The Social Workers Registration Act (2003) enables the SWRB to set standards for social work education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
All social work tertiary education programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand must meet the SWRB Education Standards (previously the SWRB Programme Recognition Standards) to deliver, and continue to deliver, prescribed social work qualifications.
The Board uses Education Standards to ensure education providers provide a social work degree that:
- delivers on the purpose of the Social Workers Registration Act (2003)
- reflects the content of the SWRB’s General Scope of Social Work Practice
- enables graduates to meet professional standards for entry into the social work profession such as Fitness to Practice requirements, the Code of Conduct and the Ten Core Competencies.
The Standards are reviewed regularly (usually every four years) to ensure they remain fit for purpose. The current review process started late in 2021 and has continued through to 2025.
He Arapaki – Our approach for the review
The SWRB committed to a process which is underpinned by He Arapaki, the SWRB Māori Development Strategy and Action Plan. He Arapaki is informed by the SWRB’s core values of Matatika, Manaaki, Mahitahi and Māia.
Sector engagement and consultation for the draft Education Standards was undertaken within a Te Tiriti o Waitangi framework and representing the SWRB value of mahitahi | the principle of partnership.
2021- 2023
The 2022 phase of the review included significant sector engagement and was overseen by the SWRB’s Chief Advisor Social Work. Kaiwhakahaere were appointed representing tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti to co-lead the work with the SWRB review team. An advisory rōpū was appointed for the review. The rōpū was made up of four tangata whenua and two tagata Pacific social workers. A reference rōpū was also established with its members reflecting Aotearoa’s diversity.
The 2022-2023 review phase drew on themes emerging from wānanga, hui and direct contributions from the sector. Draft Education Standards were developed and made available to the sector in May 2023. In July 2023 a discussion document and online survey was circulated to those who had been involved in the review.
Responses affirmed that the draft standards captured the essence of the themes from earlier engagement in that they better integrated Mātauranga Māori and other knowledge into the curriculum.
2023 –2024
In late 2023, a final review was undertaken to ensure the Education Standards aligned with SWRB legislation and intent, and that key concepts such as public safety appeared in the standards as curriculum guidance for educators.
As well, a comparison of the draft Educations Standards against the standards of other national and international regulatory bodies was undertaken to analyse gaps or overlaps. During this early stage, the approaches to the prescription and monitoring of social work programme delivery were also in development.
Ensuring that the standards are future-focused and flexible enough for alternative programme structures was important to meet future identified needs for the social work profession and to enable innovative approaches to qualification delivery. Further amendments were made in some areas with the goal of improving graduate competence and outcomes, and this work continued into 2025.
2024 –2025
The final version of the Education Standards and the accompanying Prescription and Monitoring Framework was approved by the Board in May 2025, following incorporation of minor changes to introduce greater clarity. The earlier Programme Recognition Standards (PRS) will apply until the end of 2025 when the new Education Standards will be fully operational.
The SWRB has now finalised its proposed monitoring framework, prescription process and education fee structure, the Prescription and Monitoring Framework, for Board approval. There will be further communication about the implementation of the Education Standards and the accompanying Prescription
The Education Standards are now being released to the sector for information and future planning.
You can download:
- Pou and Narrative for SWRB Education Standards 2024
Pou and Narrative for SWRB Education Standards 2024
- The Education Standards (approved May 2025)
The Prescription and Monitoring Framework will be available on this website soon.
We would like to acknowledge and thank all the people who have contributed their time and energy to this mahi.
Q&A sessions on the Education Standards
It is likely that there will be queries regarding details of the Education Standards and the Prescription and Monitoring Framework, so the SWRB will be available for queries and comments.
If you have any feedback or additional queries, please contact us at education@swrb.govt.nz and we will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Coming Up…
Education Fees Consultation
The Education fees charged annually to TEOs have been reviewed based on the activities outlined in the Education Standards and the Prescription and Monitoring Framework.
The Board has approved the fees required for the SWRB’s education functions and the SWRB is due to undertake public consultation on the proposed education fees from 9 June – 6 July 2025.
The consultation process will be supported by:
- A number of online hui with an SWRB presentation and an opportunity for Q&A
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the SWRB website
Details on how to provide feedback will be provided when the consultation documents are released.
The new education fee(s) will be published in the New Zealand Gazette.
Page updated: 27.05.25
