What Happens at a Social Work England Hearing

Written and reviewed by Dr Shehzad Iqbal, MBBS, MRCS, MRCGP, Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Law and Ethics · Updated 4 November 2026

Before a Social Work England hearing

A case reaches a hearing after an investigation, when the case examiners refer it to adjudicators. How the investigation works is in our guide to a Social Work England investigation. Before the hearing itself, Social Work England:

• Manages the case. You fill in a pre-hearing questionnaire, and there may be a case management meeting to set dates, witnesses, disclosure and the format of the hearing.
• Sends you its case. You receive a statement of case and a bundle of evidence. You reply by admitting or denying each allegation, commenting on the witness statements and sending your own evidence.
• Gives you notice. You get at least 28 calendar days’ notice of the hearing unless you agree to less.
• Publishes the allegations. They appear on Social Work England’s website 14 days before the hearing.

If you need to ask for a postponement, do it early and give reasons: Social Work England says hearings are not postponed or adjourned for convenience alone.

On the day of the hearing

The panel is made up of independent adjudicators, a lay chair and a social worker, with an extra lay adjudicator possible at a final hearing. A legal adviser guides the panel on process but takes no part in its decisions. Social Work England’s case is put by a case presenter.

• Where. Hearings are held remotely on Microsoft Teams, in person in Sheffield (other places only in exceptional cases), or as a mix of the two. If you attend in person, travel and accommodation are at your own cost, though you can raise hardship with the hearings team.
• Hours. A hearing day runs from 9:30am to 5pm with a break for lunch, and a final hearing can last several days.
• In public or in private. Hearings are held in public, except interim order hearings and reviews and hearings about physical or mental health. You or Social Work England can ask in writing for part of a hearing to be held in private.
• Recording. No one may record or photograph the hearing, but you can ask for a transcript.
• Evidence. Taking an oath or an affirmation is your choice, and you can ask for reasonable adjustments in advance.

Final hearings cannot be held as meetings on paper. Some other decisions can be made at a meeting, without oral evidence.

The three questions the adjudicators decide

1. The facts. The allegations are read and you admit or deny each one. Social Work England presents its evidence and witnesses, who can be cross-examined; you can give evidence on oath or affirmation and call your own witnesses. The adjudicators then decide which facts are proved. If none are proved, the case ends.
2. Statutory ground and impairment. The adjudicators decide whether a statutory ground applies, such as misconduct, lack of competence or health, and whether your fitness to practise is impaired now. They look at present risk and at remediation. If your fitness to practise is not impaired, the case ends with no further action, advice or a warning.
3. Sanction. Both sides make submissions. Social Work England says the purpose of a hearing is to protect the public, not to punish the social worker, and that a sanction should be the minimum needed to protect the public and the wider public interest.

Outcomes, publication and appeals

Before a conditions or suspension order ends, a review decides whether the concerns have been addressed. The order can be extended by up to three more years, replaced with another order or, in some cases, end in removal; our guide to working in another role after removal or striking off explains what that means for work. Hearing details are published before a hearing and outcomes after it. You can appeal some decisions, including a final order, within 28 days of being told of the decision. The steps after a suspension are in our guide to returning to practice after suspension.

Representation and support

You can have a legal representative, represent yourself, be represented by an organisation you belong to, or, with approval, ask a friend or family member to act for you. A McKenzie friend can help you but does not represent you. If you name no representative, Social Work England treats you as representing yourself. Social Work England suggests advice from a defence organisation, a law centre, Citizens Advice or a private representative, and the legal adviser can explain the process to you on the day but cannot give you legal advice. How to prepare your evidence and statement is in our guide to preparing for a fitness to practise hearing.

Remediation and CPD before the hearing

At the impairment stage the adjudicators look at present risk and remediation. Evidence that you understand the concern and have acted on it is evidence they can weigh:

1. A course matched to the allegation, with a dated certificate.
2. A written reflection on what happened, what you understand now and what you do differently.
3. Evidence the change has lasted, such as supervision notes or a reference from a manager or a colleague.

Give these to your representative to decide what goes in your bundle. The same course and reflection can also be one of your pieces of CPD for Social Work England renewal. The course for each kind of concern is in our guide to Social Work England courses.

The course for a hearing and for CPD

Courses that sit beside it

A team buying for its social workers can use Bulk Buy: £200 for 3 courses, £300 for 5, £500 for 10. Not sure which course fits the allegation? Book a free 15-minute call or see which course do I need.

Guides that help

The CPD courses linked from this guide, How to Deal with a Complaint or Investigation, Ethics and Ethical Standards for Social Workers, Professionalism and Professional Standards for Social Workers and Module on Insight, are by Probity & Ethics, written by Dr Shehzad Iqbal, CPD certified and accredited by The CPD Certification Service (provider no. 13197) and offered since 2020.

Questions and answers