Social Work England has paused a planned consultation on revising the standards it uses to assess education and training providers.
It has put the initiative on hold pending the outcome of the Independent Review of Social Work Regulation, which is assessing how well the regulator is discharging its statutory functions and delivering on its core objectives.
The review, which is required by Social Work England's founding legislation and is being conducted by ex-Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel chair Annie Hudson, is due to report this spring.
Planned review of education standards
The regulator first announced it would review its 2021 education and training standards, in October 2024, saying at the time it would consult on proposed changes in spring 2025.
In April 2025, in its 2025-26 business plan, Social Work England said it would consult on revising the standards, and the education and training rules that govern them, in September of last year.
In the same document, it said it would publish guidance, in March 2026, on graduates' "readiness for professional practice". This would bring its knowledge, skills and behaviours statements - which set out expectations of what graduates should know and be able to do on qualifying and were agreed in 2024 - into the regulation of education providers.
It said the move would give the regulator greater oversight of the education curriculum and bring increased consistency to course content, which is not covered by the current education and training standards.
Consultation put on hold
However, in a statement to Community Care, the regulator said it had agreed with the government departments responsible for social work to put this work on hold.
“Following discussions with the Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care, we have paused our planned consultation on proposed changes to the education and training standards, rules and guidance (including readiness for professional practice) while we wait for the recommendations from the Independent Review of Social Work Regulation (currently taking place)," it said.
"We are now considering options for how we might progress this work, including considering feedback we received at our national roadshow events, and how we might commission independent research to support our ambitions linked to education and training.”
The regulator conducted a roadshow in autumn 2025 to gather views from practitioners, people with lived experience, employers, students and academics on the future regulation of the profession in England.
