Social Work England unveils the programme of events for Social Work Week 2024

Free tickets are now available for the much-anticipated Social Work Week 2024, taking place between Monday 18 and Friday 22 March 2024.

Now in its fourth year, the week boasts the strongest line-up to date and will bring those with an interest in social work together to have nationwide conversations about key aspects of social work.

Last year thousands of tickets were snapped up by people with an interest in the profession. Anyone can book free tickets for over 60 virtual sessions, with over 20 dedicated sessions being delivered and co-produced by Social Work England.

Individuals and organisations from across the social work sector will be independently delivering free events online and across the country, with some also in person. These sessions can be booked via the Social Work England website. Early booking is recommended.

The activities taking place across the week have been put together by people with lived and learned experience of social work and will provide opportunities for people to learn, connect and think about how people can influence change.

Some of the highlights of Social Work England’s programme include:

• An opening event that will introduce the week with keynote speakers Colum Conway, Chief Executive of Social Work England, and Beverley Tarka, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS)
• Dedicated sessions focused on the reforms in children’s social care and early career framework including sessions focused on children’s mental health and innovative practices and models
• Sessions hosted by the Principal Social Workers Network, Care Quality Commission (CQC), regulators from across the UK, and voices of international social workers and those with lived experience
• Co-produced sessions with people who access social work services including Social Work England’s National Advisory Forum
• Wider representatives from across the sector including researchers and education providers who will be delivering sessions on education and social work

There will also be events that compliment World Social Work Day on Tuesday 19 March, which this year recognises the transformative role social workers play in driving positive change on an international scale.

Colum Conway, Chief Executive at Social Work England commented:

“We have been excited to reveal this year’s line-up for Social Work Week, and those sessions being put on by organisations and individuals with an interest in the sector. There is something for everyone as part of the week.

“Personally, I’m looking forward to being accompanied by Beverley Tarka to open the week, as well as being a part of a panel discussion with fellow social work regulators from across the UK.

“I would encourage everyone with an interest in the social work to have a look at the full programme and book their places now.”

Most of the events are virtual and all can be booked individually, allowing people to personalise their experience of Social Work Week based on their interests. For social workers, all sessions can be used for personal reflection and continuing professional development (CPD), which they can then record and upload to their Social Work England online accounts.

All tickets can now be booked through the Social Work England website which provides further details of individual sessions and speakers. If anybody needs accessibility support or advice to do this, please email Social Work England at socialworkweek@socialworkengland.org.uk

People interested in being kept up to date with Social Work Week 2024 can also sign up to Social Work England’s newsletter Social Work Now to get updates straight to their inbox.