Joe Hanley
banner
joehanley.bsky.social
Joe Hanley
@joehanley.bsky.social
Lecturer in social work at The Open University.

https://research.open.ac.uk/people/jh35572
Great experience being invited to talk at UC Berkeley about my work on policy networks and governance. Fitting ground to explore resistance and dissent.
November 10, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Interesting to look back at this article from 2019 when Social Work England launched & the CEO argued their novel approach to Fitness to Practice could prevent fee rises. Fast forward to 2025 & persistent failures in this area now being used to justify fee rises #fromthearchives
October 29, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Our research team are still looking to interview more social work academics and people involved in employing social workers, with a focus on coastal communities. If that sounds like you it would be great to hear from you. Please contact Ciaran.Murphy@edgehill.ac.uk. More details:
September 29, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Josh MacAlister’s appointment as Children’s Minister isn’t landing well with practitioners, per this @CommunityCare poll.
www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/09/17/o...
September 20, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Great day at the #SWUConference 2025. Lots of solidarity and hope shared from the varied speakers. Thanks to @swu-uk.bsky.social for the invitation to be a lil part of it.
September 6, 2025 at 4:53 PM
I reckon I am biased but I think this list of speakers for the upcoming @swu-uk.bsky.social. Conference on 6th September in Manchester is really superb. Looking forward to the opportunity to talk all things solidarity & activism. More details and booking (free) here: swu-union.org.uk/swu-conference
August 26, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Really enjoyed being part of the Festival of Politics at the Scottish Parliament last week, talking about how social work can help build stronger communities and a healthier democracy w/ Caroline MacDonald, Vivien Thomson & Fulton McGregor et al. Great to catch a bit of my first Fringe too!
August 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
There have been strong critical sentiments expressed about the Social Worker Awards previously. But I think this is the first time that I have seen someone actually refuse a nomination. I would have thought people would be asked prior to being listed?
www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/08/07/s...
August 12, 2025 at 11:32 AM
COASTAL SOCIAL WORKERS WANTED! 🏖️⛵️

We are still looking for social workers (or former SWs) with experience of working in coastal communities in England for our research project. If that's you, please get in touch (or pass on to colleagues).

coastalsocialwork@bucks.ac.uk
August 4, 2025 at 8:42 AM
By ignoring the 96% of respondents against the fee increase, Social Work England has shown what has always been true, its approach to consultation is performative at best. I wrote about this in 2022 (full article open access @AotearoaJ):
anzswjournal.nz/anzsw/articl...
July 24, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Social Work England (justifying the now confirmed fee increase) revert to their usual refrain that silly social workers just don't understand their remit. Making it worse, they say this, and then immediately list a load of ways they step outside that remit when it suits them!
July 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
SWE also note that despite a massive response rate for a consultation like this (8,000) that is not a big enough % of the SW population. Of course, they had no problem relying on positive feedback from a much smaller % of social workers in previous consultations when it suited.
July 23, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Sounds like Teach First is getting the Frontline treatment: rebranding, more oversight, emphasis on diversity... In this previous article @robin2399.bsky.social and I argued that these changes were a tacit admission that Frontline had failed. Same can now be said of Teach First.
July 11, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Our research team (@ciaranmmmurphy.bsky.social et al.) are still looking to recruit more social workers and former social workers with experience of working in coastal communities in England. If you are interested, or would like more information, please contact: coastalsocialwork@bucks.ac.uk.
June 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Social Work England Fee Hike: Confirmation that the above inflation rise in registration fees directly reflects the regulator’s ongoing failure to manage fitness to practise cases. We are paying for their failures.
www.socialworkengland.org.uk/about/public...
May 3, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Our research on coastal social work teams is ongoing. We are looking to speak to those involved in supporting this workforce in these communities, including:

- Social Work Educators
- Social Work Employers
- Community representatives

Please email coastalvoices@bnu.ac.uk
April 15, 2025 at 3:15 PM
And yes, it is definitely performative. From the same article (but there's lots of other evidence):
April 3, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Some more information about why this could have a negative impact on the PCF, and just generally be highly disruptive and unecessary, and how it links with other reforms: 5/6
March 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM
This will add to the already ridiculously crowded SW framework landscape & potentially negatively impact the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) currently central to the ASYE (that is being replaced by this). In the consultation DfE don't even bother to capitalise BASW! 4/6
March 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM
"There is scant recognition of the EXTRA WORK and responsibilities AI social work will bring" (my emphasis) - such a valuable point from @realchristiankerr.bsky.social in @basw-uk.bsky.social PSW Mag. Despite promises to the contrary, tech in social work almost always creates more, not less, work.
March 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
If you are a social worker who works, or has worked, in coastal communities in England, please consider taking part in our ongoing research w/ @ciaranmmmurphy.bsky.social et al. Email: coastalsocialwork@bucks.ac.uk.
February 11, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Attention social workers in England! 🚨🚨 There are big changes coming to our training and development frameworks, and not necessarily good ones.

"Say Goodbye to the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF)" - my new article out in @swu-uk.bsky.social newsletter today.
February 6, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Thank you to @basw-uk.bsky.social for pulling together this research briefing with me to help make my recent paper on "The social work public perception myth" accessible to even more people. Students in particular may find this more digestible. Read the briefing here:
basw.co.uk/sites/defaul...
February 5, 2025 at 10:59 AM
My article on behalf of @socwkhistory.bsky.social now in @basw-uk.bsky.social Professional Social Work Magazine, covering the international and important event "Social Work Histories of Complicity and Resistance", in collaboration with the US based Social Welfare History Group.
January 24, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Pleasantly surprised to see @basw-uk.bsky.social highlight my article "The social work public perception myth" in their most recent newsletter😊. Great that it should get more eyes on it to challenge this damaging myth. For the link to the article in BJSW see here: academic.oup.com/bjsw/advance...
January 15, 2025 at 8:35 PM