Sixty per cent of social workers were yet to renew their registration two weeks out from the deadline, Social Work England has reported.
As of 14 November 2024, 41,945 (40.4%) of the almost 104,000 practitioners who must complete the three-part process - paying the fee, completing the application form and meeting continuing professional development (CPD) requirements - had done so.
This means completion rates have slipped behind 2023 levels, when 45.3% of relevant social workers had completed the process as of 16 November. Progress was broadly in line with last year at the end of October.
Social Work England urges practitioners to renew
The trend was noted by Social Work England, which urged social workers still to renew to do so immediately."We strongly encourage all social workers with incomplete actions to log in now to complete the registration renewal application process and to avoid a last minute rush," said executive director of regulation Philip Hallam.
Hallam reiterated the consequences of not renewing by the deadline of 30 November 2024.
"If they do not apply to renew, their registration will lapse, he said. "Social workers will be required to apply to restore their registration if they want to continue to practise.
"To restore they will need to provide additional information and pay an additional £135. It can take over 20 working days for us to review an application to restore, during which time social workers are not be permitted to practise or use the protected title of social worker."
CPD requirements
Social Work England's latest update showed that just over half of relevant registrants (53,331) had completed the application form, of whom 11,360 had not met the CPD requirements.These involve submitting two different pieces, one of which must have been reflected upon with a peer.
The just over 2,000 practitioners who have registered since the start of the renewal period - 1 September 2024 - only need to pay the registration fee, which most social workers submit in two equal instalments of £45 on 1 October and 1 April.
As of 14 November 2024, 69% of these social workers had paid the fee, compared with 78% as of 16 November 2023.
