The Social Work Profession

“Social workers aim to improve people’s lives by helping with social and interpersonal difficulties, promoting human rights and wellbeing. Social workers protect children and adults with support needs from harm. From helping keep a family under pressure together to supporting someone with mental health problems, social work is a varied, demanding, often emotional and very rewarding career.” British Association of Social Workers

In common with other professions, social work is a regulated profession and those belonging to the profession are expected to abide by certain professional rules and standards.

Social workers are also expected to have reached a prescribed level of knowledge and skills in order to practice and need to continue to add to their knowledge and skills in order to continue to practice.

Social Work England is the regulatory association for social workers and are responsible for providing the professional standards for social work practice in England.

Social Work England is also responsible for holding the register of social workers and you must be registered in order to practice in England. Social workers must re-register annually by 30th November and the Academy can provide advice and support for this.

The British Association of Social Workers is the professional association for social work in the UK that represents the interests of the profession and provides advice and support to social workers. The BASW also sets the standards of professional development and learning.

Last updated: 09 October 2023