Governance and planning
The NSWA’s planning approach will ensure the vision, values and strategic objectives will be translated into actionable priorities and measurable outcomes. To ensure transparency and openness, NSWA corporate and business plans and reports will be publicly available.
Governance and accountability
The NSWA Senior Leadership Team and the NSWA Management Advisory Board will oversee all NSWA planning activity, with accountability to Scottish Ministers. Arrangements will include regular engagement with the sector and the workforce, and alignment with the SSWP.
Approach to planning and continuous improvement
The NSWA is committed to collaboration and continuous improvement, and planning will incorporate feedback from the social work sector, including sector partners and the workforce, the NSWA staff, the public and people with lived experience. Lessons learned from delivery will be used to refine future plans, drive innovation and support a culture of continuous improvement.
Strategic objectives
Draft strategic objectives have been developed through initial engagement with partners and Scottish Government teams; and reflect the NSWA vision, values and current priorities:
- drive national leadership of social work: provide national leadership and strategic direction for the social work profession, and working with social work leaders to advocate for and champion the profession
- provide impartial social work advice across government: Scottish Government policy and Ministerial decisions are strengthened and well informed by impartial social work advice, resulting in evidence informed and rights based policy outcomes, supporting human rights protections and improving outcomes for people in contact with social work services
- promote continuous improvement in design and delivery of social worker education and learning: strengthen the quality, consistency and accessibility of social work education and continuous professional learning through strategic leadership and oversight
- plan for a sustainable future workforce: enable a co-ordinated national approach to workforce planning across the social work sector by creating an overview of the number of social workers needed nationally to ensure long term sustainability
- strengthen improvement and innovation: strengthen co-ordination of improvement and implementation activity that supports national improvement priorities and drives high quality social work services and practice across Scotland
- foster excellence in our organisation: foster an inclusive, trauma informed and values-driven organisational culture that prioritises employee wellbeing, develops leadership at all levels, and supports a resilient, empowered workforce
Interim corporate plan (2026–27)
The NSWA will develop and publish a one-year interim corporate plan on its establishment. It will focus on immediate priorities, including establishing governance structures and building the systems and partnerships needed for delivery. It will be developed in parallel with the SSWP annual delivery plan and will provide a roadmap to ensure all partners understand NSWA’s purpose, direction and intended impact. Progress will be reviewed regularly and updates made, as necessary, to respond to emerging needs and feedback.
Transition to a multi-year corporate planning
Following on from the interim corporate plan, the NSWA will develop a three-year plan to set out the medium-term strategic direction, priorities and intended outcomes. This will be informed by learning from Year 1, ongoing engagement with partners and alignment with the SSWP Strategic Plan and sector-wide priorities. The corporate plan will be reviewed and updated every three years (or as required), to ensure the NSWA is responsive and focused on continuous improvement.
Annual delivery plan
Each year, the NSWA will publish an annual delivery plan. This document will translate strategic objectives and priorities into specific actions, projects and deliverables. It will detail resource allocation, outline annual targets and milestones, and establish mechanisms for monitoring and reporting. It will be coordinated with the SSWP annual delivery plan to maximise impact and avoid duplication.
The annual delivery plan must be flexible to enable adjustments in response to new challenges, opportunities or feedback. Progress will be reported through quarterly updates, an annual report and regular engagement.