What 2026 Holds for Social Workers: Trends and Expectations

Social care has undergone significant change in recent years, with major reforms already reshaping the sector and even more expected in 2026. This year has been marked by ambitious policy shifts, huge challenges, and a renewed determination to move beyond the idea that social care is only for times of crisis. Instead, there is a growing recognition of the wide-reaching impact social workers have on the lives of children, families, and entire communities.

The reflections below aim to offer a glimpse into what social workers can expect in 2026, a year that promises both continued reform and opportunities to reshape the future of practice.

DFE statutory guidance: here to stay with possible regulation ahead and questions about expansion into other social care sectors

In 2025, the DfE’s statutory guidance reached its full implementation deadline, meaning all agency placements were expected to comply with the 2024 guidance unless there were exceptional circumstances. Although local authorities are at varying stages of compliance, the guidance is clearly here to stay.

If the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act is successfully passed into legislation, Clause 18 (new section 32A) would grant the Secretary of State new powers to make regulations governing how agency workers may be used by local authorities within children’s social care.

These regulations could require agency workers to meet specific standards such as certain qualifications or levels of experience set out how they are to be managed and define the terms under which they may be supplied, including pay and other working conditions.

Importantly, this regulatory power would apply to the wider children’s social care workforce supplied via agencies, not just agency social workers. This means its reach could extend beyond frontline social work to include a broad range of support and care-related roles.

For social care professionals in 2026, it will be more important than ever to work with local authority partners who understand the guidance and how it is evolving, ensuring you receive accurate career advice that reflects your skills and experience.

Families First Partnership Programme (FFP): National Roll-Out

In 2025, the national Families First Partnership (FFP) guidance was published, following the completion of Wave 1 and Wave 2 FFP pathfinder councils. This marked a shift from small-scale testing to a full national reform programme.

The government is supporting this rollout with over £500 million annually from 2025–2026, delivered through a new protected prevention grant. The funding is designed to help local authorities implement Family Help, establish Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs), and embed more consistent Family Group Decision-Making. These reforms build on learning from the pathfinder councils, incorporating refinements based on their feedback and successes.

The evaluation reports published in July 2025 highlighted that a “system-wide, Families First culture” is achievable one that integrates Early Help and Child in Need responses while actively involving families in planning and decision-making.

For social workers, several positive changes may become increasingly visible as we approach the March 2026 deadline for all local authorities to reach full compliance. These include:

• More collaborative, multi-agency working
• Greater continuity and relationship-based practice
• Shared caseloads and more diverse professional roles
• A stronger focus on early intervention, prevention, and family support
• Potential relief from constant crisis-driven work

However, these opportunities also come with challenges, most notably the risk of role blurring as responsibilities shift and professional boundaries evolve. Some commentators and practitioners have warned that the FFP guidance is heavy on process but light on support for practitioners, arguing that the reforms “do very little to improve working conditions for staff.”

Managing mixed professional teams has always been complex, and under FFP, it may become even more so. Decision-making, professional boundaries, accountability, and clarity over roles could become more complicated as responsibilities are shared across social work, health, education, and other sectors.

Finally, cases transitioning from “Family Help” to “Child Protection” under FFP may involve handovers of responsibility—for example, a non-social work Family Help Local Practitioner (FHLP) passing a case to a Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) or Lead Child Protection Practitioner (LCPP). For families, these handovers may feel disruptive, highlighting the importance of careful management and communication during transitions.

My key advice to social workers is to engage early with your managers and service leads to understand how these reforms will affect your role, the work you do, and the teams you collaborate with ensuring you continue to deliver excellent outcomes for children and families.

Uncertainty Around the Replacement of the AYSE Programme

In 2025, the Department for Education (DfE) consulted on post-qualifying standards and induction for children and family social workers, proposing a two-year Social Worker Induction Programme (SWIP) to replace the current one-year Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (AYSE). This change also dropped the previously planned five-year Career Framework (ECF), which would have extended AYSE with two additional years of induction and three years of specialist development.

While SWIP is now the proposed replacement, its implementation depends on sufficient Treasury funding. Funding was expected as part of the next Spending Review, which sets public expenditure for 2026–2029, but no clear deadlines have been confirmed.

A public procurement notice for SWIP-related training outlines a provisional delivery window from April 2026 to March 2029 but emphasizes that both timelines and funding remain indicative and “subject to spending review outcomes.”

For social workers particularly those qualifying, completing a social work apprenticeship, or undertaking programmes through a local authority it is important to monitor developments closely and understand how your career can progress and be supported under the new framework.

Selecting the Right Expert in the QSW Market Matters

The importance of working with experts in the field cannot be overstated. One piece of advice I regularly give to social work professionals looking to progress their careers is to work with a trusted expert or talent partner someone who can provide access to exclusive roles and focus on finding the best assignments for your career development, rather than simply filling vacancies.

Social workers operate in highly sensitive environments, navigating complex regulations and processes under significant pressure. Working with a partner who understands these challenges and offers a consultative approach when exploring new opportunities is key to ensuring your career continues to develop. While I list this as my top tip every year, I believe it is especially crucial as we head into a year of reform, challenge, and urgency in 2026.