Making fee payments easier
The Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) has set up a new employer portal, which will provide an easy way for employers to pay for registration and/or practising certificates on behalf of their employed social workers.
This new portal means that social workers will no longer need to manually submit a tax invoice or seek reimbursement from their employer when applying for a practising certificate or registration.
Employers that wish to pay for their social workers’ registration and/or practising certificate fees can now opt-in to be an SWRB ‘Authorised Employer’. Becoming an Authorised Employer allows them to access our Employer Portal, which offers employers of social workers many benefits.
Through our Employer Portal, ‘Authorised Employers’ are able to:
- Receive and pay a single invoice for the practising certificate and/or registration fees of their employed social workers.
- View your employees’ registration, practising, and Practising Certificate renewal status at any time – either tracking live or by receiving a full report.
- Easily add or remove social workers under your employment.
- Make payments through credit / direct debit card or bank account direct debt via the employer portal. Alternatively, they can download the invoice from the portal and process payment through their accounts payable system.
An employer can apply to become an Authorised Employer by completing the below templates and sending them to us at employerqueries@swrb.govt.nz.
Templates:
Additional information
What is the difference between a Registration and Practising Certificate fee?
The registration application fee for social workers is a one-off fee, whereas Practising Certificates must be renewed yearly and is an annual fee and levy.
Once registered, social workers will remain on the register unless they ask to be taken off, or the SWRB Board takes action to de-register them as a result of a complaint. Currently employed social workers should already be registered with the SWRB.
Each year, practising social workers are required to renew their practising certificate if they are working as a social worker in Aotearoa New Zealand. The charge for the practising certificate is made up of two parts – the practising certificate fee and the Disciplinary Levy.
Practising certificates expire at the end of June each year. It is the social worker’s responsibility to renew their practising certificate, and ensure the certificate is current and active to continue to practise.
Confirming the invoice amount
Authorised Employers will receive a invoice for Practising Certificate fees (and registration fees if applicable), based on the list of employed social workers in early May. The employer can view and export the invoice from the employer portal.
We will be in touch with the employer to confirm the list of employed social workers is correct and confirm the invoice amount. Once your invoice total is confirmed to be correct, it will be due on 30 June, but payments can be made from the beginning of May. If the information is incorrect, amendments can be made up until 20 June, by emailing SWRB at employerqueries@swrb.govt.nz.
What happens once the invoice is paid?
Once the SWRB receives payment for the invoice, we will automatically allocate the payment to the relevant social workers’ practising certificate and/or registration fees.
If the employer wishes to pay for any additional practising certificate fees (for example, for new employees) after 20 June, they will be invoiced separately from the invoice. This will be due one month after the invoice is raised, unless otherwise agreed.
For practising certificate renewal, social workers log on to their MySWRB portal via the following link https://my.swrb.govt.nz/. When they get to the payment page, they will receive a message saying that their employer is paying.
Registered Social workers employed by Authorised Employers will be able to download their practising certificates once they complete their declaration.
What does being an Authorised Employer mean for paying registration fees?
The employer can indicate in the agreement if they wish to pay for their social workers’ registration fees. If they do, the registration fees will be included in the invoice generated in May for any social workers in their employment who are not already registered.
If any registration fees are generated after 20 June, for example when new graduates join the employer’s organisation, they will be invoiced separately from the invoice.
For social workers employed by an Authorised Employer who is paying for their registration, their registration application will automatically be treated as paid at the point of application. This makes their application process faster. The SWRB will invoice the Authorised Employer directly.
What does being an Authorised Employer mean for your social worker/s?
When applying for a practising certificate or registration, the social worker will no longer need to manually submit an invoice to their employer or personally make a payment and later seek reimbursement from them. Their application can be processed immediately. It can reduce the time spent on administration for payment and seeking reimbursement.
How much does it cost?
Details of fees can be found on our Fees and funding page: Fees and funding | Social Workers Registration Board (swrb.govt.nz)
