Guidance on updating your skills and knowledge

Last updated: 17 July 2025

If you need to update your skills, knowledge and experience, you can use (any of the following):

• supervised practice
• formal study
• private study

This page includes examples of what we would (and wouldn’t) accept.

It’s your responsibility to make sure what you learn during a period of updating your skills, knowledge and experience is enough to meet our professional standards.

About supervised practice

Supervised practice involves working with the supervision of a registered social worker in a social work role. You can do supervised practice in the UK or another regulated country.

We don’t specify the activities that you must do as part of your supervised practise. However, the activities must relate to activities that social workers do in the UK. For example (any of the following):

• undertaking or shadowing assessments
• social work care planning
• applying legislation
• signposting and liaising with other agencies
• attending team and multi-disciplinary meetings
• case recording
• providing information, support and guidance to service users and their families
• shadowing social workers
• any other activities relevant to the social work setting

We don’t expect applicants to carry their own caseload.

Your supervisor

Your supervisor must (meet all of the following criteria):

• be registered with the relevant regulatory body for the duration of your supervised practice
• have been registered as a social worker for at least 3 years continuously
• there must be no perceived conflict of interest between you and your supervisor
• not be subject to any fitness to practise sanctions or proceedings

The supervising social worker does not necessarily have to be based where you do your practice. However, you must negotiate with them how they will supervise and assess the work you do.

We also expect that your workplace supervisor or manager is aware that you are working with a social worker to update your skills and knowledge. They should contribute to the process.

Keeping a record of supervised practice

For each period of supervised practice you do during the 12 month period, you’ll need to provide (all of the following):

• the contact details of your supervisor (this must be the same person who is signing off your updating skills and knowledge form)
• name of the regulatory body your supervisor is registered with
• your supervisor's registration number
• details of the setting where you have undertaken your period of supervised practice
• dates and number of hours of supervised practice
• details of what your supervised practice involved, including (all of the following):
  • activity type and description of what the task involved
  • what you learned from the experience
  • how your experience relates to social work practise in the UK

We'll contact your supervisor so they can confirm this information.

What to include

A good example of supervised practice will include (all of the following):

• a day-by-day list of the activity (or activities) you’ve completed
• confirmation of the hours you’ve completed in that day
• activities that are similar to those listed in our UK applicant guidance, restoration guidance or overseas applicant guidance
• evidence that you’ve updated your skills and knowledge in more than one type of activity
• a detailed description of the activity (or activities), without repetition

About private study

Private study is a method of updating your skills and knowledge through self-structured learning.

Types of private study

Some examples of activities that you may include in your period of private study are (any of the following):

• reading journal articles or library books
• reading information on relevant websites
• observing or shadowing a social worker (which is different from supervised practice, as there is no formal supervision arrangement)
• attending training courses
• reflecting on and recording your learning

Limitations on private study

Private study can make up no more than half of the required period. This means that you can do private study for up to (either of the following):

• 30 days (if you are completing a period of 60 days)
• 15 days (if you are completing a period of 30 days)

A day is a minimum of 7 hours. The 30 or 60 days do not need to be continuous. However, you must have completed them the 12 months before you submit your application.

Keeping a record of private study

You’ll need to keep a record of the activities you do throughout any period of private study. When you apply to join the register, you’ll need to demonstrate how each aspect of your private study has contributed to your learning and enabled you to meet our professional standards.

For each day or activity that makes up your private study, it’s important that you keep a record of (all of the following):

• the date
• the number of hours
• what you did
• how this helped you meet our professional standards

Examples of private study

Examples we would accept

Example 1: Online study

“I read some case studies about social work online. I referred to Social Work England’s professional standards and reflected on how these social workers applied the standards in practice. For example, how they respect the dignity and privacy of the people they support (standard 2.2).

I thought about how I would approach similar situations at work, and what I could learn from these social workers’ experiences. For example, trying alternative methods of communication to make sure I build the best relationships with the people I work with (upholding standard 2.5). One of the social workers wrote about using texting to better engage with teenagers. This is something I could implement in my future practice working with children and families.”

We would accept this example because:

• it demonstrates independent learning and reflection, using online resources
• it’s directly related to social work

Example 2: Suicide prevention awareness training

"I attended suicide prevention awareness training. In the training, I was able to read case notes. The training also shared information to help extend my knowledge and skills. This built my understanding of suicide and how to spot the signs. I also learnt how to have conversations with individuals who are at risk of suicide or have suicidal ideations.

This training was important for my learning as it can help me in professional (as well as personal) settings. The case used in the training (about an individual with suicidal feelings) is relevant to my work with both service users and work colleagues.”

We would accept this example because:

• it’s relevant to social work practice in the UK
• they explain what they learned in the training, and how they’ll apply it in practice

Examples we would not accept

Example 1: Fire safety training

"I took part in training on fire safety. This included modules on identifying fire hazards, alerting people to fire, and how to safely evacuate a building. I also learned about the different types of extinguishers and how to put out different types of fires. As a result of this training, I am now a fire marshal for my office building."

We would not accept this example. Whilst fire safety is an important topic, it isn't directly relevant to social work in the UK.