Good social work can transform people’s lives and protect them from harm.
Why do we need the standards for employers?
Good social work can transform people’s lives and protect them from harm. Social workers are expected to deliver in complex and demanding contexts and must be supported by their employer in order to achieve consistently high-quality outcomes for adults, families, children and carers. ers can flourish, in turn supporting recruitment and retention.
What are the standards?
The eight Standards set out the shared core expectations of employers from all employment settings to enable social workers to work effectively and safely. Being able to demonstrate to social workers an employer is complying with the Standards helps recruitment and retention. These expectations can be used within self-regulation and improvement frameworks for public services and by service regulators and inspectors.
Who do they apply to?
The Standards are relevant to all employers of social workers. They apply to all registered social workers within an organisation, including managers and social work students. It is expected that these Standards will be applicable across all settings, and organisations may also choose to extend them to other social work staff. The Standards apply to social workers in employment, as well as those working within the education and training sector.
How should employers use the Standards?
For children’s social care, the Standards should be read alongside the Children’s Social Care National Framework which is statutory guidance and sets out expectations for practice for senior leaders, practice supervisors and practitioners. The CSC National Framework includes sections on how leaders drive conditions for effective practice and having a workforce which is equipped and effective – both defined as enablers for a successful children’s social care system.
How were they developed?
Partners across the sector developed these Standards between 2009 and 2012 as part of the Social Work Reform Board. The LGA hosts the Standards on its website on behalf of the sector and continues to work with stakeholder partners on their regular review. In 2025, the DfE’s national workload action group (NWAG) recommended the Standards were reviewed to ensure that they remain relevant and responsive to the evolving landscape of social work.
The following stakeholders were invited to comment on the refresh:
- ADASS
- ADCS
- BASW
- CQC
- DfE
- DHSC
- NHS
- NSPCC
- Ofsted
- Skills for Care
- Social Work England
- Together for Children
- Unison.
What is new in the refreshed Standards?
The 2025 refresh of the Standards includes:
- guidance for supporting social workers with the increased role of digital tools in social work practice
- expectations around anti-racism and inclusivity across the workforce
- acknowledgement of an increased move toward flexible working arrangements.
Employer standards health check 2025
The 2025 summary report is available to read.