The Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill has had its first reading.

Making social worker registration mandatory is something the Social Workers Registration Board has wanted to see for some time so we are pleased to see the new legislation progressing.

We are also pleased with the Bill’s dual intent – to protect the public and to lift the standing of the social work profession.

We believe mandatory registration is vital for the continued standing of the profession and being able to provide the public with assurances around social work quality and accountability.

However, we do have concerns about some aspects of the proposals, including around the proposed mechanism for defining what social work practice is.

We are talking with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to make sure they understand our concerns.

As the regulatory authority for social workers, we look forward to providing advice as the draft legislation moves through the Select Committee process.

We strongly encourage those working in the social work sector to participate in the Select Committee process and share their views by way of submissions.

A copy of the Bill and its progress can be found here.