Social Work England sets out new 3 year strategy to drive positive change in social work

Social Work England has set out how it plans to drive positive change in the social work profession in England over the next 3 years.

The specialist regulator for around 100,000 social workers in England has published its ambitions in a new strategy for 2023 to 2026. It was developed in partnership with people with lived and learned experience of social work and builds on the achievements, challenges and learning from the organisation’s first 3 years.

The strategy focuses on 3 main areas where Social Work England aims to have an impact on the next stage of its journey:

1. prevention and impact
2. regulation and protection
3. delivery and improvement

Highlights of activity planned across these include:

• focusing on preventing problems before they arise
• reforming qualifying social work education
• building and maintaining trust and confidence in the profession
• leading work to look at the social work practice environment to identify and mitigate risks to safe and effective practice
• reviewing the fitness to practise case management approach
• handling more concerns at a local level, where safe and appropriate
• further developing digital services and channels.

The regulator has promised that it will be guided by 2 main principles in everything it does. Equality, diversity and inclusion will be integral to and embedded in all of its activity. It will also continue to listen to, engage with and co-produce alongside everyone with an interest in social work. The strategy also sets out how Social Work England will learn through data and use insight to understand its impact and inform delivery plans.

In developing the strategy Social Work England reflected on what it has learned and the successes and challenges of its first 3 years. Much of this learning has been set out in the recently published Social work in England: State of the nation 2023 report.

It also held an online consultation and consultation events. A summary of the feedback received was published in February and the full consultation response has been published today.

Colum Conway, Chief Executive of Social Work England, said:

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported us during the delivery of our first 3 year strategy. Building a regulator from scratch, against the backdrop of a pandemic and increasing pressures on the workforce, has been no mean feat. The engagement, feedback and insight we have had from those who both deliver and use social work services has been invaluable. I am extremely proud of the organisation we have built together.

“We cannot effectively regulate the profession without understanding the challenges it faces and how it is evolving over time. We hope our new strategy for the next 3 years shows that we have continued to listen and learn from everyone who has engaged with our work. We are committed to keeping this at the heart of our approach to regulation as we seek to drive positive change and protect the public.”

The steps which Social Work England will take to implement and achieve the objectives set out in its 2023 to 2026 strategy will be detailed in its annual business plans. The business plan for 2023 to 2024 is set to be published in the coming weeks.

Read the 2023 to 2026 strategy.

There is also an easy read version of the strategy on the same page.

Social Work England’s objectives for 2023 to 2026:

1. build trust and confidence in the social work profession, and in regulation, by strengthening our relationship with the sector.
2. share the data and insight we hold about the social work profession and our regulation. This will help us to support leaders and policy makers to drive change, and ensure our processes are safe and fair.
3. collaborate with other sector leaders to develop a clear and shared understanding of risks to the public and agree how to manage those risks.
4. ensure all social work students receive comprehensive and consistent education and training, in a supportive and inclusive learning environment to prepare them for practice.
5. ensure that our registration processes are fair, responsive and efficient.
6. review our fitness to practise case resolution approach, to improve service quality and fairness, and ensure value for money.
7. develop our work with employers and the public to resolve more concerns locally (where it is safe and appropriate to do so).
8. further develop our digital channels and services, to ensure they are inclusive and focused on user experience.
9. be a diverse and inclusive employer, which supports and motivates its people so they can deliver for the people we serve.
10. continually develop and improve how we work, ensuring we are a well run organisation that delivers the right outcomes and provides value for money.