Conclusion

Social workers have significant powers, rights and responsibilities in their professional role. As such, social work and social workers are regulated within the UK. This is part of their professional accountability and means that to be a social worker requires registration with a regulating body. In order to be registered, a period of education and training has to be undertaken. As part of that education the student social worker will learn about the law.

The law is not a simple entity that can just be read in a book. It has to be interpreted and applied to a given situation. Sometimes law, best social work practice and social work values may interact in a complex and challenging way. For this reason, it is important for social workers to continue to develop their understanding of the law in the context in which they practise. It is also an area where it is important for practitioners to take advice, particularly around complex and contested issues.

The law also has a vital role in the regulation of professional practice, and such regulation is important to social workers, as it provides clear boundaries for their practice. Boundaries also provide the public with confidence in the profession. It is important for service users to know that a legal framework exists and that remedies are available when professionals act outside the legal framework.

This course is part of a suite of courses on social work and the law. You may be interested in continuing your studies in this subject with the following courses:

• An introduction to social work law [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
• Applying social work law with children and families
• Applying social work law to asylum and immigration

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course K271 Social work law.