Social Work Week 2026: Call for contributors as dates announced

The countdown to Social Work Week 2026 is on. The week, which is now in its sixth year, will take place from Monday 16 to Friday 20 March 2026, and will coincide with World Social Work Day on Tuesday 17 March 2026.

Social Work England are calling for contributors to their online programme for the week, while encouraging professionals and organisations to mark this moment in ways that fit their local context and need.

As the specialist regulator focused on enabling positive change in social work, Social Work England established the week to encourage a national conversation on this complex and diverse profession.

Interest in Social Work England's programme of free online events has grown significantly since its launch in 2021. Thousands of social workers, students, researchers, policy makers and people with lived experience come together during the week to learn, connect and influence the future of social work.

What began as a Social Work England initiative has inspired activity beyond the official programme. Communities, employers and individual social workers now host their own events, share stories and celebrate the profession's contribution to society.

Social Work England is inviting expressions of interest for its programme of events for 2026. Expressions of interest should focus on the following themes. Preference will be given to submissions that involve people with lived or learned experience of social work.

• Data and insight
• Education and training
• Innovation
• Professional identity
• Safe and effective practice

Sarah Blackmore, executive director of professional practice and external engagement at Social Work England, said:

“We are pleased to announce the return of Social Work Week for its sixth year, offering a key platform for connection, collaboration, and positive change.

"Whether you're a practitioner, someone with lived experience of social work, a student, educator or employer, this week is an opportunity to unite, share knowledge and reflect on what strengthens social work practice and improves outcomes for the people we support.

“Our aim is to spark meaningful conversations, shaped by the voices of those who know social work best — social workers, people with lived experience, students, educators, and employers. By coming together, listening and learning, we can discover new ways to tackle shared challenges and strengthen the future of the profession. 

“I'd encourage anyone connected to social work to consider delivering an event, sharing your story, or simply joining the conversation during Social Work Week.”

Themes of Social Work England's programme during Social Work Week

As we move into 2026, Social Work England remains committed to driving meaningful change across the profession. The challenges and opportunities facing social work are complex and evolving, but our core purpose stays the same: to protect the public.

That’s why we’re continuing with the themes and objectives established in 2025. In 2026, Social Work England’s programme will be focused on the following themes:

• Data and insight: how do we ensure that social work practice and its regulation is data driven? And how will this improve people's experience of the profession?
• Education and training: how do we support social workers throughout each step of their career journey? Why is continuous learning and supervision essential?
• Innovation: what can we learn from the adoption of digital technologies/artificial intelligence (AI) to improve professional practice. And where are the ethical tensions?
• Professional identity: is a greater sense of professional identity crucial for the future of social work?
• Safe and effective practice: how does professional competence contribute to building public trust in the social work profession? What can we learn from fitness to practise?

How to submit an expression of interest

Expressions of interest to be part of Social Work England’s online programme must be submitted by midnight on Sunday 7 December 2025.

You can submit an expression of interest using the online form. A panel, which will include people with lived and learned experience of social work, will review and consider submissions for the 2026 programme against the themes.

We encourage sessions to be:

• accessible for, inclusive, and relevant to, a range of different audiences. This may include (for example) social workers, people with lived experience of social work and social work students
• co-produced and co-facilitated with people with lived experience

Sessions must be free for people to attend.

For inspiration, potential contributors can view sessions that took place at previous Social Work Weeks on Social Work England’s YouTube channel.

Find out more and contribute to Social Work Week.

Tickets will be available for Social Work Week in the New Year

People interested in attending Social Work Week 2026 can also sign up to Social Work England’s newsletter to hear first about when the programme and tickets will be released.