Information for representatives
This guidance is for representatives of social workers at fitness to practise hearings. You may also find this helpful if you are a social worker representing yourself.
Information for representatives
This guidance is for representatives of social workers at fitness to practise hearings. You may also find this helpful if you are a social worker representing yourself.
You may want to read our Fitness to Practise Rules 2019 (as amended) and The Social Worker Regulations 2018.
Guidance for fitness to practise proceedings
We publish guidance to be used by all parties in fitness to practise proceedings.
The main purpose of this guidance is to detail case law and other important factors to guide adjudicators’ decision making.
Guidance and policies you may want to read:
- Detailed guidance on conduct of representatives
- Detailed guidance on sanctions
- Detailed guidance on postponements and adjournments
- Detailed guidance on service of notices and proceeding in the absence of social worker
- Detailed guidance on early reviews
- Detailed guidance on health concerns
- Fitness to practise glossary of terms
- Detailed guidance on drafting fitness to practise decisions
- Detailed guidance on discontinuance
- Fitness to practise conditions bank
- Detailed guidance on referrals for interim orders
- Detailed guidance on restoration to the register after removal orders
- Prosecution policy
- Publications policy
- Empanelment, scheduling and cancellation policy
Our processes
Make sure you have read our guidance on pre-hearing case management.
The pre-hearing case management process informs how the hearings team will:
- schedule hearings
- issue directions to the social worker and our legal team
This helps hearings run smoothly.
Support
You may find it helpful to read about support for people involved in fitness to practise proceedings.
If you are experiencing stress or emotional difficulty, you may find it helpful to contact Fitness to Practise Support Service. This is an independent, impartial and confidential support service provided by Wellbeing Solutions.
The service is available via telephone 24/7, 365 days a year. Person-operated live chat is available from 08:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday and other helpful resources and tools are available online via a dedicated portal. It provides emotional support only and is available to social workers, complainants, witnesses and family members.
Please note this service cannot offer advice on specific fitness to practise cases.
If you have any questions, please contact us.