New survey from Social Work England launched. I understand many may feel reluctant to engage given past consultations, but I imagine this will shape the national review into the regulators performance & future role. Nows the time to make your views clear. www.smartsurvey.co.uk/t/SWsurvey20...

'It's the same idiots with the same tripe' - Missed this important publication from a few months ago from @vivellis.bsky.social, @iancushing.bsky.social, examining the impact of DfE reforms on teacher educators & anger towards 'expert advisors' bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

After a couple of years off, and being reprimanded by the Public Standards Authority, an email today confirming that Social Work England will be back to auditing 3% of social worker CPD records. At least for this year... Happy Tuesday 🤠🤠

📣📣 Registered social workers in England wanted for PhD research at the University of Liverpool examining frontline discretion, ethical tensions and pressures in practice under austerity. Please share and consider taking part. Contact: [email protected]

"Some of the purported solutions to these interlinked problems, like the introduction of the fast-track Teach First model, would simply make matters worse" - good to see journalists making this point clear when reporting on teacher workforce challenges. www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2608...

Another really valuable podcast from Sarah Anderson and Louise Allen on Foster Care Uncovered - This time with Rebekah Pierre. Huge respect for all three, can't reccomend this episode, or the podast in general, enough. open.spotify.com/episode/0ZO8...

Fascinating bank holiday read: a deep dive into the history of the school choice movement (whose legacy in England lives on in academies) - including origins in efforts to sidestep anti-segregation laws and rulings in 50s and 60s America. #didnotknow

"It is also helpful to consider historic examples where the segregation of social work education has been taken to its extreme, such as in apartheid South Africa... social work qualification in England is now more clearly moving in this direction... should set off alarm bells"

In this 2022 article I argued that instead of segregating social work students into different routes, we should champion a social justice approach where SW students from different experiences and backgrounds learn side by side. Remains firmly my view bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journal...

For those of us in England, it’s worth revisiting how universities, unions, and regulators (what one journalist called “mcblob”) held firm against years of lobbying, and even royal pressure, to block Teach First’s expansion. www.heraldscotland.com/news/1562506...

I understand why they did the poll this way, but after over a decade of bursary freeze for social workers, this is all just rearranging deck chairs. If the real solution (more financial support across the board) was on offer (here or in the consultation) there would be no 'divided' about it.

Yet more issues becoming apparent with the social work Early Career Development Programme (previously ECF) over a year before rollout. Such unnecessary disruption to the profession when there are so many bigger issues to tackle. via @community-care.bsky.social

Social Work England fails fitness-to-practice standard for 4th year straight, and now fails on its CPD (non) approach too. Referred to ministers for the second year running. www.communitycare.co.uk/content/news...

Upcoming @socwkhistory.bsky.social webinar: 'Histories of Compliance and Resistance: Social Workers and Immigration across Europe and USA' - 20th April. Details here. All welcome. www.kcl.ac.uk/events/histo...

Social Work England now proposing to use AI to review CPD records, and relying on “insights.” So get ready for AI made CPD records, analysed by AI, then AI shaping reforms (presumably involving more AI). And this is supposed to keep the public safe. www.communitycare.co.uk/content/news...

'Within a year I realised we’d made a huge mistake' - Brett Wigdortz (2026) about the founding of Teach First in 2002. observer.co.uk/news/columni...

This day in social work history⏳ 12th March 1948: Virginia Bottomley, Conservative member of the House of Lords, and former social worker and Secretary of State for Health, born in Dunoon, Scotland.

Good to see @community-care.bsky.social highlighting the concerning development that the ASYE replacement will exclude social workers outside of statutory roles. Already splitting adults and children social workers, now splitting stat and non-stat. Concerning. www.communitycare.co.uk/content/news...

New Department for Education consultation response suggests that ASYE funding will no longer be available to newly qualified social workers in non-statutory settings, and not replaced. Very worrying development further alienating social workers outside of local authorities.

Some thoughts on the consultation response to the social work ECF, renamed yet again, now ECS, that will replace the ASYE by 2027. As typical of a government consultation, it claims 'broad' support while sidestepping many concerns. A 🧵 1/9 consult.education.gov.uk/social-work-...

We (Open University) are seeking an External Examiner for our Undergraduate Social Work Law Module (Degree and Degree Apprenticeship). 📚⚖️ If interested or if you want more info, get in touch: [email protected] / [email protected]

Social Work England raising more income from practitioner fees than anticipated from @community-care.bsky.social www.communitycare.co.uk/content/news...

New article via @basw-uk.bsky.social from James Blewett raising questions about the reforms coming through children's services: "While the aspirations are both laudable and necessary, they risk being undermined by a lack of sufficient funding and evaluation". new.basw.co.uk/about-social...

Important principled stance here from Sarah Anderson. "This was not a refusal to engage; it was a judgment on the effectiveness and credibility of the proposed engagement" fosterwiki.com/why-i-turned...

Interesting opportunity for any social workers (or safeguarding professionals) looking for something a bit different: Safeguarding Officer with Imperial Outreach and Global Summer School teams. Full details: www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...

After 11 years frozen, we finally get a consultation on the Social Work Bursary and Education Support Grant; but of course it’s just rearranging deckchairs. No new money, no parity across routes. Missing the point. www.gov.uk/government/c...

Disappointing apprenticeship data: higher dropouts for lower socio-economic and global majority groups. But the 50%+ dropout rates across the board suggest a system isn’t really working for anyone. feweek.co.uk/disadvantage...

OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNMENT FROM CHILD PROTECTION PROFESSIONALS organised by @ciaranmmmurphy.bsky.social 👇👇👇

Grateful to @malcolmp25.bsky.social for this thoughtful write-up of our recent @socwkhistory.bsky.social event on networks in social work. Really enjoyed the conversation with @jthobu.bsky.social, Jane Tunstill, James Blewitt and everyone in attendance.

Social Work England pausing changes to education standards, including KSBs. As I argued below, these changes weren’t needed and risk damage. But pausing them now is another slap in the face for HEIs already planning, particularly around apprenticeships. academic.oup.com/bjsw/article...

French competition watchdog raids offices of Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC, all partners of Teach First and/or its spinoffs in England (Frontline, Think Ahead, Unlocked, Police Now). These firms should be no where near our public professions. www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Really powerful article from @yohaihakak.bsky.social in CRSW: "There are no easy answers, but this much is clear: silence is not care, weapons are not compassion, and justice cannot be built on denial or fear". bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journal...

Michael Gove predicts a big year for Children's Minister Josh MacAlister within Labour Government, praising him and noting his close association with Wes Streeting. Interesting Gove fails to mention his own close association with MacAlister... youtu.be/V0t6FjAvevA?...

Lib Dems propose a £60m-a-year “Farm First” scheme to get graduates into farming, modelled on Teach First, despite that model failing to improve any profession it’s been tried in thus far... 😭 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

'Motivational Interviewing risks becoming a conduit for the neoliberal values of autonomy and responsibility echoed in the words of Michael Gove' - Powerful new article from Nina Kyriacou & @henrytsmith.bsky.social reflecting on use of MI in SW. bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journal...

Very positive report from Social Work England out today: qualifying social work education performing really strongly despite big challenges. Makes it all the more puzzling that they still plan to plow ahead with disruptive reforms to the sector (KSBs/RDP) www.socialworkengland.org.uk/about/public...

Probably the biggest influence accelerating social worker familiarity with AI tools like ChatGPT is the Social Work England CPD process. It is not fit for purpose.

I recently joined the Foster Care Uncovered podcast to discuss policy networks and their impact on children’s social care with @sarahatfosterwiki.bsky.social and Louise Allen. An important conversation Im glad we could have. Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/44Oj...

A reminder that the consultation for the Government Review of @socialworkengland.bsky.social finishes on 26th November www.gov.uk/government/g...

DID YOU KNOW? Social work academics get different questions to 'practising social workers' in the Social Work England review consultation! You’re forced to pick one role, even though many overlap, and choosing “academic” skips major sections, including everything on registration. A🧵1/5.

Social Work England’s fitness-to-practise failures keep piling up, with social workers paying the price. Now its 9 months just to go through triage stage, despite 85% leading to no further action, and 4.3 years(!) to get an outcome from hearing stage. www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/11/19/s...

Check out the first episode of Foster Care Uncovered, the new podcast from @sarahatfosterwiki.bsky.social and Louise Allen - "The stories behind the headlines, the truths behind the system - exposing, confronting, and moving foster care forward." 👏 👍 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...

Degree apprenticeships less accessible to disadvantaged young people than Russell Group unis" - really disapointing findings. As I've said before we shouldn't let hope for what apprenticeships should be blind us from reality of what they currently are. feweek.co.uk/degree-appre...

Published today, 'Social Work Professional Organizations: A Comparative International Perspective' from @policypress.bsky.social. Includes a chapter about @basw-uk.bsky.social from David Jones, Bridget Robb and me. Aailable here: policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-work-...

Social workers - make sure you complete the Social Work England review survey. Last time, 96% opposed the fee rise, but they said the sample was too small. Don't give them that excuse again... consult.education.gov.uk/independent-...

Matt Hood appointed Professor of Practice at University of Cumbria: "Drawing on my experience and expertise in education, health & public service reform, I look forward to equipping students, academics & public sector leaders with the insight and tools..." news.cumbria.ac.uk/news/nationa...

‘How I destroyed England’s state education system 2010 to 2024’ by Nick Gibb. Ummm… think I’ll give it a miss. But the article is a great read #EduSky. @joehanley.bsky.social @yorkshirebylines.co.uk

"As of 30 September 2025 [Social Work England] projected that it would underspend the full-year budget by £969,000, 5.7% of the total" - via @community-care.bsky.social www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/11/11/d...

Great experience being invited to talk at UC Berkeley about my work on policy networks and governance. Fitting ground to explore resistance and dissent.

Good that the overdue review of Social Work England has finally been launched. Always sceptical of these types of reviews/consultations, but still hope as many social workers as possible give their honest assessment of the regulator's performance. consult.education.gov.uk/independent-...