Professional standards consultation

Share your views with BASW England on the Social Work England consultation

Thank you for taking part in the BASW survey, to share your thoughts and views and to be part of our collective response.

Professional standards set out the requirements Social Work England (SWE) expect social workers to meet. They set out what a social worker in England must know, understand and do. Standards are different to rules. SWE’s rules outline what they will do and standards set out what SWE expect those they regulate to do.

The professional standards serve several important functions. Qualifying social workers must be able to meet the professional standards when entering onto the register for the first time, education and training providers must ensure courses enable their graduating students to meet the professional standards, and all registered social workers are required to continue to meet the professional standards throughout their career. The professional standards will apply to all social workers in England.

These standards are the threshold standards necessary for safe and effective practice. They set out what a social worker in England must know, understand and be able to do following the completion of their social work degree. Social workers must meet the standards to stay on the register.

The standards are set out on pages 6-10 of the consultation document on Professional Standards.