Social work supporting statement: social workers and assistants

Councils advertise social worker posts and social work assistant posts. The social worker person specifications read here list registration with Social Work England, and the social work assistant pack read here never mentions registration. In both, your statement answers the council's person specification; this guide is for job applications, and a statement for a social work degree course is a different document.

Social workers: registration

The National Careers Service social worker profile covers England: it lists apprenticeships and courses "In England" and links to other UK career services for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its "Registration" entry has one line: "you'll need to register with Social Work England". It lists three ways in: a university course, an apprenticeship or a graduate training scheme. It also says "You'll need to: pass enhanced background checks". Of the first year in the job it says "your employer is likely to offer you professional development, like the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE)".

Both person specifications below have a registration line. Warrington's also lists completing the ASYE, so a newly qualified applicant checks that line before applying. Lewisham and Warrington are councils in England; for a post in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, take the registration line from that post's own person specification.

What councils ask social workers for

Lewisham's job description and person specification is for a Social Worker in its Children and Young People directorate; the text carries no date. It says "Those categories marked 'S' will be used especially for the purpose of shortlisting." Warrington's person specification is for a Social Worker in its Integrated Transfer of Care Hub and Intermediate Care Bed Based Services, and its text says "Date November 2025". It marks each line E (essential) or D (desirable) and gives a method code. In its key, A is Application Form, I is Interview and C is Certificate.

Council	The line, in the document's words	Mark
Lewisham	"Registered with Social Work England"	S10
Lewisham	"Degree in Social Work or equivalent qualification"	S9
Lewisham	"Experience of assessment and planning for children and young people"	S6
Lewisham	"Experience of working with children and families"	S7
Lewisham	"Knowledge of the Children Act 1989 and other relevant legislation"	S2
Lewisham	"Knowledge of child protection policy, procedures and practice"	S3
Lewisham	"Awareness of Equal Opportunities issues."	S1
Warrington	"Registration with Social Work England"	E, A/C
Warrington	"Successful completion of Assessed and Supported Year of Employment in ASC (ASYE)"	E, A/C
Warrington	"At least 12-months post-qualified statutory adults Social Work experience."	E, A/I
Warrington	"Good assessment, risk management and care planning skills"	E, A/I
Warrington	"Good working knowledge of care management process and other relevant legislation"	E, A/I
Warrington	"Ability to understand and demonstrate commitment to equality and diversity within the context of the relevant service."	E, A/I

The table gives seven of Lewisham's ten S lines and six of Warrington's 18 E lines. Of the lines marked E, Warrington tells applicants: "You should pay particular attention to these points and provide evidence of meeting them. Failure to do so may mean that you will not be invited for interview." Lewisham's lines under Aptitude, Skills and Personal Qualities carry no S code, so start with the S lines. Lewisham names the Children Act 1989 and Warrington names no Act, so use the law your own post's documents name. How councils shortlist is in the council job guide.

Social work assistants

The National Careers Service profile says "Social work assistants give advice and help people with their physical, emotional and social needs." You can get in through a college course, an apprenticeship or applying directly. For a direct application, "You could apply directly if you have experience in a care role such as a care worker or healthcare assistant", and "You'll usually need a GCSE in English for this route." It adds "Experience of caring for someone in your own family or community can help you get into a social work assistant role." The profile has no Registration entry. The support worker guide covers care roles.

Bridgend County Borough Council's pack for a Social Work Assistant in its IAA and Safeguarding Team (grade GR08) says "Applicants are expected to meet the attributes that have been identified as essential." The lines marked "Yes" in its Essential column are below. The pack does not mention registration.

The line, in the pack's words	Assessed by
"City and Guilds Level 2 Health and Social Care plus: Core & City and Guilds Level 3 Health and Social Care: Practice (Children) or predecessor qualification", followed by "OR"	"Production of original Qualification Certificates and application form."
"Evidence of study to A Level / Level 4 Diploma standard"	The same
"Be prepared to undertake a relevant Health and Social Care Qualification at level 4."	The same
"Experience of undertaking direct work with children and their families within a social work field."	"Interview, application form and selection process."
"Knowledge of current Social Services legislation Children Act 1989 & 2004 and Social Services and Well Being Act (Wales) 2014."	The same
"Full driving licence."	"Interview, application form, and selection process."

The skills lines, such as communicating "clearly and effectively", carry no mark in the Essential column. The pack assesses them by "Interview, application form, and selection process", so give them an example if space allows.

The shape of one answer

The two criteria below come from the Warrington and Bridgend documents. The short lines after "Made up" are invented to show how much one line holds. Use things that really happened to you, and leave out names, ages, addresses and any detail that would identify a person.

Criterion: "Good assessment, risk management and care planning skills"

• When and where: the team and the dates. Made up: a hospital discharge team, 2023 to 2026.
• What you did: one assessment you carried out, the risk you weighed and the plan you agreed. Made up: assessed whether a patient could go home, recorded the falls risk and the options discussed with the family, and agreed a plan of daily care visits.
• What happened: what changed for the person and the service. Made up: the patient went home on the planned date and was not readmitted that month.

Criterion: "Experience of undertaking direct work with children and their families within a social work field."

• When and where: the team and the dates. Made up: a children's front door team, 2024 to 2025.
• What you did: one piece of direct work, and your part in it. Made up: visited a family twice a week for a month to agree contact arrangements, and wrote up each visit the same day for the social worker.
• What happened: what followed. Made up: the contact arrangements were agreed in writing and the social worker used the notes at the review.

Before you submit

• Each line Lewisham marks S, or Warrington marks E, has an example.
• The registration and qualification lines say what you hold.
• Any Act the person specification names appears in an example where you used it.
• No example identifies a person.
• For an assistant post, every line marked "Yes" in the Essential column is covered.

You can also check your draft against the person specification to see which criteria still have no example.