Children’s social work post-qualifying standards and induction
- From:
- Department for Education
- Published
- 20 March 2025
- Last updated
- 18 February 2026 — See all updates
Applies to England
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
The government’s response to the consultation provides a high-level summary of the responses received. It sets out proposals to enhance early career support to help the transition from initial education and support social workers to stay in practice.
The child and family social worker early career standards for use from 1 April 2027 is also available.
Original consultation
Summary
This consultation is for all those who receive and provide children’s social care services in England, and those who have an interest in it.
This consultation iswas being held on another website.
This consultation closesran atfrom
to
Consultation description
We are consulting on the post-qualifying standards and induction for child and family social workersworkers.
We and are seeking views on replacing the current post-qualifying standards at practitioner level with new ones whichthat are clearer inabout the professional outcomes expected of new social workersworkers, andto include descriptors of what they should understand and be able to do by the end of thetheir second year in theirthe role.
We are also seeking views on how we can support employers of social workers to provide a new two-year2-year induction for their new social workers based on these post-qualifying standards.
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Updates to this page
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Added the government’s response to the consultation.
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First published.
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Update history
2026-02-18 12:00
Added the government’s response to the consultation.
2025-03-20 10:00
First published.