Social Work England is seeking practitioners' views on the state of practice education to inform its work to improve support for those performing the role, potentially through regulation.
It has launched a survey on the issue, open to all registered social workers, including those who are, have been or are considering becoming practice educators.
The survey asks for views on the current challenges facing practice educators, including on whether there is a lack of support, resource, training or remuneration, and how the situation can be improved for those performing the role.
In its 2025-26 business plan, Social Work England set an objective to "build a more in-depth knowledge of the practice education landscape to inform and support the critical role of practice educators, including exploring potential regulatory levers".
The regulator has formed a Practice Education Development Group, consisting of representatives of national bodies and key stakeholders, who are tracking progress in the delivery of the project's key objectives.
Practice educators 'passionate but lacking in recognition'
Social Work England-commissioned research, published in 2024, concluded that practice educators were passionate about supporting students, but a lack of recognition and support risked pushing some out of the role.
The study found that practitioners were sustained in the role by the motivation to develop the next generation of social workers, further their own skills and knowledge and, in some cases, redress their own negative experiences as a student.
But it also highlighted the hidden "emotional labour" practice educators experienced, particularly in working with struggling students, along with a lack of workload relief and insufficient pay as posing a risk to their retention.
Variations in practice educator courses
The regulator subsequently commissioned a study into the training of practice educators, which it published in November 2025.
Research participants told the study team that the 2022 refresh to the practice educator professional standards (PEPS), which are overseen by the British Association of Social Workers, had been helpful in offering guidance in relation to training provision.
However, though entry requirements and course content were relatively consistent, the report found significant variation in the costs, length, accreditation and delivery methods of practice educator training.
Unlike in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the regulator does not oversee practice education in England, with the report suggesting there may be less variance in courses in the devolved nations.
Barriers to social workers training as practice educators
Focus groups conducted for the research revealed that high caseloads, a lack of support from organisations and the two-stage PEPS model made it difficult for social workers to train as practice educators.
Echoing the findings of the 2024 study, researchers also found that practice educators lacked ongoing support because employers found it hard to prioritise the role, which made practitioners feel devalued.
This issue was highlighted by the National Organisation of Practice Teaching (NOPT), the membership body for practice educators, in its response to the 2025 report.
Supervision 'essential, not optional'
In a statement, it said: "NOPT remains concerned about the lack of consistent supervision frameworks for practice educators, both during training and post-qualification.
"Independent practice educators, in particular, are often required to self-fund supervision, with no structured support from HEIs or local authorities.
"Given the increasing complexity of the practice educator role heightened by younger and more diverse cohorts of students, rising identification of neurodivergent learners, and students for whom English is an additional language, supervision must be recognised as essential, not optional."
Strengthening the practice educator role
As well as strengthening supervision capacity and expectations, the NOPT made the following recommendations for improving support for the role:
- Establishing minimum national standards for practice educator training, assessment, and progression.
- Developing clear and sustainable progression pathways for practice educators at all levels.
- Enhancing funding, particularly for independent practice educators.
- Introducing a national registration and annotation system for practice educators to formally recognise their role, ensure consistent standards and strengthen accountability across practice learning.
The latter would involve social workers' status as practice educators being identified on Social Work England's register, a system that currently applies to approved mental health professionals (AMHPs) and best interests assessors (BIAs) on a voluntary basis.
Responding to Social Work England's practice education survey
Commenting on its survey, the regulator's executive director of professional practice and external engagement, Sarah Blackmore said: "There is a role for us as the regulator to support them and explore potential options for regulatory oversight.
"To do this, we first need to better understand the shape of the workforce."
You can respond to the survey here.
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