Social Work England
Social Work England: CPD and fitness to practise
Your CPD for renewal by 30 November, the six professional standards, what the impairment and sanctions guidance says about insight and remediation, and courses for social workers.
CPD for social workers in England: what you need to know
CPD for social workers in England is set by Social Work England. Each registration year you record at least two different pieces of CPD on your online account, and at least one of them must include a peer reflection. The registration year runs from 1 December to 30 November, and you renew between 1 September and 30 November. This year the deadline is 11:59pm (UK time) on 30 November 2026.
The requirement is short to state, but the quality of what you record matters, because records can be reviewed after renewal. This page covers the CPD rules, the six professional standards, how Social Work England's impairment and sanctions guidance treats insight and remediation, and the courses and tools we offer. Social Work England regulates social workers in England only; social workers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators. For healthcare professions, see the regulators hub.
Healthcare Practise UK is an independent provider. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Social Work England. Every fact links to Social Work England's own pages in the sources at the end.
Social Work England CPD requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registration year | 1 December to 30 November |
| Renewal window | 1 September to 30 November |
| CPD to record | At least 2 different pieces of CPD on your online account each registration year |
| Peer reflection | At least one piece must include a peer reflection |
| Deadline this year | 11:59pm (UK time) on 30 November 2026 |
| Review | A sample of up to 3% of CPD records is reviewed after renewal |
Social Work England says clear breaches of the CPD requirements may lead to removal from the register, so it is worth recording CPD properly rather than at the last minute.
- PlanIdentify what you need to learn for your practice.
- LearnCourses, reading, supervision and learning with others.
- ReflectWhat changed in your thinking and why it matters.
- ApplyUse the learning with patients or service users.
- RecordKeep evidence in the format your regulator asks for.
Recommended courses
Written for UK registrants and mapped to what Social Work England guidance asks of you.
- SWE
Professionalism and the Professional Standards for Social Workers
This CPD course helps social workers in England understand and apply professionalism and the professional standards set by Social Work England. It covers the meaning of professionalism in social work,…
- SWE
Ethics and Ethical Standards for Social Workers
This CPD course helps social workers in England understand and apply the ethical values and standards that guide their practice. It covers the core ethical values of social work, the…
- All UK regulators
Module on Insight for Healthcare Professionals
This module explores insight: the self-awareness that lets healthcare professionals understand their actions, recognise their impact and learn from experience. It covers what insight is and why it matters, when…
- GMCNMCHCPC+5 more regulators
Reflection for Healthcare Professionals
This CPD module helps healthcare professionals in the UK understand and strengthen reflective practice. It explains what reflection is and why it matters, the UK regulatory context, structured models of…
- GMCNMCHCPC+2 more regulators
Remediation for Healthcare Professionals
This CPD module helps healthcare professionals in the UK understand and undertake effective remediation. It explains what remediation is and why it matters, the UK regulatory and employer context, the…
Social Work England remediation coursesStart the pathway for Social Work England
Recording CPD that stands up to review
Two pieces is a minimum, not a target. A piece of CPD can be a course, but it can equally be supervision, reading research, shadowing a colleague or learning from a complex case. What makes a record strong is the reflection: what you learned, how it changed your practice with people and families, and which professional standard it relates to.
- Be specific. Name the learning, the date and what you now do differently.
- Link to a standard. Standard 4 is about CPD itself, but most learning also relates to one of the other five.
- Make the peer reflection real. Record who you reflected with (by role, not name, if you prefer), what you discussed and what came out of it.
- Protect people's privacy. Leave out anything that could identify a person you work with.
- Record during the year. Entries made in November about learning in January are thinner and harder to recall.
The reflective statement builder gives you structured prompts for a reflection in your own words and checks for identifying details. The CPD and revalidation tracker lists Social Work England's requirements as a checklist so you can see what is still missing before the renewal window opens.
Planning your CPD across the registration year
Because renewal falls between 1 September and 30 November, it helps to think of the registration year in three parts. From December to spring, notice what you want to learn: a gap a supervisor has raised, a new area of law or policy, or a type of case you find hard. Through spring and summer, do the learning and arrange the peer reflection, which can take time to schedule with a colleague. By early autumn, write up both pieces properly so that renewal is a formality rather than a scramble.
If you change role, move to agency or locum work, or take extended leave during the year, record CPD as you go so that the change does not leave you with nothing written down when the renewal window opens.
The six professional standards
Social Work England's professional standards were issued in July 2019 and took effect for all social workers in England on 2 December 2019. As a social worker, you will:
- Promote the rights, strengths and wellbeing of people, families and communities.
- Establish and maintain the trust and confidence of people.
- Be accountable for the quality of my practice and the decisions I make.
- Maintain my continuing professional development.
- Act safely, respectfully and with professional integrity.
- Promote ethical practice and report concerns.
These are the standards your CPD should relate to, and the standards decision makers measure conduct against if a concern is raised. Our social work professional standards course works through each one in turn.
Impairment, insight and remediation in Social Work England's guidance
Fitness to practise cases at Social Work England are decided by case examiners and, where a case goes to a hearing, by adjudicators sitting on panels. Social Work England publishes impairment and sanctions guidance, last updated on 23 April 2026, which explains how they approach these decisions. Several points in it matter if you are thinking about remediation:
- Insight: the risk of repetition is greater if a social worker fails to fully understand what they did wrong (paragraph 31). Decision makers look for objective evidence of insight, not just assertion.
- Remediation: it is best shown by objective evidence such as completed training, appraisals and practice feedback (paragraph 41). Remediation carries more weight the earlier it happens.
- Harder cases: concerns about character, such as dishonesty, are harder to remediate.
- Risk of repetition: addressed at paragraph 23; it is higher where insight is lacking or remediation is incomplete (paragraph 17).
The outcomes and sanctions available range from no further action and advice through warning orders, conditions of practice orders and suspension orders to removal orders. Final decisions can also be reviewed by the Professional Standards Authority under section 29.
Completed training is one form of objective evidence, but courses alone are not enough. The guidance looks for insight and changed practice too. The remediation readiness check shows which kinds of evidence you already hold, and the remediation pathway helps you plan the rest, including testimonials and a printable evidence portfolio.
- InsightUnderstanding what went wrong, why, and its effect on others and on trust.
- RemediationPractical steps that address the concern, such as targeted learning and supervised practice.
- ReflectionShowing what you learned and how your practice has changed.
Courses for social workers
Professionalism and the Professional Standards for Social Workers
Takes each of the six Social Work England standards in turn, with a practice walkthrough that applies them together. It covers relationship-based practice, accountability and record keeping, multi-agency work, digital professionalism, professional curiosity and practice in agency, locum and independent roles, then the pressures that test professionalism: power, caseloads, conflict and boundaries. Final modules cover breaches, consequences, reflection, insight and remediation. The course file gives about 3 hours.
Ethics and Ethical Standards for Social Workers
Starts from the core values of human rights, social justice, integrity and self-determination, including children's rights and participation. It then covers confidentiality and information sharing, conflicts of interest, boundaries and power, whistleblowing, and digital ethics, records and AI. Practice modules deal with consent and the Mental Capacity Act, safeguarding, anti-oppressive practice, contextual safeguarding and court work, with an ethical decision-making framework. The course file gives about 3 hours.
Core modules
The Module on Insight, the Module on Reflection and the Module on Remediation (about 2 hours each) are written for all health and care professionals and work alongside either course.
Every course ends with 15 scenario-based questions with an 80% pass mark and a guided reflective account, and issues a certificate of completion from Healthcare Practise UK. That reflective account can become the basis of a CPD record. Prices are shown live from our course portal.
If you are facing a concern
Speak to your union, professional association or a solicitor before you respond to Social Work England. Look after yourself as well: these processes take time, and support from colleagues or a supervisor you trust helps. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and no course or tool can predict what case examiners or adjudicators will decide.
Free tools for Social Work England registrants
Remediation pathway
All the tools in one guided flow: readiness check, course bundle, reflection, testimonials, timeline and an evidence portfolio you can save as a PDF.
Remediation readiness check
A self-assessment of your insight, remediation, reflection, testimonials, CPD and risk of repetition, with the gaps to work on.
Reflective statement builder
Regulator-specific prompts that help you structure a reflective statement in your own words.
Testimonial request letter
A clear, honest letter asking a colleague or manager for a testimonial that covers what panels look for.
CPD and revalidation tracker
Log CPD against your regulator's cycle and see what is still to do before renewal or revalidation.
Hearing timeline planner
Work back from a key date to a realistic plan for courses, reflection and testimonials, with a calendar file.
Which course do I need?
Four quick questions that point you to the courses that match your regulator and situation.
Frequently asked questions
How much CPD do social workers in England need to record?
At least two different pieces of CPD each registration year, recorded on your Social Work England online account. At least one must include a peer reflection.
When is the CPD deadline for 2026?
11:59pm (UK time) on 30 November 2026. The renewal window runs from 1 September to 30 November.
What happens if my CPD is selected for review?
Social Work England reviews a sample of up to 3% of CPD records after renewal. It says clear breaches of the requirements may lead to removal from the register.
Can a course count as one of my two pieces of CPD?
A course can be a piece of CPD if you record it with a reflection on what you learned and how it affects your practice. Our courses end with a guided reflective account to help with that.
What does Social Work England's guidance say about remediation?
Its impairment and sanctions guidance says remediation is best shown by objective evidence such as completed training, appraisals and practice feedback, and that earlier remediation carries more weight.
Does Social Work England regulate social workers in Wales or Scotland?
No. Social Work England regulates social workers in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own social work regulators.
Is Healthcare Practise UK linked to Social Work England?
No. We are an independent provider and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Social Work England.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us your regulator and the concern. The pathway shows the courses that fit, helps you write your reflection and puts your evidence in order. It is free and nothing leaves your browser.