Written question asked by Navendu Mishra (Labour) on Monday, 1 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 June 2026. It was answered by Josh MacAlister (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Children: Social Workers

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of trauma-informed training for social workers involved in (a) child protection and (b) care arrangements.

Answer: All social workers in England must meet Social Work England’s professional standards, which set the minimum requirements for safe and effective practice, including promoting the rights, strengths and wellbeing of people, families and communities. Social workers complete initial education and training courses which are approved by the regulator against the education and training standards. In addition, in recognising the impact of trauma, the recently published child and family social worker early career standards and the forthcoming lead child practitioner standards, alongside the National Framework, will be used to underpin a new career-spanning development offer for social workers from autumn 2027 to support a confident and skilled workforce.

Secondary information