Ten per cent of social workers in England had met the key requirements for renewing their registration as of the end of September, the regulator has revealed.
Social Work England said 10,351 practitioners had completed their renewal application form and met the requirement of submitting two pieces of continuing professional development (CPD), one of which should have been reflected upon with a peer.
Many of them will also have met the final renewal requirement of paying the £90 fee, as most social workers pay this through a direct debit, for which the first of two instalments was taken out last week.
The regulator said renewal numbers were tracking ahead of last year as of the end of the first month of the three-month renewal period. At 30 September 2022, 7.7% (7,676) of registrants had completed the form and CPD requirements.
Renewal progress: 30 September 2023
- 17,430 social workers (17.1% of registrants) had completed the renewal application form (2022: 12,661).
- Of these, 10,351 (10.2%) had met all the CPD requirements (2022: 7,676).
- 78,221 (76.9%) had not started their renewal form (2022: 81,553).
- 14,026 (13.8%) had met all the CPD requirements overall (2022: 11,726).
- 80,761 (79.4%) had not submitted any valid CPD.
“We are pleased to see social workers engaging with the registration renewal process,” said Social Work England’s director of regulation, Philip Hallam.
“I’d like to remind people that if you receive emails from Social Work England about renewing your registration, please do not ignore them. You are receiving these because you have actions outstanding on your online account.”
Hallam also pointed to guidance on renewal, including submitting CPD, on the regulator’s website.
Help with submitting your CPD
Community Care Inform users have plenty of learning they can benefit from that can contribute to their CPD for registration renewal.
We have put together guidance on submitting learning you have acquired on the sites – and saved using our CPD tool – to Social Work England. Access the guidance on Inform Children or on Inform Adults.
Also, Social Work England’s regional engagement leads are running a series of online sessions on submitting CPD, which practitioners can book a place on.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 
Hampshire County Council 
Oxfordshire County Council 
South Gloucestershire Council 
Wokingham Borough Council 
Webinar: building a practice framework with the influence of practitioner voice 
‘They don’t have to retell their story’: building long-lasting relationships with children and young people 
Podcast: returning to social work after becoming a first-time parent 
How managers are inspiring social workers to progress in their careers 
Workforce Insights – showcasing a selection of the sector’s top recruiters 
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Instagram
Unfortunately the registration renewal hangs over us as a meaningless chore, which along the financial and time costs is an unwelcome burden. That’s why everyone leaves it until the last minute!
Totally agree
Also agree
I also agree. The renewal process is a pain.
I actually agree. It is like a fail or pass situation. It should be a really easy process. It goes to show our culture as a profession.
Should one be anxious because you want to keep practicing and have food on your table.
Bring the joy back into social work as a profession full stop.
“We are pleased to see social workers engaging with the registration renewal process,” said Social Work England’s director of regulation, Philip Hallam.”
We don’t have any choice if we’re wanting to carry on practising LOL
I genuinely do not know what purpose SWE serves for working social workers. I imagine they have to justify their existence and the fee we are all forced to pay. I have not spoken to another SW who thinks there is a purpose to the registration process.
I agree, in terms of meeting the standards, you would hope that there is sufficient oversight by management and if there were any concerns in regards to practice then these issues would be raised anyway. We are all professionals and have a duty to practice in a way that reflect the standards and values of the profession. The time and money spent on the renewal process needs to be put towards fighting for our professional and the conditions for social workers where there are high levels of stress and burnout. This isn’t helped by a registration renewal that no one wants to do.