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Suspension

If no proportionate or practical condition can be found and the case is not serious enough to require that the social worker is removed from the register, a suspension is appropriate.

Suspension orders

Last updated: 10 February 2021

If no proportionate or practical condition can be found and the case is not serious enough to require that the social worker is removed from the register, a suspension is appropriate.

A social worker subject to a suspension order must not work as a social worker. It does not mean that they cannot work at all.

You can read more about this in our guidance for suspended social workers.

The length of a suspension order will take 2 factors into consideration; the need to protect the public and the wider public interest and the risk that a long suspension may result in loss of skills.

If it can be done safely, a trained and skilled social worker returning to practice is in the public interest. This means that decision makers consider the risk of a social worker’s loss of skills as a public interest factor.

Suspension orders can be imposed for a period of up to 3 years at a time and the order must be reviewed before it expires.

Suspension orders are published on our website and online register. 

Once a suspension order has taken effect, a social worker’s remediation is monitored by the case review team.

You can read more about reviews of suspension orders

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