Every day, social workers support millions of people to improve their chances in life. They listen to, support and empower people, protecting vulnerable people from harm when necessary
In undertaking this important and complex role, social workers must act with integrity and maintain high ethical and professional standards. Social Work England was established under the Children and Social Work Act 2017 to be the single-profession regulator for social workers in England. We operate as a non-departmental public body.
Regulation means that the public can expect the social workers they engage with to meet clear professional standards, providing assurance and protection.
As a specialist regulator our strategy sets out Social Work England’s purpose, which is ‘to protect the public and raise standards across social work in England, so that people receive the best possible support whenever they might need it in life.’ Our strategic aims are:
1. Prevention and impact
2. Regulation and protection
3. Delivery and improvement
Last year we supported 101,052 (98%) social workers to renew their registration successfully during the annual registration renewal period.
We have also been able to contribute to the development of national policy and statutory guidance including the new Government’s policy on social work and social care.
Our values shape and steer how we work. We’re proud of our values and what they mean to us:
• Fearless: Influence and drive change where needed.
• Independent: Carry out our work without undue influence from anyone.
• Ambitious: Have high aspirations for the social work profession, for regulation and for ourselves.
• Integrity: Work with integrity in every aspect of our business.
• Collaborative: Work with experts in the social work profession.
• Transparent: Be honest and open about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. Seek and act on feedback.
The duties of Social Work England Board are contained within a framework document which highlights the board’s primary responsibilities:
• establishing and taking forward SWE’s strategic aims and objectives.
• ensuring financial and human resources are in place to meet its objectives.
• ensuring that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with and reviewing management performance and financial management information.
• demonstrating high standards of corporate governance and providing effective leadership within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enables risk to be assessed and managed.
Why Social Work England is supporting Boardroom Apprentice
The guiding principles of equality, diversity and inclusion are core to our strategy and these principles are championed by our chair and with our Board. Over the last two years our board has hosted 2 boardroom apprentices demonstrating our commitment to supporting diversity in public appointments and to developing a talent pipeline to achieve this.
We want to continue this approach by hosting a Year 3 boardroom apprentice. We can offer a stimulating and supportive learning environment for a boardroom apprentice:
Building on previous years, we can offer a comprehensive induction involving introductory meetings with our executive leadership team and assistant directors. We can also provide a range of corporate governance experience through our policy, audit, risk and assurance committee and main board meetings. We will provide a non-executive director as a supportive ‘buddy’. We aim for the learning exchange to be mutually beneficial, so that our host board can share their experience, but also gain insight and knowledge from our boardroom apprentice and the wider learning opportunities that the programme has to offer.
Positive working relationships have been established between non-executive directors and our executive leadership team and the wider organisation. The chair of the board, committee chairs and non-executive directors are open and willing to provide support to a boardroom apprentice.
In accordance with high standards of corporate governance good practice the board recently commissioned an external board evaluation to provide an independent assessment of board effectiveness and to provide advice and recommendations for continuous improvement.
The recommendations from the evaluation are informing the board’s strategy and training plan for 2024 to 2025, with an agreed action plan to ensure the recommendations are implemented.
Our board and its committees have agreed to provide this opportunity for a Boardroom Apprentice to support the development of the talent pool for prospective boardroom candidates. We believe we can offer a welcoming and supportive host Board environment and we are eager for the insight and learning this opportunity would provide for our Board members, leadership team and management.
Location of Board and Committee Meetings
All regular Board and committee meetings are hybrid. We host meetings for in person and/or virtual attendance by Board and Committee members. Virtual attendance is enabled through Teams meetings video conferencing. There are 2 Board strategy sessions per year, these are held in person. The location for these is usually in Sheffield, where our offices are based.
Frequency and timing of board/committee meetings
Board meetings are held quarterly, Friday mornings from 10.30am to 13.00pm.
Audit, Risk and Committee meetings are held quarterly, Friday mornings 10.30am to 12.00pm.
Policy Committee meetings are held quarterly, Friday mornings 10.00am to 12.00pm
Date of Board Meetings (January – December 2025)
The dates for 2025 are currently provisional and are as follows for the Board. Meetings are held in the morning: Friday 31 January 2025 Friday 16 May 2025 Friday 25 July 2025 Friday 31 October 2025
Committee of the Boards and meeting dates (January – December 2025)
Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee:
Friday 14 February 2025
Friday 28 March 2025 (extraordinary)
Friday 2 May 2025
Friday 4 July 2025
Friday 10 October 2025
Policy Committee:
Friday 28 February 2025
Friday 13 June 2025
Friday 19 September 2025
Friday 5 December 2025
Security checks
TBC
Payment of travel expenses
Yes
