Information for social workers registered with another UK regulator

Social workers on another UK register are able to practise in England on a temporary basis.

What we mean by ‘temporary basis’

By ‘temporary basis’ we mean: “lasting or intended to last or be used only for a short time; not permanent”. Temporary practice does not include a permanent or fixed term contract or agreement to practise social work in England.

To ensure public confidence, and to provide adequate protection for social workers and the public, we encourage social workers from elsewhere in the UK to register with us when doing any form of practice in England.

Misuse of title

As the regulator for social workers in England, we have a duty to ensure public protection. Dealing with title misuse is an important part of this.

We will investigate any suspected misuse of title cases in England, including where a social worker is registered elsewhere in the UK. The phrase ‘misuse of title’ is used to refer to an individual calling themselves a social worker in England without being registered with us.

Where we receive a concern in relation to a social worker who is registered elsewhere in the UK (but not in England) we will first consider whether their practice in England could be considered temporary in terms of:

• duration
• frequency
• regularity
• continuity.

If we establish that there was a clear intent to deceive and/or we decide it is in the public interest, we will apply our prosecution policy to decide whether to take the case forward to prosecution.

We will also notify the other UK regulator where the social worker is registered.