What Is Private Social Work?
Private social work refers to the provision of regulated social work services delivered independently of local authorities or statutory bodies.
In England and Wales, private social workers are qualified professionals registered with Social Work England or Social Care Wales who provide specialist assessment, advisory, and court-related services outside of direct local authority employment.
Private social work operates within the same statutory and ethical framework as public sector social work, including:
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The Mental Capacity Act 2005
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The Care Act 2014
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The NHS Continuing Healthcare Framework
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Court of Protection procedures
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CPR Part 35 (where acting as an expert witness)
The distinction lies not in regulation or standards, but in organisational structure and independence.
How Is Private Social Work Different From Local Authority Social Work?
Local authority social workers are employed by councils and exercise statutory duties on behalf of the state.
Private social workers:
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Operate independently of council employment
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May be instructed directly by families, solicitors, deputies, or statutory bodies
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Provide specialist assessments or reports
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Offer court-compliant independent evidence
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Deliver advisory or case management services
Both operate under the same professional standards and regulatory oversight.
Private practice does not mean lower regulation, it means structural independence.
What Services Do Private Social Workers Provide?
Private social work is a broad field. Services commonly include:
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Expert witness reporting
The scope depends on the expertise of the practice and its professional team.
Regulation and Professional Standards
All practising social workers in England must be registered with Social Work England. In Wales, registration is with Social Care Wales.
Private social work practitioners are subject to:
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The same professional codes of practice
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Fitness to practise procedures
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Continuing Professional Development requirements
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Ethical and regulatory oversight
Private practice does not remove statutory accountability.
When operating in court proceedings, additional standards apply, including compliance with CPR Part 35 where relevant.
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The Role of Private Social Work in Court Proceedings
Private social workers may act as:
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Independent experts
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Reporting officers
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Court-appointed assessors
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Advisors in complex statutory matters
In such cases, the duty of the professional is to the court — not to the instructing party.
Reports must be:
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Independent
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Evidence-based
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Decision-specific
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Structured in accordance with statutory tests
Private social work is sometimes misunderstood as an agency or associate network model.
In many cases across the sector, private social work services are delivered by:
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Self-employed practitioners working independently
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Associate panels instructed on a case-by-case basis
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Agencies operating as referral intermediaries
While these models operate legitimately within the profession, they differ structurally from employed practice models.
A structured private social work practice employs its professional team directly, with:
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Defined governance and oversight
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Internal supervision structures
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Quality assurance processes
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Consistent methodological standards
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Organisational accountability
This model supports continuity, consistency, and professional cohesion across cases.
In a fully employed practice, practitioners are not ad hoc contractors - they form part of an established professional team operating under shared standards and internal oversight.
At Nellie Supports, our professional team is directly employed within the practice and operates under a defined governance and supervision framework. This structure supports consistency in assessment methodology, internal quality assurance, and continuity across cases nationally.
Private Practice Is Not the Same as an Agency Model
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Private social work is rooted in regulated social work practice. However, some national practices operate within structured multidisciplinary frameworks.
This model integrates social workers with other regulated professionals within a single governance structure.
Depending on the scope of the practice, this may include:
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Psychologists
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Legal professionals
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Continuing Healthcare specialists
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Nurses
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Specialist consultants
A multidisciplinary practice is not an agency network or referral partnership. It is an internally governed structure in which professionals work within the same organisation, under shared standards, supervision arrangements, and quality assurance processes.
This approach can support:
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Broader evidential analysis
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Psychological screening and psychometric testing where clinically appropriate
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Statutory decision-specific reasoning under the Mental Capacity Act 2005
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Legal procedural compliance in court proceedings
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Integrated governance and oversight
At Nellie Supports, our national private social work practice operates within a multidisciplinary employed model. Social workers, psychologists, and legal expertise are integrated within the same organisational framework, supporting consistency, independence, and professional accountability across cases.
The foundation of the practice remains regulated social work. Multidisciplinary integration strengthens — rather than replaces — that statutory core.