Do you feel you have received the right support and training to work with fathers?
- No (77%, 432 Votes)
- Yes (23%, 129 Votes)
Total Voters: 561
Loading ...The annual three-month social work registration period in England has opened.
About 104,000 practitioners have until 30 November 2024 to renew their right to practise with Social Work England. Last year, a record 101,052 social workers – 97.8% of those eligible – renewed their registration.
The process involves completing the 12-step renewal form, paying the £90 annual fee and submitting two pieces of continuing professional development – one of which must have been reflected upon with a peer – on practitioners’ online accounts with the regulator.
Anyone who fails to complete any part of the process by the deadline will be removed from the register and – should they want to continue in practice – will have to apply to be restored, for an additional fee of £135.
Registration renewal guidance
Those who are not working due to extended absence, like sick leave or parental leave, but who want to stay on the register, should complete the renewal process. However, people joining the register during the three-month window only need to pay the £90 fee.
Current registrants who have had changes to their fitness to practise – such as going through disciplinary proceedings, being investigated for a criminal offence or a health condition affecting their ability to carry out their roles – they should make a self-referral to Social Work England.
Those involved in active fitness to practise proceedings who want to leave the register can apply for voluntary removal.
Social Work England has published guidance on renewal on its website, and its regional engagement leads are holding online workshops for social workers on meeting the CPD requirements.
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.
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As a Social Worker I challenged a parent regarding their failings in their legal responsibility towards their child. The parent was refusing to have the child at home as a result of difficult behaviour at home and in the community, and wanting the child “in care”. My view was that the parent was trying to abandon the child. The parent came to make unfounded allegations to Social Work England. It took SWE 12 months to inform me of the parent’s complaint. Then further 17 months to undertake an investigation, so well over two years since the complaint was originally made. The conclusion by SWE was No Further Action, in effect that that there was no evidence to substantiate the parent’s original complaint. I have no faith in Social Work England.
The incompetents at SWE will read this and reframe it as a resources issue rather than reflect on the debilitating effect it has on you. They will do that knowing full well that their chums at BASW and the PSW Network will bend over backwards to justify their incompetence rather than call them out on it vigorously. Evidently thinking a social worker must be investigated but allowing them to practice in the meantime is an irony lost on SWE. I don’t know your circumstances but in my case though the allegations were extremely serious because my employers, who had a long history of this service user being malicious and vexatious, did not suspend me SWE were content that I should continue working. So there I was being accused of a serious conduct concern but still doing my normal job inspite of that. A reasonable question would be, how is SWE maintaining public safety when they can’t follow allegations up for two years but are also content to leave decisions on safe practice to employers? I raised this with the PSW at my local authority who was close to abusive in their response. What was I told? Anybody under investigation should accept that SWE doesn’t take on investigations unless they believe there is a reasonable case of misconduct. Careerists enjoying power trips with connivance of mates does not protect the public not does it ensure social workers are safe and competent. Still there are MBEs to compete for so why bother with the wellbeing of social workers and protection of the public.
Oh, it’s the time of year where SWE fleeces us again…
Unison, BASW and The Social Work Union have written to Social Work England to express concerns about Fitness to Practice hearing delays.
Social Work England are now under pressure to respond and act upon these significant concerns.
As ‘Trust Lost’ and David write above; Social Work England cannot maintain public trust if they routinely take two years and over to resolve concerns that are raised by the public.
Reference: https://basw.co.uk/articles/basw-swu-unison-press-action-resolve-fitness-practice-delays#:~:text=BASW%2C%20SWU%20%26%20UNISON%20have%20jointly,SWE)%20due%20to%20budget%20constraints
Pointing out dissatisfaction with the process is not the same as being prepared to hold SWE to account. ‘Stakeholders’ could for example withdraw from their tea and biscuits get togethers unless SWE come up with concrete actions to deal with this. Also a bit ironic that Meade is mentioned when BASW was part of the cacophony castigating her for her supposed discriminatory practice. Polite conversations don’t spur authoritarian organisations to change or modify their processes. BASW, SWU and Unison could’ve put out a statement saying they’ve lost confidence in SWE at least on FtP issues. They didn’t and perhaps can not because it’s very hard to be overly critical of pals isn’t it?