Social Work Leadership Framework – Frequently asked questions

The Social Care Council’s Social Work Leadership Framework defines the unique leadership role of social workers across all levels and settings. It supports the development of leadership capacity within the profession and promotes collective leadership across sectors such as health, education, justice, and the community and voluntary sector.

It is a framework that defines and describes the distinctive leadership role of social workers across all levels of the profession.

It outlines how social workers can exercise leadership in various settings (health and social care, education, justice, community and voluntary sector, etc.) and participate effectively in collective leadership alongside other professionals.

In essence, it provides a common language and structure for understanding leadership in social work and guides the development of leadership skills within the profession.

Since 2018, workforce reviews highlighted the need to clarify social work-specific leadership capabilities (distinct from generic leadership) and to better equip social workers as leaders for the future. A review was also published in 2022, and leadership capacity was referenced in the Social Work Strategy 2012-2022.

By defining a clear framework, social work can support a collective leadership culture – meaning everyone takes responsibility for leadership. This gives social workers more clarity in their roles and confidence to work effectively with other disciplines.

In short, the framework exists to embed leadership at all levels of social work practice, ensuring the profession is prepared to lead change and improve services now and in the long term.

The Leadership Framework was created to:

• Clarify the distinctive leadership capabilities of social workers.
• Support career development across diverse pathways.
• Enable social workers to contribute effectively to collective leadership in multidisciplinary environments
• Strengthen leadership in social work and address a recognised gap in how the profession approached leadership.

The Leadership Framework identifies four core domains of leadership for social workers. These domains represent different arenas in which social workers exercise leadership and include:

1. Leading Self
   Developing personal leadership qualities and self-mastery. Focuses on personal integrity, resilience, emotional intelligence, and commitment to continuous learning and ethical practice.
2. Leading with Others
   Working collaboratively and influencing people around you. Emphasises building positive relationships, effective communication, collaboration, and valuing diversity in teams and communities.
3. Leading Practice
   Championing excellent social work practice and innovation. Involves influencing and improving social work practice, promoting evidence-informed approaches, and supporting quality outcomes.
4. Leading the Profession
   Contributing to the direction and integrity of social work as a whole. Encourages shaping the future of social work through innovation, policy influence, advocacy, and contributing to the development of the profession.

Each of the four domains are interconnected and apply to all social work roles. Together, they paint a picture of holistic leadership in social work, from the personal level to the community and professional level.

To find out more about each domain right now read the Get to know your Social Work Leadership Framework resource which highlights key takeaways for social work practice.

The implementation of the Leadership Framework had its origins in the Department of Health’s Social Work Strategy and is being led by the Social Care Council (as the professional regulator for social workers in Northern Ireland). This strategy involves collaboration across all sectors that employ social workers.

A Social Work Leadership Framework Implementation Group (involving the Social Care Council and social work employers and leaders) has been set up to oversee, coordinate and guide this work and ensure the Leadership Framework’s recommendations are carried out across the social work profession.

This group plays a central role in supporting the Leadership Framework’s application, as it is intended to underpin the design and delivery of professional leadership development, support practice day to day, career planning, and build leadership capacity across the profession.

The Leadership Framework is being implemented in several practical and strategic ways to embed leadership across all levels of the social work profession in Northern Ireland. Some of these are outlined below.

Integration into Professional in Practice (PiP) Framework

The Leadership Framework is being aligned with social work leadership development programmes and post-qualifying training. For example, its content is mapped onto the PiP framework, ensuring that leadership capabilities are part of formal learning and qualification requirements. It has been included in the PiP awards, through the Leadership and Strategic Award. This award supports social workers in demonstrating leadership through critical reflection, innovation, and service improvement.

Social work curricula (at universities and in in-service training) are also being updated to include knowledge and skills from the Leadership Framework.

Collective leadership across sectors

The Leadership Framework promotes collective leadership by encouraging collaboration across all of the sectors where social workers are employed including:

• Health and social care
• Probation
• Youth Justice
• Education
• Community and voluntary.

It also supports social workers to lead within multidisciplinary teams and influence service delivery and policy.

Embedding social work leadership with employers

Employers of social workers are encouraged to align their leadership development programmes and workforce strategies and policies with the Leadership Framework. It can help to inform the design and delivery of leadership training, mentoring, and professional development opportunities for social workers at all levels.

This also means supervision sessions and performance reviews for social workers can explicitly discuss leadership development using the framework’s language.

Similarly, job descriptions and interview questions for social work roles may be linked to the four domains, to identify and encourage the leadership capabilities outlined in the Leadership Framework.

Promoting a shared language of leadership

The Leadership Framework provides a common language for leadership that is specific to social work, helping to distinguish it from generic leadership models. It also supports reflective practice and helps social workers articulate their leadership contributions more clearly.

Career planning and early career introduction

The Leadership Framework can be used as a guide for career development conversations. Social workers are encouraged to use it for career planning, helping them identify which leadership skills to build as they progress. The Leadership Framework is also being introduced to social worker students and newly qualified social workers early, so that even those at the very start of their careers understand that leadership is an expected and supported part of their professional growth.

All of these steps mean the Leadership Framework isn’t just a theoretical document – it’s actively being woven into the fabric of social work education, professional development, and organisational culture.

The answer is simple – everyone in the social work profession, not only those in designated leadership roles.

The Leadership Framework applies to all registered social workers in Northern Ireland, regardless of their role, level of seniority, or area of practice. It applies across the breadth of roles and career stages in social work. This includes:

• Newly qualified social workers starting their careers.
• Experienced social work practitioners in frontline roles.
• Team leaders and managers overseeing services.
• Educators and practice assessors supporting learning and development.
• Policymakers and strategic leaders influencing systems and services.
• Social workers in specialist roles across health, justice, education, and the community and voluntary sector.

The Leadership Framework is designed to be inclusive and flexible, recognising that leadership is not limited to formal positions. It encourages every social worker to see themselves as a leader—whether through direct practice, collaboration, innovation, or advocacy.

In short, if you are a social worker (in any setting or position), the Leadership Framework is meant for you.

It highlights that leadership is an activity and responsibility for every social worker, whether you are working directly with service users, in supervision/management, in policy and research, or any other area of practice.

This inclusive approach ensures that leadership is embedded at every level of the profession, rather than being seen as relevant only to those “at the top.”

You can absolutely be a leader as a student. The Leadership Framework encourages leadership at all levels, including during your education and training. Here’s how you can demonstrate leadership as a student:

Lead Yourself

• Be reflective: Think critically about your values, learning, and practice.
• Stay curious: Ask questions, seek feedback, and pursue learning opportunities.
• Practice self-care: Build resilience and manage stress effectively.

Lead with Others

• Support your peers: Offer encouragement, share resources, and collaborate.
• Communicate respectfully: Listen actively and contribute thoughtfully in discussions.
• Value diversity: Embrace different perspectives and experiences.

Lead Practice (even in placements)

• Apply theory to practice: Use your learning to make informed decisions.
• Be proactive: Take initiative during placements and learning activities.
• Promote good practice: Uphold social work values like dignity, rights, and justice.

Lead the Profession

• Get involved: Join student forums, advocacy groups, or professional bodies like BASW.
• Champion change: Speak up about issues that matter to you and your community.
• Be a role model: Demonstrate professionalism and integrity in all settings.

You do not need a formal title to practice leadership – even as a social work student, you can start developing and demonstrating leadership qualities. As a student, you can exhibit leadership by being reflective and proactive in your learning, managing yourself professionally (for example, handling feedback or ethical dilemmas with integrity), and demonstrating a commitment to social work values in your coursework and placements. These personal leadership skills are highly valuable and set the stage for future growth.

Additionally, Leading with Others is something you can practice during your studies. This might look like taking initiative in group projects, collaborating well with your peers, supporting classmates, or positively engaging with service users and placement supervisors during fieldworkniscc.info. By communicating effectively, sharing knowledge, and showing respect and empathy in your interactions, you are honing leadership in teamwork and relationship-building.

Importantly, the Leadership Framework is being introduced to social work students, as part of your Degree in Social Work, so that you can start thinking of yourself as a potential leader from the beginning of your career.

Embracing these opportunities – such as volunteering for a responsibility, advocating for an issue you’re passionate about, or simply being a role model of professional behavior – are all ways you can be a leader as a student.

In day-to-day practice, the Leadership Framework can serve as a guide and a tool for reflection on how you lead in your role. As a qualified social worker, you can use the Leadership Framework in your everyday practice to strengthen your impact, support your development, and contribute to the social work profession. There are many ways you can do this, including:

Use it for self-reflection

Reflect on your strengths and areas for growth across the four leadership domains: Leading Self, Leading with Others, Leading Practice and Leading the Profession. Use it to guide your professional development and identify goals for supervision or appraisal.

Apply it in supervision and continuing professional development (CPD)

Bring the Leadership Framework into supervision discussions to explore how you’re demonstrating leadership in your role. Use it to shape your CPD activities, such as choosing training, mentoring, or project work that builds leadership skills.

Lead in your team and community

Model ethical and values-based practice. Take initiative in team discussions, case reviews and/or service improvements. Support colleagues and social work students by sharing knowledge and encouraging reflective practice.

Influence practice and policy

Use your voice to advocate for service users and challenge inequality or poor practice. Contribute to policy development, practice forums, or multi-agency initiatives. Share innovative ideas or learning from your work to help shape the profession.

Embed it in everyday practice

Use the Leadership Framework as a lens for decision-making, especially in complex or ethical situations. Align your work with the values of collective leadership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Finally, remember that displaying leadership can happen from any desk: you might contribute by sharing practice knowledge in a team meeting, championing a service improvement, advocate on behalf of a service user or upholding standards that inspire your colleagues. Using the Leadership Framework in your practice simply means being deliberate about your leadership role – recognising opportunities in your everyday work to influence positive change, and then acting on them. Over time, these small leadership actions, guided by the Leadership Framework, can significantly enhance your impact as a practitioner and advance the goals of social work.

Yes, the Leadership Framework applies to you, if you are or are not a manager. The core message is that leadership is not confined to those with “manager” in their job title. It explicitly states that leadership is the responsibility of all social workers and applies to staff at every level. This means that whether you are a front-line social worker, a senior practitioner, a student, or in any other role, you have the capacity to be a leader in your context. The Leadership Framework is built on the idea of inclusive and collective leadership, meaning that every social worker can demonstrate leadership through their values, actions, and influence.

If you are in a management position, you can apply the Leadership Framework in a number of ways, including:

You lead through practice

• You make decisions that affect people’s lives.
• You advocate for service users and challenge injustice.
• You model ethical, person-centred practice every day.

You lead with others

• You collaborate with colleagues, families, and professionals.
• You contribute to team discussions and share your insights.
• You support students, new staff, or peers through informal mentoring.

You lead yourself

• You reflect on your practice and seek to grow.
• You manage your wellbeing and resilience.
• You uphold professional standards and values.

You influence the profession

• You bring fresh ideas and perspectives.
• You contribute to service improvement and innovation.
• You represent the profession in your community and networks

The Leadership Framework is highly applicable to your continuous professional learning and development. It’s designed to support social workers at all stages of their careers in growing their leadership capabilities. Here’s a few ways how it connects to your continuous professional learning and development:

Supports reflective practice

Use the Leadership Framework to reflect on your leadership strengths and areas for growth. It helps you think about how you lead yourself, work with others, influence practice, and contribute to the profession.

Guides CPD Planning

Align your learning goals with the four leadership domains:
• Leading Self
• Leading with Others
• Leading Practice
• Leading the Profession

Choose CPD activities that build leadership skills like mentoring, project work, or training in communication and influence.

Enhances supervision and appraisal

Use the Leadership Framework in supervision sessions to discuss your development.
It provides a shared language for talking about leadership in everyday practice.

Links to Professional in Practice (PiP)

The Leadership Framework underpins a PiP award – the Leadership and Strategic Award, helping you gain formal recognition for your leadership development.

Encourages lifelong learning

Leadership is a journey, not a destination. The Leadership Framework helps you continuously evolve as a leader, no matter your role or experience level.

The Leadership Framework can be a powerful tool when applying for a new role. It helps you showcase and describe your leadership qualities, even if you’re not applying for a formal leadership or management position.

One of the Leadership Framework’s stated purposes is to help social workers plan and pursue career opportunities in various areas (whether in direct practice, management, academia, policy, etc.). So, you can use the Leadership Framework as a roadmap to assess what a new role expects and how your experience fits.

If the new position is a step up in leadership, look at the Leading the Profession or Leading Practice aspects and prepare examples of times you’ve met those challenges. If it’s a role in a different sector, consider how you have Led with Others in collaborative efforts or adapted your Leading Self skills to new environments. By doing this, you not only prepare yourself to answer questions thoughtfully, but you also show the employer that you are versed in the Leadership Framework guiding the social work profession.

A few things to think about:

1. Strengthen your personal statement or application form

Use the four leadership domains (Leading Self, Leading with Others, Leading Practice, Leading the Profession) to structure examples of your experience. Highlight how you’ve demonstrated leadership through, for example, ethical decision-making, team collaboration, service improvement, advocacy and/or innovation

2. Prepare for interviews

Use the framework to reflect on your leadership behaviours and prepare strong, values-based answers. Anticipate questions like:

“Tell us about a time you led a change in practice.”
“How do you support others in your team?”
“How do you demonstrate leadership in your current role?”

3. Show career progression

Demonstrate how you’ve grown across the leadership domains over time. Link your development to CPD activities, Professional in Practice (PiP) awards, or supervision goals.

4. Align with values

Many employers value inclusive, collaborative, and ethical leadership—all of which are central to the Leadership Framework. Referencing the framework shows you’re committed to professional standards and sector-wide leadership goals.

You can find more information about the Social Work Leadership Framework directly from the Social Care Council’s Learning Zone.

You may also find updates and further guidance through professional channels or from your employer.