standards for social work education scotland

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What is SWEP

Social Work Education Partnership (SWEP), a national partnership of key stakeholders across Social Work and Social Work Education dedicated to shaping the future of social work education in Scotland. At SWEP, we are committed to enhancing the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of social work education through collaboration, innovation, and strategic partnerships. 

The beginning of SWEP traces back to a pivotal moment—the Review of Social Work Education. The Statement on Progress 2015-2016 bore witness to a collective commitment to drive improvement and consistency across social work qualifying programs, setting the stage for a partnership-driven approach. 

In 2019, the Social Work Education Partnership (SWEP) was established, and in August 2020 this expanded to be supported by the SWEP Programme Office. It was built around collaboration, fuelling the evolution of social work education in Scotland. The SWEP Programme Office is a central hub, leading the coordination of a future where social work education can thrive. 

In 2022, SWEP’s mandate evolved to encompass support for the Advanced Social Work Practice Framework and the Newly Qualified Social Worker supported year. As we look ahead to 2024-2025, our focus intensifies on developing national and regional infrastructures, ensuring high-quality practice learning opportunities, and actively contributing to the evolution of social work education through consultation and collaboration. 

Our mission at SWEP is to futureproof social work education in Scotland by fostering national and regional partnerships and spearheading the implementation of progressive frameworks. Through our dedicated Programme Office, our aim is to ensure those who plan and deliver social work education do so to the highest standard of learning and practice. 

At SWEP, we envision a landscape where every social worker is equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to create positive change in the lives of individuals and communities. As we move forward, we remain committed to innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.   

Our Core Objective

Consistency in education.

We are dedicated to ensuring consistent foundations in the development and delivery of social work qualifying programs, aligning with the Framework and Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE), to drive ongoing enhancements in the quality of education across Scotland.

Practice Learning Excellence

Through national and regional strategies, we aim to facilitate partnerships that provide comprehensive practice learning opportunities that ensure social work students are equipped to excel in real-world settings. This includes collaborating with local authorities and partners to create meaningful and impactful learning experiences.  

Responsive to Change

We remain vigilant about developments in practice and policy, adapting social work qualifying programs to align with evolving requirements. Our goal is to foster a seamless integration of advancements into education.

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According to the Scottish Social Services Council*, there are over 10,000 social workers registered in Scotland, working across a range of services including hospitals, prisons and local authorities, as well as the voluntary sector and independent service providers. Social work is both an academic discipline and a practice-based profession - social workers must hold a recognised qualification in order to practice and must be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). However, training for social workers has at times been a controversial area, seen as vulnerable to politically driven reform and with a sometimes ambivalent relationship to research.

In 2013, against a background of claims of inadequate service provision, the SSSC announced its desire for a new approach to professional learning for social workers. Responding to this announcement, Dr Trish McCulloch and colleagues led a call for evidence that resulted in a national Review of Social Work Education co-chaired by McCulloch and to subsequent changes in social work policy, education and professional learning.

In contrast to approaches adopted elsewhere, McCulloch’s strategy for the Review was one of inclusion, prioritising engagement and collaboration, with a focus on research-led improvement rather than a top-down ‘corrective’ approach.  The Review process actively involved a range of stakeholders from the outset, including policy makers, sector leaders, academics, practitioners and students, as well as service users. Key findings from the Review were refined and published as a series of five recommendations in a final report that received sector-wide endorsement.

Implementation of the recommendations has had a transformative impact on learning partnerships and outcomes; it has changed the way social work learning policy is developed and implemented, and has been recognised as a ‘catalyst’ for investment in professional learning across social work career pathways:

Policy development – education and career pathways: The National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan incorporates two of the key recommendations from the research, focused on improvements to social work education and the development of career pathways. The plan sets the strategic direction for national workforce planning and development in Scotland, establishing direction and accountability for providers of social work education, practice providers and social workers.

Policy development -   standards for social work education and professional learning: The work of the Review led to the implementation of three national pilots of a supported and assessed year in practice, alongside the development of new benchmark standards for newly qualified social workers, and the creation of an Implementation Group to support and develop policy detail for national rollout in 2022.

Further strategic policy developments include the publication of Revised Standards in Social Work Education (2020), a National Review of Post-qualifying Learning by the SSSC in 2019, and a requirement for continuous professional learning (replacing earlier requirements for ‘post registration training and learning’). Beyond Scotland, McCulloch’s work has informed the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’s Review of the Degree in Social Work.  

National partnerships for education practice: The Social Work Education Partnership was implemented in 2019, with the aim of improving the quality, consistency and experience of social work education across Scotland. The Partnership has enabled a national coordinated response to the challenges of practice learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the safe resumption of practice learning, enabling students to meet required standards for practice while maintaining safeguards to the public.

The work has been recognised by the Office of Chief Social Work Adviser as having a significant contribution to the development of Scottish Government policy on social work education, and welcomed by Chief Social Work Officers as pivotal, “ enabling debate and action at policy and practice levels ”.  

*Figures according to Social Work Scotland accessed 28 Feb 2022

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New Website Coming Soon!

We are currently working on a new website, which will launch in Spring 2024. In the meantime, please find a brief introduction to SWEP below (this text is example copy and may need to be revised).

What is SWEP

Social Work Education Partnership (SWEP), a national partnership of key stakeholders across Social Work and Social Work Education dedicated to shaping the future of social work education in Scotland. At SWEP, we are committed to enhancing the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of social work education through collaboration, innovation, and strategic partnerships.

The beginning of SWEP traces back to a pivotal moment—the Review of Social Work Education. The Statement on Progress 2015-2016 bore witness to a collective commitment to drive improvement and consistency across social work qualifying programs, setting the stage for a partnership-driven approach.

In 2019, the Social Work Education Partnership (SWEP) was established, and in August 2020 this expanded to be supported by the SWEP Programme Office. It was built around collaboration, fuelling the evolution of social work education in Scotland. The SWEP Programme Office is a central hub, leading the coordination of a future where social work education can thrive.

In 2022, SWEP’s mandate evolved to encompass support for the Advanced Social Work Practice Framework and the Newly Qualified Social Worker supported year. As we look ahead to 2024-2025, our focus intensifies on developing national and regional infrastructures, ensuring high-quality practice learning opportunities, and actively contributing to the evolution of social work education through consultation and collaboration.

Our mission at SWEP is to futureproof social work education in Scotland by fostering national and regional partnerships and spearheading the implementation of progressive frameworks. Through our dedicated Programme Office, our aim is to ensure those who plan and deliver social work education do so to the highest standard of learning and practice. Vision

At SWEP, we envision a landscape where every social worker is equipped with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to create positive change in the lives of individuals and communities. As we move forward, we remain committed to innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Our Core Objective

Consistency in education.

We are dedicated to ensuring consistent foundations in the development and delivery of social work qualifying programs, aligning with the Framework and Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE), to drive ongoing enhancements in the quality of education across Scotland.

Practice Learning Excellence

Through national and regional strategies, we aim to facilitate partnerships that provide comprehensive practice learning opportunities that ensure social work students are equipped to excel in real-world settings. This includes collaborating with local authorities and partners to create meaningful and impactful learning experiences.

Responsive to Change

We remain vigilant about developments in practice and policy, adapting social work qualifying programs to align with evolving requirements. Our goal is to foster a seamless integration of advancements into education.

Please note The Learning Exchange is no longer under development, this resource may be out of date. This page is provided for archival purposes only.

The framework for social work education in Scotland

Document detailing the framework for social work education in Scotland which consists of the Scottish requirements for social work training, an introduction to the standards in social work education and the standards in social work education.

• Adobe Acrobat PDF
• Social Work degree
• social work education

Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE)

Resources to help you develop knowledge of the Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE) and link them to your social work practice.

Linking the SiSWE to your practice

The SiSWE identify the knowledge, skills and competences you need to demonstrate to qualify as a social worker in Scotland. They are embedded in university teaching and you will need to demonstrate you have met the SiSWE when learning in practice as part of your course.

Essential knowledge, skills and values for social work practice

The journey to becoming a social worker starts with you. You need to develop personal awareness which includes knowing your strengths so you can use these effectively. You also need awareness of your personal strategies so you can organise yourself and balance study, work and home life. Find out more below.

Understanding and managing yourself is essential in social work training and practice. Here are some reflective questions to help you think about what you bring to training and how you can support yourself as a student. 

Reflective questions

• What is my identity (eg age, gender, background, culture)?
• How might my identity impact on others?
• What personal and work experiences do I bring (both positive and challenging)?
• What am I good at (eg strengths, qualities, skills)?

How can I support myself?

• What are my strategies for balancing study, practice learning, paid work and home life?
• What are my strategies for organising my work and myself?
• Who can support or mentor me?
• How do I take care of myself and stay healthy?
• What are my strategies for managing challenges and stress?
• How do I reward myself for my hard work?

Knowledge is central to your social work training and practice. You will need to develop a wide range of knowledge to assess situations comprehensively, choose the best course of action along with the person receiving the service and be able to explain your actions to others. Some examples of the range of knowledge you will need to draw on in your practice are noted below.

• Agency specific knowledge (policy and processes)
• Factual knowledge (eg health conditions)
• Guidance and good practice guides
• National policy
• Legislation
• Theories and ideas
• Models and methods of working.
• What knowledge defines your role and the expectations of you in this role?
• What knowledge do you need to work effectively with each individual, family or group you are working with?
• What knowledge do you need to work effectively with other professionals?
• What knowledge do you already have which you can apply?
• Who do you need to contact to develop your knowledge further and why?

You will need lots of different skills for social work practice and you will already have skills from previous work or other experiences which you can draw on. Some of the core skills which will help you meet the Standards are noted below.

• Developing relationships (with lots of different people)
• Managing personal boundaries (not getting inappropriately involved, remaining objective)
• Supporting people (to do things for themselves, express their needs or wishes)
• Collaborating (with people receiving services, colleagues, other professionals)
• Information gathering (asking personal questions, exploring information)
• Resourcefulness (finding information, services or community resources)
• Adaptability (managing different roles and contexts)
• Flexibility (responding to changing needs and plans, managing crises).
• Organisational skills (finding your way about, juggling deadlines and priorities)
• Digital skills (emails, information and recording systems)
• Taking initiative (asking others, trying out new ideas)
• Perseverance (staying positive and keeping going when it’s tough!)
• Using professional authority (saying no, having difficult conversations)
• Reflective practice (analysing practice, using feedback to develop practice).

Reflective question

• On a scale of 1-10 how skilled do you think you are in the above areas?

Values and ethics

Social work values and ethical practice are at the heart of social work practice and are referred to throughout the Standards. 

Some of the core values you will develop as a student are: 

• open minded and non-judgemental attitude
• awareness of your own values and prejudices
• respect for, and ability to work with, people with different values, beliefs and perspectives
• kindness and compassion (understanding the reality of peoples’ lives).

To help you work in an ethical way you will need to develop knowledge of:

• law and guidance around ethics and equality
• knowledge of the SiSWE Ethical Principles
• knowledge of the SSSC Codes of Practice
• knowledge of the Health and Social Care Standards.

Supervision

What happens in supervision?

Effective supervision is integral to social work practice and you will have regular supervision as part of the practice learning element of your social work programme. Students will experience informal supervision, as and when advice or direction is needed, as well as formal supervision which is a regular, planned and protected time. Supervision is a reflective space for you to talk about both your work with people and your own learning and development.

Supervision discussions about your work with people:

• your role and what is expected of you
• your workload and how you are progressing with this
• your plans, actions and review of work
• getting support, advice and direction
• your work with the systems, policies and processes of the organisation
• agreeing actions and tasks to ensure safe and competent practice.

Supervision and the SiSWE

Supervision is recognised as an important part of students’ learning and development and is referred to in Standards 3, 4 and 5.  To meet the SiSWE you will be expected to use supervision to:

• reflect on your practice and develop your practice
• support your critical analysis of the evidence base for effective practice
• discuss how to approach situations where practice isn’t good enough
• develop your own personal and professional resilience
• identify your future learning needs.

Supervision discussions about your development:

• your individual learning needs and how these could be met through a range of learning opportunities
• your progress, including your strengths and areas to develop
• how you are meeting the SiSWE in both your work with people and your work for learning
• feedback from your practice educator and others about your progress
• your knowledge, skills, values and ethical practice.

Supervision should also be a safe space where you can:

• get support to explore your experiences in depth and make sense of them
• reflect on your practice – what went well and what you would do differently
• talk about how the work affects you
• discuss any ethical dilemmas, challenges and conflicts of values.

Stages in Practice

The content of this model is based on the Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE). We begin with practice and show different stages of practice you may go through in working with people receiving services. In each stage we identify:

• the standards which link closely to that stage of practice and the main themes of those standards
• the knowledge you will need
• the skills you will need, with reflective questions to support you to identify your skills
• values and ethical practice, with reflective questions to support you to explore values and ethics.

Some of the ways you can use this diagram include preparing for practice, reflection on practice, to help you identify which SiSWE you have met in practice and to support learning conversations with practice educators or tutors.

Self Knowledge Skills Values and Ethics Supervision

Assessment and risk management, taking action and making decisions, reviewing and evaluating, developing as a professional, preparation and planning.

Professional relationships

The Competence demonstrated column in each of the six standards identifies the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours which students must evidence before they qualify. Students demonstrating these competences will have developed a broad range of knowledge and skills, will be able to work more autonomously and will practice professionally and ethically.

Links to Standards

• Emotional intelligence
• Professional boundaries
• Complex ethical issues and conflict
• Professionalism
• Own skills, strengths and development needs
• Professional practice, boundaries, integrity and behaviour
• Role of social worker and of own role in organisation
• Methods of managing workload
• Organisational standards
• Codes of practice
• Law, policy, theory and research

The Competence demonstrated column in each of the six standards identifies the skills which students must evidence before they qualify. Click here to read more.

Values and Ethical Practice

• Work at all times within the codes of practice, ethical principles and organisational standards
• Practice ethically and with professional integrity
• Critically analyse, manage, and address ethical dilemmas and conflicts effectively, using knowledge, policy and research
• Effectively challenge oppressive practice
• Effectively challenge decisions which aren’t in peoples’ best interests
• Support people to understand their rights, entitlements and responsibilities

Taking action & making decisions

• Planning a course of action
• Planning, taking action, reviewing and evaluating
• Early intervention and prevention
• Collaboration
• Professional judgement
• Evidence informed practice
• Ethical practice and dilemmas
• Managing self
• Managing resources
• Accountable professional practice
• Role and responsibilities
• Law, policy and guidance
• Theory and research about effective practice
• Methods of intervening
• Services available
• How did you plan, set goals in partnership and review your actions?
• How did you take account of differences of opinion or resolve any conflict ?
• How did you change your plans to respond to changing needs or new information?
• How did you manage self , organise and prioritise work and meet deadlines ?
• How did you manage , and be creative with, resources to meet needs?
• What did you learn from critical reflection on your actions?
• How did you demonstrate person-centred practice?
• How were you sensitive to culture and ethnicity?
• Did your actions promote social inclusion and equality?

Reviewing & evaluating

• Reviewing and evaluating practice
• Taking preventative action
• Best social work practice
• Inter-professional working
• Decision making
• Recording and report writing
• Quality and cost effectiveness
• Roles of self and others
• Policy and guidance about best practice
• Research and theory about methods of working
• Change processes
• Conflict management
• How have you critically reflected on your work?
• How have you used supervision effectively to support your practice development and learning?
• How did you collaborate to make decisions and who with?
• How have you reviewed your actions and interventions ?
• How did you clearly and accurately record your actions?
• Did you challenge any unacceptable practice and, if so, how?
• How did you make sure the content of your recording was ethical?
• How did you manage data/information confidentially within agency and legal guidelines?

Assessment & risk management

• Gathering and analysing information
• Assessing and working in partnership
• Crisis situations
• Assessing and managing risk
• Adult and child wellbeing, safety and protection
• Risk, harm and positive risk taking
• Indicators of harm and abuse
• Impact of developmental delay, disruption, trauma and loss
• Care and control, welfare and justice
• Frameworks, models, processes and methods of assessment
• What methods did you use to communicate and were there any challenges?
• How did you gather and explore relevant information?
• How did you make sense of and critically analyse the information?
• How did you promote positive risk taking while managing the risks ?
• How did you accurately and ethically record your actions?
• How did you identify strengths and promote resilience?
• How did you address inequality and disadvantage?
• Did you need to explore any cultural issues relating to wellbeing, safety and protection?
• How did you balance risk with rights, wellbeing and positive risk taking?
• How did you make ethical, evidence informed assessments?
• How might your own views about risk have influenced your assessment?

Preparation and planing

• Preparation for practice
• Partnership work
• Law, policy, guidance
• Knowledge and research
• Complex issues and dilemmas
• Professional and accountable practice
• Resources and services
• Information management and systems
• Social contexts, disadvantage and inequality
• Social services in a diverse society
• The impact of physical or mental health conditions
• Assessment frameworks, methods and models
• How will you communicate with this person?
• How will you show you have listened and understood them?
• How will you work in partnership with them and others?
• How will you gather, analyse, and assess information?
• How is the person/family/group different to you and how have you respected diversity?
• What assumptions might you have made about this person/family/group?
• What experience of inequality might they have had?
• Planning, implementing, reviewing, evaluating
• Partnership and co-production
• Early intervention
• Crisis work
• Working in group contexts
• Own role and accountability
• Decision making forums
• Partnership working with service users
• Impact of disadvantage and social division
• Human development
• Societal and structural influences on human behaviour
• Trauma and resilience
• Group contexts, processes and dynamics
• The relationship between care and control
• How have you communicated clearly and accurately ?
• How have you worked in partnership with the person/family/group concerned?
• How have you supported or advocated for this person?
• How have you worked with other professionals?
• What cultural or social issues did you need to be sensitive to?
• How did you work with professionals who have different priorities, approaches, or values?
• How did you protect confidentiality while sharing essential information?
• How did you decide the balance between facilitating, supporting, advocating or directly intervening?
• How did you promote citizen leadership and social justice?
• How did you address and manage your own values, value conflicts and prejudices?

Download your copy of the Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE)

Useful documents.

The SSSC Codes of Practice

The codes set out the behaviours and values expected of social service workers and their employers.

Health and Social Care Standards

The standards apply to health and social care, including early learning and childcare, children’s services, social work and community justice.

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• www.sssc.uk.com/
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