Today we join others in celebrating World Social Work Day. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the vital role social workers play across the motu and around the globe. Aotearoa has seen even more challenges arise over the past year, which reinforces the ongoing need for passionate social workers to help guide our whānau through these difficult times. The theme is ‘Respecting diversity through joint social action’, and we see this lived every day in the contribution that social workers make. 

To mark the day, we are publishing the findings of our 2022 workforce survey. The results confirm the broad range of environments where social workers contribute, and that social workers joined and stay in the profession “to make a difference to people’s lives”. Thousands of registered social workers participated in the survey, and the results provide incredibly valuable insights into the profession and reveals trends in the workforce.  

Headline findings include: 

You can download the full report:

SWRB Workforce Survey Report 2022

Published 21 March 2023