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Standard 7: Professional registration

Professional registration

Social Work England sets minimum standards for social workers. Limited research exists on the impact of these standards, but evidence shows that regulation improves practice effectiveness and offers many benefits.


Continuing professional development (CPD) helps practitioners improve skills and meet professional standards. Social Work England found that CPD is crucial for:

  • updating practice
  • developing skills
  • enhancing professional standards

Engaging in and documenting CPD shows commitment to:


  • professional standards
  • maintaining competence
  • staying current in the field

Social workers need to complete a minimum of two CPD activities for re-registration, including peer reflection. CPD can be recorded at any time and up to the renewal deadline of 30 November. But Social Work England encourage social workers not to leave recording to the last minute, as this can result in rushed or poor-quality CPD that would not meet their requirements. 

Failing to meet this standard prevents re-registration and practice. Resources from Research in Practice and Social Work England, including a helpful podcast, can guide social workers in maintaining CPD. 

Creating a just workplace culture

A just workplace balances fairness, accountability, and continuous learning. It supports professional standards and clarifies acceptable behaviours. This culture values openness, learns from mistakes, and avoids blame.

A just culture includes fair regulations, procedures, and decision-making, managing rewards and punishments equitably. It prioritises diversity and inclusion and supports bystander intervention to prevent discriminatory behaviour. 


Perceived fairness leads to higher satisfaction and better mental health, while perceived injustice can lead to burnout and turnover, negatively impacting overall wellbeing and performance.

Ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion

Initial analysis from Social Work England shows that Black, African, Caribbean or Black and UK ethnic minority social workers, male social workers, and social workers aged over 40 all face disproportionate referrals for fitness to practise.  

The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) calls for direct action to combat workforce and care inequalities. See the box below for details.

The PSA recommends these actions to prevent discrimination:

  • Develop clear standards and guidance, especially for leaders, and ensure they are well communicated.
  • Consistently enforce behaviour standards in employment and fitness to practise processes.
  • Train professionals on equality, cultivating just cultures, and addressing discrimination.
  • Support professionals in managing workplace discrimination and guide them to resources.

Creating an anti-racist culture

Employer standard 2: Effective workforce planning promotes effective workforce planning and supports anti-racist practices, while Employer standard 5: Supervision offers tools for anti-racist supervision. Creating safe spaces encourages openness and accountability. Many employers are successfully implementing effective anti-racist strategies. They have prioritised this and included the workforce in co-producing and reviewing these strategies.

Encouraging whistleblowing

To create a culture where whistleblowing is encouraged and supported, make sure that:


  • organisational defensiveness does not discourage whistleblowing
  • fear does not prevent practitioners from speaking up
  • the organisation is psychologically safe and encourages voicing concerns
  • there is effective supervision

Reflective supervision

Reflective supervision is important to prevent mistakes and misconduct. Use:


Understanding fitness to practise

Fairness and reducing unnecessary referrals to the professional regulator are important for social workers. Remember that:


  • social workers face higher referral rates than other professions
  • it’s crucial to ensure fairness and prevent unwarranted referrals
  • clear complaints procedures can reduce inappropriate referrals
  • following Social Work England’s guidance is important

Prioritising workforce wellbeing

Supporting workforce wellbeing is important. You need to:


  • recognise signs of stress, alcohol, or drug misuse
  • offer support for those struggling with substance issues
  • understand that poor conditions and stress can lead to unethical behaviour

Supporting whistleblowers

Create a safe and supportive environment for whistleblowers by: 


  • creating a safe environment for reporting concerns
  • encouraging ethical leadership and a just culture where practitioners speak up
  • considering part 2 which provides information on supporting whistleblowers

References

This is the list of research and evidence sources used to produce this section. Publicly available links are included. 

Banks, S., Zasada, M., Jago, Gallagher, A., Austin, Z., & van der Gaag, A. (2020). Social Workers under the Spotlight: An Analysis of Fitness to Practise Referrals to the Regulatory Body in England, 2014–2016. The British Journal of Social Work, 50(2), 326–347. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcz145 
 
Cohen-Charash, Y., & Spector, P. E. (2001). The role of justice in organizations: A meta-analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 86(2), 278-321. 

Colquitt, J. A., Conlon, D. E., Wesson, M. J., Porter, C. O., & Ng, K. Y. (2001). Justice at the millennium: A meta-analytic review of 25 years of organizational justice research. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 425–445. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.425 
 
Colquitt, J. A., Greenberg, J., & Zapata-Phelan, C. P. (2005). What is organizational justice? A historical overview. In J. Greenberg & J. A. Colquitt (Eds.), Handbook of organizational justice (pp. 3–58). Lawrence Erlbaum. 
 
HCPC. (2017). Understanding the prevalence of fitness to practise cases about paramedics and social workers in England – interim report.

McFadden, P., Mallett, J., & Leiter, M. (2018). Extending the two‐process model of burnout in child protection workers: The role of resilience in mediating burnout via organizational factors of control, values, fairness, reward, workload, and community relationships. Stress and Health, 34(1), 72-83. 

Ndjaboué, R., Brisson, C., & Vézina, M. (2012). Organisational justice and mental health: A systematic review of prospective studies. Occupational and Environmental Medicine (London), 69(10), 694–700. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2011-100595 
 
ResearchGate. (n.d.). Organisational Justice and Child Protection Social Work.

Robbins, J. M., Ford, M. T., & Tetrick, L. E. (2012). Perceived unfairness and employee health: A metaanalytic integration. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(2), 235–272
 
Safer care for All. (2022). Professional Standards Authority. Safer care for all: solutions from professional regulation and beyond.
 
Social Work England. (n.d.). Social work in England: Emerging themes.

Social Work England (2023). Social Work England’s fitness to practise process: an initial analysis of diversity data.

Valentine, S.R., Meglich, P.A., & Giacalone, R.A. (2023). Filling a theoretical “black box” between workplace bullying and poor attitudes: psychological contract violation, work injustice, and negative environmental contagion. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 35(1), 51-76. 

Welander, J., Astvik, W., & Isaksson, K. (2017). Corrosion of trust: Violation of psychological contracts as a reason for turnover amongst social workers. Nordic social work research, 7(1), 67-79. 

What works Centre. (2022). Anti racism report.
 
Worsley, A., Shorrock, S., & McLaughlin, K. (2020). Protecting the Public? An Analysis of Professional Regulation—Comparing Outcomes in Fitness to practise Proceedings for Social Workers, Nurses and Doctors. The British Journal of Social Work, 50(6), 1871–1889.

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The resources have been developed by Research in Practice in collaboration with DfE.
Published: 30 October 2024
Last updated: 18 December 2024