Today is World Social Work Day. A day for people working in social work to celebrate and highlight the vital work they carry out every day to support people in communities worldwide.  

Iona Colvin, Chief Social Work Adviser at the Scottish Government looks to the future of the profession and what’s happening to support the workforce. 

It’s Social Work Week 2025. A time to celebrate the work social workers and the wider social work sector do to support people in our communities.  

We’re celebrating Social Work Week from 17-21 March to recognise the important contribution social workers make to supporting our communities.

From June we’ll introduce a three-year timescale for new registrants in the social care workforce to gain their qualification for registration.

We’ve published a new guide for social care providers on employing 16 and 17-year-olds to provide practical support and help when recruiting young people.

We’re asking workers in all kinds of social work, social care and children and young people roles to share their views in the first Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey.

The Social Workers' Benevolent Trust (SWBT) is for social workers and their dependents, offering financial assistance during times of hardship.

Training providers and employers are invited to offer the new SVQ Integrated Health and Social Care SCQF Level 7, which the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has approved. This qualification promotes the integrated value of health and social care.

The number of social workers in post in Scotland’s local authorities increased over the first six months of this year, reaching the highest number since records began in the 1990s.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has published its second Register snapshot report which gives a unique insight into the social work, social care and children and young people workforce.

The Newly Qualified Social Worker (NQSW) Supported Year is mandatory from today, 1 October 2024. It’s part of the framework that will set out a clear pathway for social workers and employers from qualification to advanced practice.