Written question asked by Alex Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 29 April 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 2 May 2024 (named day). It was answered by David Johnston (Conservative) on Thursday, 2 May 2024 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Social Services: Training

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of specialist (a) training and (b) accreditation on (i) alcohol and (ii) other drugs for social workers.

Answer: The regulator for the social work profession, Social Work England, sets professional standards. These are standards all social workers must meet. The professional standards include that social workers must be able to address social care needs arising from substance misuse. Social workers complete initial education and training and then they are supported by an Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). For child and family social workers the ASYE is due to be replaced by an Early Career Framework. Post-qualification training of social workers is the responsibility of employers such as local authorities and the NHS.

Secondary information