Registration renewal and CPD progress reports 2024
Social workers in England who want to continue practising must have renewed their registration by 30 November
Social workers must be on Social Work England’s register to practise legally. They must renew annually, so the public can be sure they continue to meet the professional standards and practise safely.
Registration renewal and CPD progress report (9 December 2024)
Please note the data below is provisional and final figures for registration renewal will be available on 6 February 2025.
Social workers in England must apply to renew their registration between 1 September and 30 November. Social workers must be on Social Work England’s register to practise legally. They must renew annually, so the public can be reassured they continue to meet the professional standards and practise safely.
As part of the renewal process, social workers are reminded they must use their online account to complete all 3 actions of the registration renewal process. They need to:
- submit their registration renewal application form
- pay their registration fee
- record a minimum of 2 different pieces of continuing professional development (CPD). They must include a peer reflection with at least one of these pieces of CPD
They must complete all of the above by 11:59pm (UK time) on 30 November.
About the social work register
Comparing 2024 and 2023
| Social workers by registration date | Registration renewal period 2024 | Registration renewal period 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Social workers by registration date Registered before 1 September (required to complete the 3 actions to renew their registration) | Registration renewal period 2024 103,429 | Registration renewal period 2023 100,842 |
| Social workers by registration date Joined or restored to the register since 1 September (only required to pay registration fee) | Registration renewal period 2024 2,167 | Registration renewal period 2023 2,482 |
Data at the end of registration renewal
Successful registration renewal
Social workers who renewed and were retained on the register, by year:
- 2024: 102,888 (97.4%)
- 2023: 100,495 (97.3%)
Of those social workers who renewed and were retained on the register, for social workers that we have known employment data for:
- 33,681 (35.0%) work in adults services, compared to 32,653 (34.8%) in 2023
- 55,188 (57.3%) work in children’s services, compared to 54,023 (57.5%) in 2023
- 7,446 (7.7%) work in ‘other’, compared to 7,249 (7.7%) in 2023
Registration renewal removals
Social workers removed from the register for not completing the registration renewal process, by year:
- 2024: 2,198
- 2023: 2,256
Of those social workers who were removed from the register, for social workers that we have known employment data for:
- 537 (31.0%) work in adults services, compared to 550 (31.4%) in 2023
- 1002 (57.8%) work in children’s services, compared to 997 (57.0%) in 2023
- 195 (11.2%) work in ‘other’, compared to 202 (11.5%) in 2023
Reasons social workers were removed from the register
Comparing 2024 and 2023
| Reasons social workers were removed from the register | Registration renewal period 2024 | Registration renewal period 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Reasons social workers were removed from the register Removed because they did not complete a combination of the 3 actions | Registration renewal period 2024 1,718 (78.2%) | Registration renewal period 2023 1,697 (75.2%) |
| Reasons social workers were removed from the register Removed because they did not submit a completed renewal form | Registration renewal period 2024 298 (13.6%) | Registration renewal period 2023 410 (18.2%) |
| Reasons social workers were removed from the register Removed because they did not meet CPD requirements | Registration renewal period 2024 165 (7.5%) | Registration renewal period 2023 119 (5.3%) |
| Reasons social workers were removed from the register Removed because they did not pay the renewal fee | Registration renewal period 2024 0 (0.0%) | Registration renewal period 2023 1 (0.0%) |
| Reasons social workers were removed from the register Removed because they did not pay the renewal fee since joining the register from 1 September | Registration renewal period 2024 17 (0.8%) | Registration renewal period 2023 29 (1.3%) |
| Reasons social workers were removed from the register Total | Registration renewal period 2024 2,198 (100%) | Registration renewal period 2023 2,256 (100%) |
Social workers removed from the register by employment region
Comparing 2024 and 2023
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region | Registration renewal period 2024 | Registration renewal period 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region Unknown | Registration renewal period 2024 521 (23.7%) | Registration renewal period 2023 516 (22.9%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region East Midlands | Registration renewal period 2024 123 (5.6%) | Registration renewal period 2023 128 (5.7%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region Eastern | Registration renewal period 2024 143 (6.5%) | Registration renewal period 2023 158 (7.0%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region London | Registration renewal period 2024 308 (14.0%) | Registration renewal period 2023 349 (15.5%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region North East | Registration renewal period 2024 86 (3.9%) | Registration renewal period 2023 108 (4.8%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region North West | Registration renewal period 2024 285 (13.0%) | Registration renewal period 2023 256 (11.3%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region Northern Ireland | Registration renewal period 2024 2 (0.1%) | Registration renewal period 2023 1 (0.0%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region Scotland | Registration renewal period 2024 8 (0.4%) | Registration renewal period 2023 9 (0.4%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region South East | Registration renewal period 2024 195 (8.9%) | Registration renewal period 2023 233 (10.3%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region South West | Registration renewal period 2024 149 (6.8%) | Registration renewal period 2023 133 (5.9%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region Wales | Registration renewal period 2024 26 (1.2%) | Registration renewal period 2023 23 (1.0%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region West Midlands | Registration renewal period 2024 192 (8.7%) | Registration renewal period 2023 184 (8.2%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region Yorkshire and the Humber | Registration renewal period 2024 160 (7.3%) | Registration renewal period 2023 158 (7.0%) |
| Social workers removed from the register by employment region Total | Registration renewal period 2024 2,198 (100%) | Registration renewal period 2023 2,256 (100%) |
Voluntary removals
Social workers removed from the register after requesting voluntary removal during the registration renewal period, by year:
- 2024: 1,422
- 2023: 1,365
Registration restorations
Social workers who have requested their registration status to be restored, since the end of the registration renewal period (30 November), by year:
- 2024: 283
- 2023: 319
Social Work England website availability
The Social Work England website and online account were available for 99.97% of the registration renewal period in 2024 compared to 99.94% of the registration renewal period in 2023. This excludes planned outages for maintenance.
An update from Social Work England
Philip Hallam , Executive Director of Regulation said:
“We are pleased to see that once again almost all social workers have taken the actions necessary to maintain their registration. The register is the primary way the public can be assured that social workers remain capable of safe and effective practice. With over 97% of social workers renewing their registration by the deadline, this is a demonstration of the importance that those on our register place on maintaining their skills and upholding their professional standards.
“This year we continued to use emails as our main way of reminding social workers about the CPD and registration renewal requirements. This was complemented by text messages sent to some social workers, outlining their remaining actions to complete the registration renewal process. This activity was supplemented with social media posts and online events. Our website performed effectively, supporting 102,888 (97.4%) social workers to access their online account and meet the registration renewal requirements.
“We have seen a continued trend for social workers who take action on the last day of the registration renewal period. We remind social workers that the earlier they complete all parts of the registration renewal process, the less likely it is they will be removed for failure to complete their application in time. 165 social workers were removed from the register because they did not meet the CPD requirements. Social workers can record CPD throughout the year using their online account, instead of waiting for the registration renewal period to open.
“This year we saw 2,198 social workers removed from the register, compared to 2,256 last year. Social workers who did not apply to renew are no longer able to practise as a social worker. To do so would be an offence under our regulations.
“We are already receiving and processing restoration applications for those who did not renew their registration by the deadline, and wish to continue practising. Those seeking to restore their registration should note that it can take up to 20 working days for us to complete an initial assessment of an application to restore. During this time applicants are not permitted to practise or use the protected title of social worker."
The next data update will be available 6 February 2025.
Data archive 2024 monthly reports
Monthly reports for the 2023 to 2024 registration renewal period
Registration renewal and CPD progress report (September 2024)
Social workers in England who want to continue practising must renew their registration by 30 November.
Social workers must be on Social Work England’s register to practise legally. They must renew annually, so the public can be sure they continue to meet the professional standards and practise safely.
Social workers in England have been applying to renew their registration since 1 September. Social workers must be on Social Work England’s register to practise legally. They must renew annually, so the public can be reassured they continue to meet the professional standards and practise safely.
As part of the renewal process, social workers are reminded they must use their online account to complete all 3 actions of the registration renewal process. They need to:
- submit their registration renewal application form
- pay their registration fee
- record a minimum of 2 different pieces of continuing professional development (CPD). They must include a peer reflection with at least one of these pieces of CPD
They must complete all of the above by 11:59pm (UK time) on 30 November 2024.
About the social work register
Comparing 2024 and 2023
Please note that this data excludes social workers with an open voluntary removal case.
Social workers registered before 1 September (required to complete the 3 actions to renew their registration)
- 30 September 2024: 104,342
- 30 September 2023: 101,738
Social workers who have joined or restored to the register since 1 September (only required to pay registration fee)
- 30 September 2024: 945
- 30 September 2023: 985
Registration renewal application form and CPD progress
The data below is only for social workers on the register before 1 September each year. They are required to complete 3 actions to renew their registration:
- submit an application form
- pay their registration fee
- meet the CPD requirements
Social workers who join the register from 1 September do not need to submit a registration renewal application form or record CPD for this registration year. However, they do need to pay the registration fee by 30 November.
Registration renewal application progress
Comparing 2024 and 2023
Social workers who have submitted a completed renewal form
- 30 September 2024: 14,995 (14.4%)
- 30 September 2023: 17,430 (17.1%)
Social workers who have started renewal form, but not yet completed it
- September 2024: 6,295 (6.0%)
- September 2023: 6,087% (6.0%)
Social workers who have not yet started a renewal form
- September 2024: 83,052 (79.6%)
- September 2023: 78,221 (76.9%)
Of those social workers that have submitted a completed renewal form, 6,578 (43.9%) have not yet met all CPD requirements, compared to 7,079 (40.6%%) in September 2023.
CPD progress
Comparing 2024 and 2023
Social workers who have met all CPD requirements
- 30 September 2024: 11,732 (11.2%)
- 30 September 2023: 14,026 (13.8%)
Social workers who have started the CPD process but not yet met all CPD requirements
- 30 September 2024: 6,295 (6.0%)
- 30 September 2023: 6,951 (6.8%)
Social workers who have yet to submit any valid CPD records
- 30 September 2024: 86,315 (82.7%)
- 30 September 2023: 80,761 (79.4%)
Social Work England website availability
The Social Work England website and online account were available for 99.9% of September 2024 compared to 99.9% in September 2023. This excludes planned outages for maintenance.
An update from Social Work England
Philip Hallam, Executive Director of Regulation said:
“As the sector is aware, we’re now a third of the way through the registration renewal period. We’re pleased to see that the profession is growing and there are now over 104,000 social workers on the social work register.
“As part of our renewal process, we closely monitor application progress given the scale of applications we receive over a 3 month period. The number of applications submitted and CPD recorded is slightly lower than the same point last year. However, there has been an increase this week as a result of sending the first registration renewal reminder emails on Monday 30 September. We encourage all social workers to complete their application to renew in plenty of time, to avoid the last-minute rush and allow sufficient time for focus and reflection.
“Recording CPD is a way for social workers to demonstrate that they are fit to practise with up to date skills and knowledge. It provides evidence of personal development and reflection on practice. This is critical to supporting high quality practice which will provide the best possible support to the public. There are no changes to the CPD requirements for social workers this year.
“If you are yet to submit your application to renew or record CPD, we have various resources available on our website to support you with the process. This includes examples of CPD and step-by-step videos on how to record CPD. Our regional engagement leads are also hosting online sessions to help with your registration renewal application.”
Registration renewal and CPD progress report (October 2024)
Social workers in England who want to continue practising must renew their registration by 30 November.
Social workers must be on Social Work England’s register to practise legally. They must renew annually, so the public can be sure they continue to meet the professional standards and practise safely.
Social workers in England have been applying to renew their registration since 1 September. Social workers must be on Social Work England’s register to practise legally. They must renew annually, so the public can be reassured they continue to meet the professional standards and practise safely.
As part of the renewal process, social workers are reminded they must use their online account to complete all 3 actions of the registration renewal process. They need to:
- submit their registration renewal application form
- pay their registration fee
- record a minimum of 2 different pieces of continuing professional development (CPD). They must include a peer reflection with at least one of these pieces of CPD
They must complete all of the above by 11:59pm (UK time) on 30 November 2024.
About the social work register
Comparing 2024 and 2023
Please note that this data excludes social workers with an open voluntary removal case.
Social workers registered before 1 September (required to complete the 3 actions to renew their registration)
- 31 October 2024: 104,054
- 31October 2023: 101,453
Social workers who have joined or restored to the register since 1 September (only required to pay registration fee)
- 31 October 2024: 1,789
- 31 October 2023: 2,115
Registration renewal application form and CPD progress
The data below is only for social workers on the register before 1 September each year. They are required to complete 3 actions to renew their registration:
- submit an application form
- pay their registration fee
- meet the CPD requirements
Of those social workers required to complete the 3 actions above, at 31 October 2024, 25,319 (24.3%) had completed all 3, compared to 25,353 (25%) at 31 October 2023.
Social workers who join the register from 1 September do not need to submit a registration renewal application form or record CPD for this registration year. However, they do need to pay the registration fee by 30 November.
Of those social workers that are only required to pay the registration fee by 30 November 2024, at 31 October 2024, 967 (54.1%) have paid, compared to 1,171 (55.4%) at 31 October 2023.
Registration renewal application progress
Comparing 2024 and 2023
Social workers who have submitted a completed renewal form
- 31 October 2024: 36,794 (35.4%)
- 31 October 2023: 37,181 (36.6%)
Social workers who have started renewal form, but not yet completed it
- 31 October 2024: 12,306 (11.8%)
- 31 October 2023: 11,786 (11.6%)
Social workers who have not yet started a renewal form
- 31 October 2024: 54,954 (58.2%)
- 31 October 2023: 52,486 (51.7%)
Of those social workers that have submitted a completed renewal form, 11,444 (31.1%) have not yet met all CPD requirements, compared to 11,804 (31.7%)* in October 2023.
* This figure has been amended since the publication at this time last year.
CPD progress
Comparing 2024 and 2023
Social workers who have met all CPD requirements
- 31 October 2024: 27,771 (26.7%)
- 31 October 2023: 28,201 (27.8%)
Social workers who have started the CPD process but not yet met all CPD requirements
- 31 October 2024: 7,527 (7.2%)
- 31 October 2023: 8,007 (7.9%)
Social workers who have yet to submit any valid CPD records
- 31 October 2024: 68,756 (66.1%)
- 31 October 2023: 65,245 (64.3%)
Social Work England website availability
The Social Work England website and online account were available for 99.9% of October 2024 compared to 99.9% in October 2023. This excludes planned outages for maintenance.
An update from Social Work England
Philip Hallam, Executive Director of Regulation said:
“Since we opened the registration renewal period at the start of September, we have seen a significant number of social workers complete their continuing professional development (CPD) and their registration application. It’s great to see social workers continue to be committed to maintaining and enhancing their professional skills and knowledge so they can continue to practise safely and effectively.
"We regularly remind social workers to take action and urge them to access their online account and complete the necessary steps to apply to renew their registration. These communications are tailored for each social worker, outlining to them what actions they need to do next. For example, we recently contacted social workers who have recorded draft CPD on their online account to remind them to log in and submit their records to meet the CPD requirement.
"Social workers that complete all 3 actions of the registration renewal process by 12 November 2024 will receive an email from us on 13 November 2024 confirming that there are no further actions to take. This will give these social workers and their employers assurance that all the actions required to apply to renew registration have been completed. We will then contact social workers who completed and submitted their renewal application after 30 November to let them know the outcome. After 1 December, social workers can check their registration status on the public register on our website.
"With less than 4 weeks until the end of the registration renewal, social workers wishing to renew their application should log in well ahead of the deadline to complete the registration renewal application process to avoid a last minute rush, or the possibility of being removed from the register after 30 November.”
Registration renewal and CPD progress report (14 November 2024)
Social workers in England have been applying to renew their registration since 1 September.
Social workers must be on Social Work England’s register to practise legally. They must renew annually, so the public can be sure they continue to meet the professional standards and practise safely.
As part of the renewal process, social workers are reminded they must use their online account to complete all 3 actions of the registration renewal process. They need to:
- submit their registration renewal application form
- pay their registration fee
- record a minimum of 2 different pieces of continuing professional development (CPD). They must include a peer reflection with at least one of these pieces of CPD
They must complete all of the above by 11:59pm (UK time) on 30 November 2024.
About the social work register
Comparing 2024 and 2023
To be able to provide a comparison at the same point in time of the registration renewal period, data has been included at the point of the Thursday of the third week in November. This equates to the 14 November 2024 and the 16 November 2023. Please note that this data excludes social workers with an open voluntary removal case.
Please note that this data excludes social workers with an open voluntary removal case.
Social workers registered before 1 September (required to complete the 3 actions to renew their registration)
- 14 November 2024: 103,885
- 16 November 2023: 101,217
Social workers who have joined or restored to the register since 1 September (only required to pay registration fee)
- 14 November 2024: 2,029
- 16 November 2023: 2,419
Registration renewal application form and CPD progress
The data below is only for social workers on the register before 1 September each year. They are required to complete 3 actions to renew their registration:
- submit an application form
- pay their registration fee
- meet the CPD requirements
Of those social workers required to complete the 3 actions above, at 14 November 2024, 41,945 (40.4%) had completed all 3, compared to 45,875 (45.3%) at 16 November 2023.
Social workers who join the register from 1 September do not need to submit a registration renewal application form or record CPD for this registration year. However, they do need to pay the registration fee by 30 November.
Of those social workers that are only required to pay the registration fee by 30 November 2024, at 14 November 2024, 1,400 (69.0%) have paid, compared to 1,886 (78.0%) at 16 November 2023.
Registration renewal application progress
Comparing 2024 and 2023
Social workers who have submitted a completed renewal form
- 14 November 2024: 53,331 (51.3%)
- 16 November 2023: 58,023 (57.3%)
Social workers who have started renewal form, but not yet completed it
- 14 November 2024: 14,408 (13.9%)
- 16 November 2023: 12,962 (12.8%)
Social workers who have not yet started a renewal form
- 14 November 2024: 36,146 (34.8%)
- 16 November 2023: 30,232 (29.9%)
Of those social workers that have submitted a completed renewal form, 11,360 (21.3%) have not yet met all CPD requirements, compared to 12,133 (20.9%) at 16 November 2023.
CPD progress
Comparing 2024 and 2023
Social workers who have met all CPD requirements
- 14 November 2024: 45,048 (43.4%)
- 16 November 2023: 48,037 (47.5%)
Social workers who have started the CPD process but not yet met all CPD requirements
- 14 November 2024: 7,493 (7.2%)
- 16 November 2023: 7,698 (7.6%)
Social workers who have yet to submit any valid CPD records
- 14 November 2024: 51,344 (49.4%)
- 16 November 2023: 45,482 (44.9%)
Social Work England website availability
The Social Work England website and online account were available for 100% of the month up to and including 14 November 2024. This excludes planned outages for maintenance.
An update from Social Work England
Philip Hallam, Executive Director of Regulation said:
“The number of social workers who have completed the necessary steps to renew their registration, as of 14 November 2024, is slightly below the levels of last year. We know through our continued conversations with the sector that social workers understand and are familiar with the registration renewal application process. We strongly encourage all social workers with incomplete actions to log in now to complete the registration renewal application process and to avoid a last minute rush.
“We continue to remind social workers of the importance of applying to renew their registration through specific communications tailored to their individual circumstances. Please ensure you read the emails that you receive from Social Work England.
"Social workers must apply to renew their registration before 30 November 2024, or risk being removed from the register. If they do not apply to renew, their registration will lapse. Social workers will be required to apply to restore their registration if they want to continue to practise. To restore they will need to provide additional information and pay an additional £135. It can take over 20 working days for us to review an application to restore, during which time social workers are not be permitted to practise or use the protected title of social worker.
“Our role as a regulator requires us to uphold the professional standards. We must ensure all registered professionals maintain the standards throughout their registration that are necessary for safe and effective practice. We do not take the decision to remove social workers from the register lightly."
Additional data updates will be available on:
- 9 December 2024