53% of Social Workers Have Had No AI Guidance or Training, Community Care Survey Finds

Research from Community Care found that 53% of social workers had received no guidance or training on using AI at work, the publisher reports. Macleod Research carried out the Learning Landscape survey for Community Care Inform, the publisher's own learning service for social workers, among 1,649 practitioners in England and Wales between June and July 2026.

The study found that 56% used AI in their day to day work. The share using AI tools to find new information about social work practice rose from 13% in 2025 to 37% in 2026.

Practitioners attended an average of four training days during the previous year, down from 4.9 days in 2024 and 2025. Among those who attended training, 59% had cancelled at least one session because of work pressures.