Policy paper
Independent review of social work professional regulation: government response
The government’s response to the independent review of social work professional regulation in England.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
In November 2025, the government appointed Dame Annie Hudson to undertake the Independent review of social work professional regulation in England.
We accept the review’s central conclusion that sustained improvement is needed in social work professional regulation in England.
The final report outlines the findings of the review and makes a number of recommendations for Social Work England and the government to ensure that regulation is operating as effectively as it needs to.
The government’s response sets out the:
- action we expect Social Work England to take
- steps we will take to strengthen sponsorship and system coherence
- areas where further work with partners will be needed
Updates to this page
Published 9 July 2026