Join us at our national roadshow events this autumn

Article updated 22 September: all tickets are now booked. If you can't come to your event, please cancel your place on Eventbrite so somebody on the waiting list can attend. 

Social Work England wants to hear from people who want to see social work be the best profession it can be. It is inviting people to a series of roadshow events around the country, to help shape the future of the profession and its regulation.

"Shaping the future of social work regulation – a national conversation" will take place in Birmingham, Bristol, London, Newcastle and Sheffield in October and November. 

These events are for everyone with an interest in social work, including social workers, people with lived experience of social work, education professionals, social work students, employers and stakeholder partners. There will be opportunities to share views, expertise and experience at informal discussions, meet Social Work England leaders, and network with other people with an interest in social work.

Engagement, co-production and collaboration has always been central to Social Work England’s mission to protect the public and enable positive change for the sector. It is seeking people who share its vision for raising standards to give their views on:

• future directions in education and training, including a review of our standards
• recent research related to how fitness to practise upholds professional standards to maintain public trust
• Social Work England’s next strategy and what it should achieve in the next 3 years
• next steps in our approach to continuing professional development (CPD) in social work

Sarah Blackmore, Executive Director of Professional Practice and External Engagement at Social Work England said:

“The views of social workers and people with direct experience of social work have been paramount to our first 5 years. We held our first national roadshow in 2019 to understand people’s hopes and ambitions for a new social work regulator. We’ve continued to engage and consult on every aspect of our work so that we remain firmly rooted in the principles and values that are the foundation of social work practice. As we prepare our next strategy, we felt this was the right moment to get back on the road and hear views first-hand.

“We encourage people to attend one of our regional events to tell us what they want for the social work profession and share their ideas and insight on the challenges. We want to know how regulation affects people’s day to day lives. Most importantly, we want our next 3-year strategy, and our proposed education and training standards, to be shaped by the people who will be impacted by them.”

Venues have been selected for their accessibility and people can share specific requirements on the registration form. Social workers can reflect on their attendance for a piece of CPD.

Social Work England offers a variety of ways for people to engage with its work and give their views. These are advertised regularly on its website and social media channels. There will be online public consultations on Social Work England’s next 3-year strategy and education and training standards.