need to be satisfied that there is no risk to the public for the social worker to return to full and unrestricted practice before conditions are revoked.

We will review the conditions periodically, usually at review hearings or meetings. If the evidence presented to the decision makers suggests the social worker’s fitness to practise is no longer impaired, they will remove the restrictions on their registration.

The case review officer can refer the case for an early review if, for example, the social worker breaches a condition. However, only decision makers appointed by us, the regulator, can change or revoke the conditions.

You can view our conditions bank, which lists the conditions we use for conditions of practice orders. Read this alongside our glossary of terms and impairment and sanctions guidance. While the conditions bank should be the starting place for our decision makers, they may deviate from the bank where they see fit. Conditions of practice must be proportionate and achievable. 

The social worker may be subject to all the conditions related to supervision or very few, it depends entirely on the individual circumstances and what is proportionate to address the concerns.

What is the role of a supervisor or reporter?

Social workers who are subject to conditions of practice orders should always have a reporter. This is because a reporter can monitor and provide feedback to Social Work England quickly about any of the following:

• any issues regarding compliance with conditions
• any new complaints or workplace concerns
• progress with any remedial activity
• any other information relevant to their fitness to practise

The reporter produces reports for us on a regular basis, which is set out in the social worker’s conditions of practice order. These reports will give the reporter’s opinion about the social worker’s progress, confirm whether they are complying with conditions, and their fitness to practise in general.

Given the role a reporter plays, they do not need to work at the same establishment as the social worker, or have day-to-day oversight of their practice. If the reporter does not work at the same establishment as the social worker, they must be able to attend the social worker’s establishment at any time. They must also have access to any documentation relevant to the conditions such as:

• HR records
• updates from the social worker’s line manager
• case work examples

If you are unsure whether your working arrangements as a reporter, or your agreements with the social worker’s work establishment are suitable, speak to the social worker’s allocated case review officer. They can help you decide if the proposed arrangements are appropriate.

Alongside a reporter, a conditions of practice order may also specify the requirement for a workplace supervisor. This is appropriate where the concerns relate to a social worker’s competency and/or their conduct in the workplace. A workplace supervisor is responsible for overseeing the social worker’s practice on a day-to-day basis. They will:

• give helpful and constructive feedback to the social worker regarding their practice
• undertake formal supervision with the social worker (the frequency is set out in the social worker’s conditions of practice order/glossary of terms)
• be available for informal meetings and support as and when the social worker requires it
• identify and raise any concerns regarding the social worker’s practice with Social Work England

Where identified in the social worker’s conditions of practice order, a workplace supervisor can also work with the social worker to fulfil specific conditions such as a performance development plan (PDP)as set out in the social worker’s conditions of practice order. These reports will give the workplace supervisor’s opinion about:

• the social worker’s progress
• insight and remediation
• their fitness to practise in general 

To do this, the workplace supervisor must have a clear understanding of, and a connection to, the social worker’s day to day duties and working environment, including their caseload. Therefore, due to the level of oversight required, this role is often performed by the social worker’s manager, a practice educator, or a social work consultant employed at the same establishment as the social worker.

Social workers whose fitness to practise is impaired because of physical and/or mental health (including substance misuse), should have a medical supervisor if there are multiple health professionals involved in their care. The medical supervisor may be responsible for, or involved in, the social worker’s treatment or care (for example, their GP). The medical supervisor will also need to meet regularly with the social worker to discuss their progress with managing their health.

They will also liaise with any other treating medical practitioners, as well as the workplace supervisor and/or reporter when necessary. The medical supervisor produces reports for us on a regular basis, which is set out in the social worker’s conditions of practice order. The medical supervisor’s will reports will: 

• give their opinion about the social worker’s progress with treatment
• whether the social worker is complying with conditions related to health
• the social worker’s fitness to practise in general, from a health perspective

The reporter and the workplace supervisor can be the same person if they meet the requirements and feel able to perform both roles fully. A medical supervisor will always be a separate individual because they need to be able to produce reports that focus solely on the social worker’s health and its effect on their fitness to practise.

As a supervisor or reporter, you may occasionally have a conflict between your duty to the social worker as their treating medical professional, manager, or colleague and your duty to advise us. Your primary role is always to help us keep the public safe, therefore you must raise any concerns with us as soon as possible so we can take any action that may be appropriate.

How do we appoint a supervisor or reporter?

When conditions of practice orders are put in place, which require the social worker to have a reporter or supervisor, the decision makers will usually ask the social worker to identify and nominate a suitable supervisor or reporter themselves. In some circumstances, the decision makers may ask the employer to make the nomination instead.

The social worker is expected to share a full copy of the decision document with the nominated individual alongside a copy of this guidance. This is to make sure the nominated individual is fully aware of the commitments and responsibilities expected of them.

If the nominated individual agrees to perform the role(s), they must give the social worker all of the following: 

• a copy of their full CV
• their Social Work England or General Medical Council (GMC) registration number (depending on the role being fulfilled)
• their contact details (email and full address as a minimum)
• a brief description of how they know the social worker
• confirmation of no conflicts of interest

The social worker will then send this to their case review officer. The social worker should not give us your details unless you have consented to performing the role of supervisor or reporter.

The case review officer will then complete an assessment to make sure the nomination is suitable. Some of the factors they will be assessing are:

• for the role of workplace supervisor or reporter, that the nominated individual is registered with Social Work England and that they have at least 5 years UK-based post-qualification social work experience
• for the role of medical supervisor, that the nominated individual is registered with the GMC and that they have at least 5 years UK-based post-qualification medical experience
• that the nominated individual is not currently subject to fitness to practise proceedings with Social Work England or the GMC
• that the nominated individual has not previously been struck off, removed or erased by a social work regulator or the GMC. If the nominated individual has previously had a suspension or conditions of practice order, or warnings or advice within the last 5 years, this will be considered on a case-by-case basis
• that the nominated individual works in an environment that facilitates regular meetings (either in-person or online meetings) with the social worker 
• that the nominated individual has the adequate authority to be able to perform the role. For example, social work team manager could be the supervisor or reporter for a social worker but not the other way round. However, two social workers performing at the same level could act porter  
• that there are no conflicts of interest between the social worker and the nominated individual. A conflict of interest may be a personal relationship between the social worker and the individual or a shared business interest between the two. However, it’s not limited to this, and if the nominated individual believes there is any kind of conflict of interest, they must let us know and this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

If the case review officer decides you’re suitable for the role, they will approve the nomination and write to you and the social worker to inform you of their decision. They will remind you of the conditions you are involved with and tell you when your reports are due.

They will also make sure you have their contact details and will remain your first point of contact for the duration of the case. You will also be asked to sign and return an agreement form, which confirms you understand the requirements of the role and are able to fulfil them.

If the case review officer cannot approve the nomination, they will write to the social worker to request a new nomination. The case review officer will not disclose why the nomination was unsuccessful to the social worker, but they will contact you to let you know the reason.

It’s then up to you whether you share this with the social worker or not. If, during your time as a supervisor or reporter, you are made aware that you are being investigated by any regulatory body regarding your fitness to practise or if a conflict of interest arises, you must tell the case review officer immediately. They will decide whether you should continue in the role. This information will not be shared with the social worker, but you may share this information with them if you want to.

If, for any reason you are unwilling or unable to continue in the role of supervisor or reporter, including if you wish to relinquish your Social Work England or GMC registration, you must notify the case review officer immediately. This will enable the social worker to find a new supervisor or reporter. It is important to note that the social worker will not be permitted to work without an approved supervisor or reporter.

Report writing

Who will use your report?

Case review officers

They will collect reports and make sure they are passed on to our legal representatives when a case is due for review. They may also use the reports to decide if there has been a deterioration in the social worker’s practice or health, or if there has been a breach of their conditions that may require an early review.

Our legal representatives

They will use the reports as part of the evidence collection into a social worker’s fitness to practise and may refer to the reports when making arguments at a hearing.

Decision makers

They will be given copies of the reports to help them make informed decisions about the most appropriate sanction to address any outstanding concerns.

The social worker and their legal representative

They will see the reports as part of the evidence bundle provided by our legal representative and may reference it when giving evidence at a hearing. 

Investigators (if these conditions are part of an interim order where the investigation is ongoing)

They may use the report to inform the direction of their investigation.

Toxicology testing and/or medical assessment service provider

They may see medical supervisor reports to inform the background to their assessments and to decide what areas they need to cover in their own testing/assessments.

Other parties involved in remediation

If there are other supervisors or reporters, conditions may specify that reports are to be shared between the roles or that employers are to be given a copy of the report.

Meetings with the social worker

You will need to meet with the social worker regularly. This is so any deterioration or non-compliance with an order can be identified and remedied where possible. The glossary of terms states what the minimum frequency that formal meetings should be for workplace supervision.

Reporters and medical supervisors should meet with the social worker as often as you decide is necessary to provide the required level of information in your reports. Meetings may need to be more frequent if the social worker is under increased levels of stress.

The social worker should be able to contact you when needed in between meetings. Meetings should be planned in advance to accommodate both yours and the social worker’s existing workloads and to give enough time and attention to the issues that need to be covered in the meeting.

The meetings should take place in a confidential space so that all issues can be explored fully. It’s also important that you’re honest with the social worker if you are concerned about their progress so that they have an opportunity to explain what’s going on or find out what additional work is needed to address the concerns.

You do not need to inform us every time you meet with the social worker. However, if you have any problems contacting the social worker or arranging the appointments or meetings, please let the case review officer know so they can offer guidance and support.

Liaising with third parties

To help prepare your report, you may need to contact other professionals involved in the social worker’s case. This may be to get up-to-date information about the social worker’s progress with treatment and compliance with their conditions and remediation. The other professionals might be:

• medical professionals (only where health concerns are relevant)
• the reporter or workplace supervisor (if you are not fulfilling both roles)
• medical supervisor (if one has been appointed)
• the social worker's employer or any other organisation with which they have an arrangement to provide social work services (whether paid or voluntary)

If you’re concerned that a social worker’s health or conduct has deteriorated or that they are at risk of not meeting a condition, you may need to speak to the above parties more regularly. You should speak to us first if you are not sure what parts of a social worker’s case you can discuss with others.

How to write the report

You do not need to retell events that led to you supervising the social worker when writing your report. Your report only needs to include the social worker’s progress or concerns since you last submitted a report. Your report should include:

• a brief statement giving your title and qualifications (you do not need to submit a full CV with your report)
• information about any employment the social worker has had, or is currently undertaking and whether or not the social worker has carried out those duties satisfactorily 
• information from other sources, such as employers or treating medical professionals (only where there are health concerns), and a clear statement of the source of any information you’ve received or observations they’ve made
• dates of all meetings with the social worker and whether they missed or cancelled any meetings without a satisfactory explanation
• your comments on the specific conditions you are involved with
• full details of any phone conversations about the social worker including the date and who you spoke to
• any written correspondence about the social worker included as an annex to your report (this could include any feedback the social worker has received from other parties, countersigned audits, logs or personal development plans)
• whether or not the social worker has cooperated with supervision and complied with their conditions
• your opinion on the social worker’s level of insight into the issues that led to the fitness to practise case
• your opinion on whether the social worker is fit to practise generally, on a limited basis, or not at all (including reasons, supporting information and evidence)
• your opinion on whether the conditions remain appropriate and what, if any, changes may need to be considered by Social Work England
• a conclusion summarising your opinion and recommendations
• a date and signature

For medical supervisors, your report should also include:

• where applicable, any current diagnoses using the ICD-11 classification, highlighting whether any diagnosis has changed since you last reported
• where applicable, copies of test results and your interpretation of them
• your view on the social worker’s state of physical and/or mental health with particular reference to the health condition that is impairing their fitness to practise
• where applicable, your opinion on the social worker’s risk of suicide or self-harm 
• where applicable, your opinion on the social worker’s risk of relapse and insight into their impairing condition

If you feel you are not able to comment on any of the areas listed above, you should tell us in your report. It may be helpful to use clear headings to separate the report into sections to cover the areas above. The report needs to be clear and accurate as it will be a key piece of evidence in our fitness to practise process.

Submitting reports

You should give a copy of your report to the social worker, whose responsibility it is to send it on to their case review officer. You may also wish to send it to us at the same time.

Your report should be sent securely so it cannot be modified or intercepted. If you’re concerned that the content of the report may have a detrimental impact on the social worker’s health, safety or wellbeing, please contact the case review officer to discuss your concerns. This will allow us to make sure support is available to the social worker before you share your report with them.

Deadlines and delays

The assigned case review officer will tell you and the social worker when your reports are due. The social worker will need to send the report to us on or before the due date.

The X month report deadline stays consistent (set) for the duration of the interim order, for example every 3 months. If a report is submitted early, the next report should cover from that date to the next set report deadline.  

The X days prior to review deadline (for example, 4 weeks prior to the review) is an interim report prior to the review and is an opportunity for the reporter/workplace supervisor/medical supervisor to provide any updates since the last report. It is important that we receive reports by these deadlines so we can make sure there is no risk to the safety of the public or the social worker themselves and respond quickly to any concerns you raise.

As the deadlines are set by the decision maker, the case review officer cannot grant any extensions, only note down the reasons for the delay. If you think you’ll miss a deadline, or you need further information to complete the report, then you should tell the case review officer and social worker as soon as possible.

If you believe a social worker is purposely missing appointments or meetings or is in any way trying to delay you submitting the report, you should tell us immediately.

Feedback

The case review officer will check the contents of the report you submit to check it includes the information set out above. This includes your opinion on the social worker’s fitness to practise.

If there’s anything missing from the report, we’ll ask you to provide the additional information needed. You should try to include all the necessary information in your first report as having to provide further information can lead to delays in the process and therefore could put the safety of the public or the social worker at risk.

Conditions specific to medical supervision

The below section explains in more detail some of the conditions you may be asked to assist the social worker with as part of their conditions of practice order. We have included the conditions bank reference in the titles and you can find the full wording of the conditions on our website. 

Attendance at support groups (Condition 27)

If a social worker’s ill health is related to alcohol or substance misuse, they may have to agree to a condition to regularly attend support meetings if recommended to do so by you, their medical supervisor. This can include Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or any other support group or individual alcohol or drug counselling.

You will be asked to confirm in each of your reports whether the social worker needs to attend support groups and, if so, which ones. It’s very important that you include this information because the social worker must then provide us with evidence that they’ve been attending the meetings at the intervals specified in the conditions.

You should include in your reports whether you believe the social worker is attending support groups based on their medical history and how the social worker presents when you meet. This is particularly important if other evidence of their attendance is not available.

If your recommendation changes about whether the social worker should attend any support groups, you should explain this to the social worker and tell us in writing.

Advising the social worker to limit their alcohol consumption (Condition 29)

If a social worker’s ill health is related to alcohol misuse, they may be subject to a condition that they will limit their alcohol consumption in accordance with medical advice, and if required abstain completely from consuming alcohol. 

If a social worker you are supervising has this restriction, you will be asked to confirm in each report what advice you’ve given the social worker about their alcohol consumption. You should keep this under review and amend your advice as and when necessary. If you believe the social worker is not following your advice, i.e. they are exceeding the recommended alcohol consumption levels, you should tell us immediately.

Limiting or ceasing practice (Conditions 20, 21 & 22)

These conditions require the social worker to:

• obtain approval from their medical supervisor before accepting or continuing to work in any post that requires registration
• keep their professional commitments under review and limit their practice in accordance with their medical supervisor’s advice
• cease work immediately if advised to do so by their medical supervisor. 

As such, if you believe that there are specific areas of practice the social worker is unable to perform effectively (for example home visits) or you believe they are not fit to work at all, you must discuss this with the social worker and their employer and explain your reasons for this. If the social worker and/or their employer disagrees with the limitations, please discuss this urgently with the case review officer so we can take appropriate action.

Specific tasks for workplace supervisors and reporters

The below section explains in more detail some of the conditions you may be asked to assist the social worker with as part of their conditions of practice order. We have included the conditions bank reference in the titles, and you can find the full wording of the conditions on our website.

Personal development plans (Condition 10)

Personal/professional development plans (PDPs) are generally used if there are specific areas of impairment that have led to concerns regarding a social worker’s practice, for example record keeping or poor communication. This is normally a final order condition (as interim orders are not about remediation). However, there will be interim order cases where the condition is necessary for the protection of service users.

The decision makers will list all the areas that must be included in the PDP. The purpose of the PDP is to demonstrate the social worker is remediating in relation to the identified concerns. This may be shown through:

• reflective writing
• specific supervision to explore the issues
• training or retraining
• or continuing professional development (CPD)

It’s the social worker’s responsibility to create the PDP, but you will need to have oversight of this to make sure it covers all of the areas specified. You will also support the social worker in completing it.

Countersigned copies of the PDP will need to be provided to us in the timescales specified in the conditions. The case review officer will write to you and the social worker to confirm when the copies are due. They may also request additional information from you and the social worker if they feel certain areas have not been adequately covered.

A reporter or a workplace supervisor can help the social worker with the creation of the PDP. View a template PDP that you may find useful.

Supervision (Condition 13)

If the concerns surrounding the social worker’s practice are particularly serious, conditions can be applied that require supervision in the workplace. The social worker must not start or continue to work until these arrangements have been approved by Social Work England. There are 3 levels of supervision that are set out in the conditions bank and glossary of terms.

Supervised

The social worker’s day to day work must be supervised by a person who is registered with Social Work England. The supervisor does not have to work at the same premises as the social worker but must make themselves available for advice or assistance if needed.

The social worker’s practice must be reviewed at least once every 2 weeks by the supervisor in 1 to 1 meetings and case management supervision. These fortnightly meetings must be focused on all areas of the concerns identified in the conditions.

Closely supervised

The social worker’s day-to-day work must be supervised by a person who is registered with Social Work England and who must be contactable at all times. As a minimum, the social worker’s practice must be reviewed at least once a week by the supervisor in 1-to-1 meetings and/or case management supervision.

These weekly meetings must be focused on all areas of the concerns identified in the conditions.

Directly supervised

All aspects of the social worker’s day-to-day work must be supervised at all times by a person who is registered with Social Work England. This is unlikely to be feasible as a fulltime arrangement but may be useful for certain areas of the social worker’s practice or on a short-term basis.

For example, it may only be necessary when having direct contact with service users on visits or it could be necessary on a short-term basis for a social worker who is newly qualified.

As a minimum, the social worker’s practice must be reviewed at least twice a week by the supervisor in a 1-to-1 and case management supervision. These twice-weekly meetings must be focused on all areas of the concerns identified in the conditions.

Limiting practice (Conditions 15 & 44)

If, as a workplace supervisor, you believe there are specific areas of practice the social worker is unable to perform effectively, you must discuss this with the social worker and their manager and explain your reasons. This applies where you do not have responsibility for allocating the social worker’s caseload, such as if you are a practice educator. Examples of areas of concern might include complex child protection cases or legal proceedings.

If the social worker and/or their manager disagrees with the limitations, please discuss this urgently with the case review officer so we can take appropriate action.

Audits (Conditions 51, 52, 53 & 56)

There are several conditions linked to audits in the conditions bank. The scope of the audit will be set by the decision makers and will include any deadlines for submission.

Generally, it’s the responsibility of the social worker to complete a self-audit but it will need to be signed off by the workplace supervisor or reporter. To sign off the audit, you will need to be confident that the audit was thorough and that the report produced by the social worker is an honest, robust and balanced reflection of the audit outcome. You may decide to take a dip sample of the presented audit to ensure this.

Condition 53 specifically states that the workplace supervisor or reporter completes the audit themselves. This condition will only be used in exceptional circumstances and we will make sure the deadlines adequately allow for the additional work required of you. View a template audit form that you may find useful.

Logs (Condition 48)

This condition is applicable in circumstances where the social worker is not permitted to carry out specified areas of practice, as outlined in the Conditions of Practice Order, unless directly supervised by another social worker, apart from in life-threatening circumstances.

The social worker may be required to keep a log of all the times they complete a certain activity. This might be a certain type of assessment or home visits. These should be a contemporary account and should record all the relevant information regarding that activity. This includes:

• the social worker’s name
• date of the activity
• which service user it related to (using anonymised referencing)
• the need or reason for the activity
• any action taken as a result, or the outcome of the activity
• any relevant background information
• any other relevant information needed to meet the specific condition

The log should be signed by the social worker and countersigned by the reporter or workplace supervisor. View a template log that you may find useful.

If there have been no such cases during the specified period where logs would have been required, this must be confirmed to Social Work England. 

Wellbeing of the social worker

Some of the social workers you supervise may have significant ill health and may be at risk of self-harm or suicide. If you receive information suggesting that a social worker is at risk of self-harm or suicide while you are working with them, you should tell us immediately and take any safeguarding action that you would normally take. This includes informing the appropriate medical professionals and/or the emergency services. You should not wait until you are asked to submit a report to give us this information.

While you are supervising a social worker, you may find out that their health or performance has significantly deteriorated or that they have breached a condition. Occasionally, the information may relate to new concerns about the social worker’s fitness to practise. You must tell the case review officer as soon as possible if you’re concerned about this, particularly if you think they pose a risk to themselves or to the public and should stop working immediately.

You should not wait until you are asked to submit a report to give us this information. The case review officer will consider all the information about the concerns and may decide to apply for an early review to address the concerns. Wherever it’s appropriate, you should also inform the social worker that you’ve raised these concerns with the case review officer and explain your reasons for doing this.

Reviewing conditions of practice orders

There are several ways we can review a conditions of practice order. The reports you produce will be used in these reviews to help us make informed decisions. You should not be asked for additional reports for the purpose of the review unless we need to request specific additional information. When this happens, it will usually be requested by our legal representatives.

Review hearings or meetings

In every case where a social worker’s registration has been restricted by conditions of practice, there will be regular reviews. For Final Orders this takes place prior to overall expiry of the order. For Interim Orders, it takes place every 6 months. At the review, the decision makers will decide whether there are still concerns about the social worker’s fitness to practise and to what level.

The decision makers will review all your reports as part of their assessment and may take your opinion and recommendations into account when deciding whether the social worker’s fitness to practise is still impaired.

It’s unusual for a supervisor or reporter to have to give evidence at a review hearing, but our legal representatives will contact you if we need you to do so. If the decision maker decides a conditions of practice order is still appropriate, the social worker may ask you to continue being their supervisor or reporter.

If you wish to do so, you will need to submit an updated agreement form and CV. The case review officer will complete another assessment form to make sure the appointment is still appropriate. If you do not wish to continue with the role, you must inform the social worker so they can nominate a new supervisor or reporter as soon as possible.

The social worker will not be able to work without an approved reporter and/or supervisor in place. If, at the review, the conditions are either changed to a different sanction or revoked entirely, you will no longer need to act as the social worker’s supervisor or reporter. The case review officer will let you know if this is the case.

Early reviews

An early review may take place if new evidence relevant to the order becomes available after an interim order or final order has been made, or if the social worker has requested a review. If, for example, a social worker’s health or performance has deteriorated to such an extent that the safety of the public or the social worker could be put at risk, or the social worker breaches a condition, we may need to schedule their case for an early review. An early review may also be appropriate if the social worker has remediated ahead of time.

At an early review, a decision will be made as to whether any new concerns require additional restrictions to be placed on the social worker’s practice. If there are any new conditions that require additional actions by you as supervisor or reporter, the case review officer will let you know in writing and tell you when your next report is due.

If, at the review hearing or meeting, the conditions are either changed to a different sanction or revoked entirely, you will no longer need to act as the social worker’s supervisor or reporter. The case review officer will let you know if this is the case. 

Further information relating to early reviews can be found on our website.

Keeping information secure

As a supervisor or reporter, you will be given a range of highly confidential information about a social worker’s health and fitness to practise. You must handle this information appropriately and securely. You can find more information about data handling and information sharing on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

If you’re unsure whether, or how to share information, please contact the case review officer. If you realise you have breached information security, you should contact us immediately so we can investigate what’s happened and decide what further action is required.

Conditions related to a social worker’s health are usually private and confidential and are only shared with those involved in the social worker’s conditions of practice order. You should not discuss the social worker’s fitness to practise case with anyone else unless the social worker or the decision maker has given you explicit consent to do so.

If you’re not sure whether to discuss a social worker’s case with certain individuals, you should contact the case review officer who will be able to offer guidance before sharing any information.

Equality and diversity

We have statutory obligations to make sure our fitness to practise processes are fair and accessible. As a supervisor or reporter, we expect the opinions and recommendations you provide to be fair and unbiased.

Your conduct must also be in line with our equality and diversity policy and your professional standards/code of conduct. We make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. If you’d like us to consider making reasonable adjustments for a social worker you are supervising, or for yourself, please let us know as soon as possible.