Registration renewal and CPD progress report (September 2023)
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 who want to continue practising must renew their registration by 30 November
10/5/2023 3:30:00 PM
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 2023.
About the social work register
Comparing 2023 and 2022
Please note that this data excludes social workers with an open voluntary removal case.
| Social workers by registration date | 30 September 2023 | 30 September 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Social workers by registration date Registered before 1 September (required to complete the 3 actions to renew their registration) | 30 September 2023 101,738 | 30 September 2022 99,177 |
| Social workers by registration date Joined or restored to the register since 1 September (only required to pay registration fee) | 30 September 2023 985 | 30 September 2022 1,007 |
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 2023 and 2022
| Social workers' registration renewal application progress | 30 September 2023 | 30 September 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Social workers' registration renewal application progress Submitted a completed renewal form | 30 September 2023 17,430 (17.1%) | 30 September 2022 12,661 (12.8%) |
| Social workers' registration renewal application progress Started renewal form, but not yet completed it | 30 September 2023 6,087 (6%) | 30 September 2022 4,963 (5%) |
| Social workers' registration renewal application progress Not yet started a renewal form | 30 September 2023 78,221 (76.9%) | 30 September 2022 81,553 (82.2%) |
Of those social workers that have submitted a completed renewal form, 7,079 (40.6%) have not yet met all CPD requirements, compared to 4,985 (39.4%) in September 2022.
CPD progress
Comparing 2023 and 2022
| Social workers’ CPD progress | 30 September 2023 | 30 September 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Social workers’ CPD progress Social workers who have met all CPD requirements | 30 September 2023 14,026 (13.8%) | 30 September 2022 11,726 (11.8%) |
| Social workers’ CPD progress Social workers who have started the CPD process but not yet met all CPD requirements | 30 September 2023 6,951 (6.8%) | 30 September 2022 7,618 (7.7%) |
| Social workers’ CPD progress Social workers who have yet to submit any valid CPD records | 30 September 2023 80,761 (79.4%) | 30 September 2022 79,833 (80.5%) |
Social Work England website availability
The Social Work England website and online account were available for 99.9% of September 2023 compared to 99.9% in September 2022. This excludes planned outages for maintenance.
An update from Social Work England
Philip Hallam, Executive Director of Regulation said:
“We are pleased to see social workers engaging with the registration renewal process. Registration sits at the heart of our role in protecting the public. Being registered with Social Work England assures the public that social workers meet our professional standards. The professional standards are specific to social workers on our register and apply to social workers in all roles and settings.
“I’d like to remind people that if you receive emails from Social Work England about renewing your registration, please do not ignore them. You are receiving these because you have actions outstanding on your online account.
“If you are yet to begin 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 renewal application.”
The next data update will be available 3 November 2023.