He ara pūkenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei whakamana mātā waka
The many pathways of knowledge, the many pathways of social work,
upholding the dignity of all
It’s been an eventful and productive month for the SWRB. We’ve seen positive legislative change as amendments to the Social Workers Registration Act 2003 successfully passed through the House. We’ve also expanded our evidence base with a new workforce insights report added to our suite and welcomed some new faces to the team.
One of the highlights during the passage of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Bill was hearing members speak with such respect and appreciation about social workers and the impact of their mahi for the most vulnerable in our communities. The cross-party support for these amendments reflects the wide recognition of the vital role social workers play in our society. We’ve included a sample of some of these comments from the Third Reading below.
I’m particularly pleased to introduce Amy Ross into the Special Advisor, Social Work role. Amy will be known to many of you through her work on the pay equity settlement for social workers. We warmly welcome her to our SWRB whānau, in a part-time role providing strategic and practise advice. She looks forward to engaging with you in her work, so we’ll share details of opportunities as they take shape. You can read more about Amy in this edition of Onboard.
Ngā mihi nui,
Sarah Clark
Chief Executive
Recognition of social workers as legislation changes approved
Amendments to the Social Workers Registration Act 2003 were passed by the House last week as the Social Workers Registration Amendment Bill passed its third reading.
Having the social work profession as the focus of the House provided a valuable opportunity for members to express their appreciation for the work that social workers do, while reinforcing the value of occupational regulation in building the public’s trust and confidence. At each stage of the parliamentary process, members have recognised the professionalism of social workers and the valuable work that occurs across the country.
The policy and technical amendments to the Social Workers Registration Act 2003 (the Act) will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its operation. The amendments include:
- transferring from MSD the power to investigate and prosecute people who falsely claim to be/employ those claiming to be registered social workers. This will ensure there is a single point of contact for all matters related to social worker registration
- confirmation of the Board’s role in monitoring the provision and delivery of prescribed social work education programmes
- increasing the pool of social workers available for the Disciplinary Tribunal which will speed up the Tribunal formation process.
What people said during the Bill’s third reading
Hon Louise Upston (Minister for Social Development and Employment): “I want to acknowledge the vital support that social workers provide to some of our most vulnerable populations across New Zealand. They support their communities to ensure that people receive the assistance they need to live safe and fulfilling lives … My thanks go to the social workers for the essential work they do in our communities, often in very challenging circumstances and dealing with New Zealanders that have very complex circumstances in their lives. I know that this bill will assist them and support their efforts and ensure the professional standards that they uphold each and every day.”
Glen Bennett (Labour): “Every single day social workers go to work to love people, to care for people, to be allies and advocates and supporters … We need to celebrate, acknowledge, and ensure that our social workers are not only resourced, but they are protected.”
Ricardo Menéndez March (Green): “It is critical … to have better accountability mechanisms and that the Government genuinely invests in resourcing and improving the working conditions of social workers so that we set them up to be their best and avoid overworking and underpaying.”
Laura McClure (ACT): “I, firstly, just want to shout out to the social workers, because these guys are out there every day … I want to acknowledge you, and I see you this morning and thank you so much for your hard work.”
Tanya Unkovich (NZ First): “I want to acknowledge all of the social workers out there for everything they had done.”
Takutai Tarsh Kemp (Te Pāti Māori—Tāmaki Makaurau): “Social workers hold a vital role within our communities. It’s not an easy job being a social worker. We hope that this bill is able to help those social workers in the field change the negativity and provide light for our whānau.”
Read the full House debate on the third reading of this bill
Press release from the Minister, Hon Louise Upston
“It is crucial we have a workforce of social workers who are able to serve increasingly complex and diverse needs. I recognise the hard work and stressful situations they frequently find themselves in, and the need for professional protections too.
“The 16 amendments passed today provide fit-for-purpose occupational regulation — an important part of ensuring the safety of both social workers and the public throughout New Zealand.”
Read Minister Louise Upston’s statement about the passing of this legislation
Introducing Amy Ross, Special Advisor – Social Work
No Ōtepoti ahau, engari e noho ana au ki Pae Tu Mokai
Ko Amy Toku Ingoa
Kia ora
My name is Amy Ross, and I hail from Dunedin, though I now live in Featherston with my cat, two dogs, seven chickens (I know!) and partner Kara.
I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Social Workers Registration Board as Special Advisor – Social Work. In every job that I have had, from my frontline social work roles through to my union and Government work, the mana and oranga of the profession has always been at the heart of my mahi. I see the complex tapestry social workers need to weave in their work to strive for justice amongst many unjust structures and to walk alongside people in their lives and I am so proud to be amongst you.
I come into this role at an extremely interesting time with the review of the Social Workers Registration Act due and important workforce planning work under way. I am excited to support the amazing kaimahi here at the SWRB and engage with you all on this work.
I look forward to opportunities to kōrero with you soon!
Social Worker Employers Report highlights challenges and opportunities
The SWRB’s first Social Worker Employers Report was published recently. This report is part of a series of workforce reports based on the voices of the profession. It adds to that from social works themselves, through the annual social worker workforce survey and report, and the voices of social work educators and helps build our understanding of the social worker workforce from employers’ perspectives.
Based on survey responses from social worker employers, the report highlights themes impacting employers, including:
- challenges in the supply of social workers, particularly for larger government employers
- recruitment and retention challenges in rural settings, older peoples’ services, and services meeting the needs of Māori and Pacific peoples
- challenges and benefits for employers offering work-based learning opportunities (field education) for ākonga pursuing social work qualifications
- employers’ high levels of awareness of their legal and regulatory responsibilities when they employ social workers, but awareness is not always matched by confidence in meeting those obligations.
The Social Worker Employers Report 2024 complements other work we do as the Lead Agency for social worker workforce planning and supports government agencies in their workforce planning activities.
Preparing for Practising Certificate renewal
Social workers with Practising Certificate debt
If you have outstanding Practising Certificate (PC) debt with the SWRB from a previous round of PC renewals, you will not be able to renew your certificate for 2025/26.
All social workers with debt have been receiving regular email reminders about overdue payments. Please resolve any outstanding debt promptly to ensure you receive your renewed practising certificate.
Social workers are responsible for their PC payment even if their employer has agreed in principle to pay. We are currently following up with individual social workers and employers with outstanding invoices.
What you can do now
- Clear any outstanding debt by paying your fees directly from within your MySWRB account by credit or debit card.
- If your employer has indicated they will pay your fees, check that they are signed up as an authorised employer with the SWRB and that have put you on their billing list.
- Make sure your contact details are correct in MySWRB.
- If you have changed jobs or roles in the last year, make sure your employer details are updated.
Employers: how to pay for your social workers’ practising fees
All employers wanting to pay for their social workers’ practising fees directly should sign an authorised employer agreement with the SWRB.
If you were an authorised employer for the last practising certificate renewal period, your agreement will continue automatically, unless you have accrued debt.
We will shortly send all authorised employers a list of covered employees. Please review, update and return this list by Friday, 9 May to ensure a seamless renewal of practising certificates for your staff.
By becoming an authorised employer, you can:
- receive fortnightly consolidated invoices for your employed social workers’ fees
- pay invoices via bank transfer, or via credit/debit card within your authorised employer account
- add or remove social workers from your billing list by advising us of any changes, either via your authorised employer account
,or by having an authorised contact email us. Social workers are not able to add themselves to an authorised employer’s account.
The SWRB does not send invoices to employers unless there is an authorised employer agreement in place. As an authorised employer, the payment of social workers’ fees becomes simpler for you – your organisation pays the SWRB directly rather than handling individual reimbursements for employees.
Read more about being an authorised employer
Annual Social Worker Workforce Survey
As part of your practising certificate renewal, you will have the opportunity to complete the Annual Social Worker Workforce Survey. This is more than just a data collection exercise – it’s your chance to directly influence the future of your profession and an opportunity to have your voice heard.
Your insights on the challenges and opportunities facing social workers are invaluable. The data and perspectives we gather through this survey inform a comprehensive report that reaches ministers, government agencies, and key decision makers across the sector.
The evidence you provide creates a powerful collective voice that highlights the realities of social work practice and guides policy development. In the current climate of change, your participation is especially valuable – it ensures those making decisions about the profession hear directly from those delivering the service. When completing your practice certificate declaration please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Your input will contribute to a stronger foundation for the future of social work in Aotearoa. Your voice matters, and we need to hear from you.
Update on the public Register
We’ve recently completed a review of our Register to ensure all information is accurate and up to date. Thank you for your responsiveness to our information verification requests.
Due to staff transitions and the high volume of updates, we’re still working through processing all submitted changes. If you’re yet to receive confirmation on changes you submitted, please be assured we’re working through all submissions and will respond in due course.
If you wish to be removed from the Register, please email registerupdate@swrb.govt.nz.
