Social work fitness to practise concerns rise 38% amid growing regulator backlog

Social Work England has reported a 38% increase in fitness to practise referrals, receiving 1,916 concerns from April to December 2025 compared with 1,389 in the same period in 2024. Community Care reported that the surge pushed the regulator’s caseload up 40% to 2,380, intensifying pressure on triage, investigations and case examiner stages and threatening targets to speed up fitness to practise case resolution.

A large majority of referrals—83%—were closed at triage after initial assessment. The triage team processed 1,556 cases in April–December 2025, a 46% rise on 2024, but fell short of forecasts partly because of staff sickness and leave. Social Work England aims to cut triage completion to 26 weeks by the end of 2025–26; the average in October–December 2025 was 28 weeks, down from 38 weeks earlier in the year.

Delays have also affected later stages. Completed investigations averaged 53 weeks, while the case examiner stage averaged 97 weeks, above the regulator’s 92-week target and making that target unlikely to be met. Vacancies slowed case examiner throughput—only 54 cases were completed in October–December against a forecast of 132—though recent hires are expected to increase capacity from April.

Social Work England is researching why referrals have risen and is coordinating with other regulators that have seen similar increases. It is reviewing triage and investigations processes, has appointed a head of triage, recruited additional staff, and is consulting on an adjudicator consensual disposal model to speed uncontested hearing cases. The regulator says these steps aim to reduce backlog, protect public safety and improve the timeliness of fitness to practise outcomes.

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