How to become a social worker
Official title: Social workers
Also called: Social worker, Adult social worker, Medical social worker, Adoption social worker, Forensic social worker, Education social worker, Fostering social worker, Social work team manager, Social work practitioner, Psychiatric social worker, Supervising social worker, Mental health social worker
Social workers provide information, advice and support to those who are socially excluded or are experiencing crisis; they protect the welfare of vulnerable groups including children, young people, people with disabilities, elderly people and people who are mentally or physically ill, and they may specialise in specific areas of work.
Main tasks
- Liaises with other health and social care professionals and agencies to identify those in need and at risk within the local community
- Interviews individuals and groups to assess and review the nature and extent of difficulties
- Undertakes and writes up assessments to specified standards
- Arranges for further counselling or assistance in the form of financial or material help
- Organises support and develops care plans to address service users’ needs
- Keeps case records, prepares reports and participates in team meetings
- Gives evidence in court
- Participates in training and supervision
How to become one
Social work is a regulated profession and practitioners must be registered with the appropriate statutory body. To register a social worker must satisfy the criteria for registration. Non-graduates must undertake a three year degree in social work; graduates with relevant experience may take a two year postgraduate diploma/Master’s degree. Prior relevant work experience or relevant voluntary work is encouraged. Background checks including a DBS check are required.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Social worker (integrated degree) (level 6). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0510.
- University: Social Work & Community degrees, Offered by 14 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £44,550 a year The middle half earn £39,517 to £49,959.
- About 141,300 people work in this job now, and about 158,500 are projected by 2035. (+12.2%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a social worker?
Social work is a regulated profession and practitioners must be registered with the appropriate statutory body. To register a social worker must satisfy the criteria for registration. Non-graduates must undertake a three year degree in social work; graduates with relevant experience may take a two year postgraduate diploma/Master’s degree. Prior relevant work experience or relevant voluntary work is encouraged. Background checks including a DBS check are required.
How much does a social worker earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £44,550 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £39,517 to £49,959.
Is a social worker a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2035, from about 141,300 to about 158,500 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a social worker?
Usually. 88% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.