Research in Practice is working with Social Work England to find out more about how AI is being used by social work employers and social work educators in social work education and practice.
Why is this important?
New technologies offer opportunities to improve efficiency, streamline workloads, and reduce administrative tasks. However, their use can also pose risks to the public, depending on how their use is governed, regulated, and assured by employers and other bodies.
This study will explore the benefits and risks of AI in social work to understand how employers and social workers balance these factors. As a professional regulator, Social Work England are aiming to better understand the challenges and opportunities AI presents to social workers and employers, as well as its potential impacts on public safety, confidence, and trust in the profession.
Aims
Our aim is to explore the emerging use of artificial intelligence (AI) in social work education and practice in England. Social Work England is responsible for regulating social workers in England, ensuring high standards of practice and conduct, and ultimately improving people's lives and communities.
How to contribute to the research
There are several ways to contribute to this important research:
- Complete the survey (professional stakeholders),
- Attend a focus group (professional stakeholders),
- Request a Participation Group Consultation Pack (involve people who access services).
Follow the links to learn more and register your interest in attending a focus group. Further information is below.
The purpose of this survey is to gather insights and perspectives about the emerging use of artificial intelligence (AI) in social work education and practice in England. The survey will help us understand:
- The types of AI being used or planned for use in social work.
- The opportunities, risks, and ethical challenges of AI.
- How social work educators and employers are supporting social workers in using AI.
Please complete this survey if you are a registered social worker, social work employer (children and families, adults, or NHS), local authority IT/Data and performance lead or AI innovation or project lead, social work educator, practice educator or CPD provider delivering AI focussed training. Follow the link to learn more.
Please share the link to the survey with your colleagues. Your voice matters!
Survey closes: Friday 28 March at 17:00.
This focus group will explore the emerging use of artificial intelligence (AI) in children and families social care, including opportunities, risks, and ethical challenges.
Details
- Date: Thursday 27 March 2025
- Time: 10:00-12:00
- Where: Microsoft Teams
What will we discus?
We will have focussed discussions about:
- The types of AI that are currently or planning to be used in children’s social care,
- The opportunities, risks and ethical challenges of AI technology, and
- How confident and prepared social workers feel to use AI in practice and how employers are supporting this journey.
Who is this focus group for?
Please register your interest if you are a:
- Practising registered social worker, practice leader, principal social worker (PSW), IT/Data and performance lead, project/innovation lead, or learning and development, AND you are employed by a:
- Local authority children’s social care.
- NHS trust.
- Other organisation employing social workers to provide children’s social care.
- Sector leader with oversight of social work practice.
- We are keen to hear from ASYE social workers about how their social work education helped prepare them to use AI ethically and in alignment with Social Work Practice Standards.
- We welcome and encourage contributions from social workers and social work employers about how you are enhancing and personalising support for employees and people accessing services who might/already benefit from AI being used to enhance support for people from non-English speaking backgrounds, disabilities and neurodiversity.
This focus group will explore the emerging use of artificial intelligence (AI) in adults and NHS social care, including opportunities, risks, and ethical challenges.
Details
- Date: Thursday 27 March 2025
- Time: 13:00-15:00
- Where: Online
What will we discus?
We will have focused discussions about:
- The types of AI that are currently or planning to be used in adults and NHS social care,
- The opportunities, risks and ethical challenges of AI technology, and
- How confident and prepared social workers feel to use AI in practice and how employers are supporting this journey.
Who is this focus group for?
Please register your interest if you are a:
- Practising registered social worker, practice leader, principal social worker (PSW), IT/Data and performance lead, project/innovation lead, or learning and development, AND you are employed by a:
- Local authority children's social care.
- Children's trust.
- Other organisation employing social workers to provide statutory or voluntary support to children and families.
- Sector leader with oversight of social work practice.
- We are keen to from ASYE social workers about how their social work education helped prepare them to use AI ethically and in alignment with Social Work Practice Standards.
- We welcome and encourage contributions from social workers and social work employers about how you are enhancing and personalising support for employees and people accessing services who might/already benefit from AI being used to enhance support for people from non-English speaking backgrounds, disabilities, neurodiversity, and aged care.
This focus group will explore the emerging use of artificial intelligence (AI) in social work education for social work educators and colleagues.
Details
- Date: Friday 28 March 2025
- Time: 10:00-12:00
- Where: Online
What will we discus?
We will have focussed discussions about:
- The opportunities, risks and ethical challenges of AI technology, and
- How social workers are being prepared to use AI ethically, and confidently in their future social work practice.
- Strategies for social work employers and social work educators to work in partnership to mutually inform the future readiness of the social work workforce to engage with new technologies ethically and appropriately.
Who is this focus group for?
This focus group is for:
- Social work educators: providers of social work qualifying education and training subject to the Social Work Education and Training Standards.
- Sector leaders with oversight of social work practice
- Those responsible for the quality of practice education and early career development of social workers from local authority/NHS/Children's trusts
Considering the views of people accessing social work services is essential - their information will be used in AI applications.
We are inviting participation groups in adult and children’s social care to help us explore AI's impact on public safety, trust, and confidence in the regulatory system.
We are seeking input from participation groups on a range of themes related to the emerging use of AI in social work and what this could mean for people who access services and their families, such as:
- The ways AI can improve people’s lives, such as improving. accessibility and efficiency.
- Potential risks and ethical challenges of AI in social work.
- Expectations about how AI uses personal information.
- Rules about how AI should and should not be used.
AI has the potential to enhance support for individuals with disabilities, learning difficulties, neurodiversity, and aged care. We welcome and encourage contributions from participation groups that advocate for these communities.
Please contact us to learn more about how participation groups can be a part of this important conversation and receive a Participation Group Consultation Pack.
