Onboard newsletter – July 2026

Minister Upston meets with our Governance Group

Last week, members of our Governance Group were hosted by Hon Louise Upston, Minister for Social Development and Employment, to discuss priorities for New Zealand’s social worker workforce. Governance Group members Mike Munnelly, Lo’i Lilah Volē (RSW) and John Willis attended alongside Chief Executive Sarah Clark, Registrar Scott McLew and Director Sector Strategy & Performance Liz Jones. A key area of discussion was the social work workforce planning strategy, with a shared focus on growing the profession to meet the needs of New Zealand and supporting social workers to remain within the profession. Lo’i Lilah also spoke with the Minister about her experience and the challenges of being a registered social worker in regulatory governance.

The Minister reiterated her interest in strengthening the pipeline of qualified social workers across the motu, recognising the vital contribution the profession makes to supporting all New Zealanders to live happier, healthier and more productive lives. The SWRB Governance Group welcomed the opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the sector and to share perspectives on future workforce needs. We extend our sincere thanks to Minister Upston and officials from the Ministry of Social Development for hosting the meeting and for their ongoing commitment to supporting a strong and sustainable social work workforce.

Thank you for PC renewal

Ka nui te mihi to the approximately 9,000 social workers who successfully completed the practising certificate renewal process, which closed on 30 June. The 2026 renewal round was steady across the two-month period, with no last-minute rush ahead of the closing date, unlike we saw in 2025.

Our registration team did an outstanding job supporting the sector through a busy renewal period, fielding more than 2,000 calls and hundreds of emails in May and June, with password resets the most common issue.

The support of 283 authorised employers also made a valuable contribution to a smoother renewal process. Ka mutu pea, that is a great result!

Have your say: Workforce Survey still open

As part of the practising certificate renewal process, you had the opportunity to complete our workforce survey. Haven’t done it yet? There’s still time via the survey link in MySWRB. Nau mai, hoki mai e hoa mā! Please come back to complete the survey! Your insights help build a joined-up picture of the social worker workforce – where you work, what you do, and the many settings you work across, from health and iwi and Māori social services to community organisations and government agencies. This data feeds directly into the Annual Social Worker Workforce Report, shared with Ministers and decision-makers across the sector. It only takes a few minutes, and every response strengthens the case for a more sustainable workforce.

We love hearing from you and reading your comments. Here’s a taste of what we’ve heard this year.
Most of you find social work a rewarding career. Over 90% of survey respondents named making a meaningful difference in the lives of people, whānau, and communities as one of their top three rewards.

What matters?
“Making a meaningful difference to the lives of tamariki.”
“The young people and whānau I work with are awesome.”
“Supporting whānau in their choices, plans and goals. Being a voice with whānau in their journey.”

The challenges
Resourcing and workload pressures continue to emerge as major issues, with the sector consistently highlighting concerns about workforce capacity and sustainability.
We’ve had a great response this year and heard from over 3,500 social workers. A huge thank you to those who have taken the time to complete the survey. You can still add your voice.

Plan ahead for the CPD audit and make it easier on yourself

Now that this year’s practising certificate renewal round is complete, it is a great time to take a few minutes to check that your CPD record is up to date in MySWRB. By applying for your new PC, you have already confirmed completion of your 20+ hours of CPD as part of your renewal, so uploading your CPD log now is a practical way to stay prepared and reduce pressure later. We encourage you to get ready for the audit and start planning your 2027 CPD, so you can be confident you will meet your requirements.

We know social work practice is busy, demanding, and often unpredictable. That is why the CPD logging process in MySWRB is designed to be straightforward and manageable. Feedback from registered social workers who uploaded their CPD last year was encouraging: people told us the process was easier than expected, less daunting than previous requirements, and helpful because everything could be kept in one place.

One practitioner summed it up well, saying the new process was “a lot easier than previously and required less time”, which was especially appreciated in a busy and pressured practice environment.

If you are included in this year’s CPD audit, you will receive an email and text message from us on 5 October. Please remember to check your junk mail. If selected, you will have until 31 October to upload your CPD to MySWRB.

To support practitioners, we are holding two online CPD hui:
8 October at 1:00pm
15 October at 1:00pm

These hui are open to anyone who would like to learn more about CPD, hear about audit statistics and outcomes, and see a quick tutorial on how to upload CPD to MySWRB. Whether or not you are selected for audit, taking a little time now to update your CPD log can help you feel organised, confident, and ready. It is also a good way to recognise the learning, reflection, and growth that are already part of your professional practice.

If you have any questions, you can email cpd@swrb.govt.nz or call 0508 797 269.

Ngā mihi
Emily Ranginui
Kākaho Arataki Niho Taniwha Māori – Professional Lead Social Work Advisor Māori

Mānawatia a Matariki: reflecting, connecting and looking ahead

Matariki is a special time in New Zealand to pause, reflect and reconnect. It marks the Māori New Year and invites us to remember those who have passed, celebrate the present with gratitude, and look ahead with hope and intention. In 2026, the rising period for the Matariki star cluster takes place from 6 July to 13 July, with the Matariki public holiday and nationally broadcast hautapu on Friday 10 July. Here are some tips to help you find Matariki: Mātakitaki i roto i te reo Māori
Watch in English

The 2026 theme is Matariki Herenga Waka – For Everyone. The theme speaks to unity, inclusion and belonging, and reflects the idea that Matariki connects us all, regardless of our backgrounds, cultures or experiences.

For us, it is an opportunity to reflect on our shared purpose, strengthen our connections and look ahead to the contribution we want to make in the year to come. We will acknowledge Matariki by encouraging kaimahi to take time for reflection, learning and connection in ways that are meaningful to them and their whānau.

As an organisation, we will also use this time to consider how the principles of remembrance, gratitude and preparation can guide our work with social workers, communities, tangata whenua and the wider sector. Matariki invites us to move forward with care, purpose and a strong sense of collective responsibility.

Prof. Rangi Matamua shares that the principles of Matariki are universal. However you choose to mark Matariki this year, we hope it is a time of rest, reflection and connection.

A faster, clearer registration process for New Zealand-qualified applicants

Applying for registration is an important milestone in a social worker’s professional journey. To help make that step clearer and easier, the Social Workers Registration Board is introducing improvements to the New Zealand-qualified registration application process.

The improved online process is designed to guide applicants through each step, helping them understand what is needed and submit their information with confidence. This will also help reduce delays caused by incomplete applications or missing information.

• To support applicants through the process, the key changes include:
• An automated online application submission.
• Full payment of the registration fee at the time of application.
• Submission of all required supporting documentation before assessment begins.
• Helpful prompts and reminders to keep applications moving.
• Additional verification requirements for applicants who have spent three months or longer overseas.

These improvements are intended to give applicants greater clarity and confidence as they move through the registration process, while supporting us to carry out our public protection responsibilities effectively.

When applicants provide complete information upfront and no additional concerns require investigation, applications can move through assessment more efficiently.

Our aim is to make the process easier to navigate, while continuing to uphold the standards and safeguards that support public trust and confidence in the social work profession.

Online guide to Social Work Supervision

We have developed a new interactive online learning guide for Social Work Supervision as part of the Code of Conduct in practice resources. This online learning module covers what you need to know about your regulatory obligations around supervision.

This module provides advice about maintaining professional standards of integrity and conduct in relation to social work supervision.

We invite you to explore this module, use it in your supervision sessions and share it with other social workers in your network. Don’t forget to log it for your CPD.

New online module: Introduction to Social Work

We have published a new online guide, Introduction to Social Work.

This module walks you through what is needed to become a registered social worker in New Zealand. It explains the Social Workers Registration Board’s regulatory requirements and what they mean for social workers.

Please share this guide with anyone in your network who wants an overview of social work in New Zealand.

Ngā take o te wā | Events

Kotahitanga: ANZASW Conference 2026

This year’s ANZASW Conference, being held from 12–13 August in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, is an important national gathering that brings the social work profession together to connect, reflect and strengthen shared understanding. The conference provides a valuable opportunity to hear diverse perspectives from across the sector, celebrate the contribution of social workers, and support a collective voice for the profession across Aotearoa New Zealand.

We are pleased to be a sponsor of this sold-out event and to support a kaupapa that recognises the importance of connection, professional learning, and sector-wide collaboration. Members of our social work advisory team and our Deputy Registrar Education will attend in support of the conference, the kōrero, and the profession.

Te karere a te Tumu Herenga Waka | Message from our Chief Executive

This month has included a significant programme of tūhonohono engagement across the sector, including issuing 9,000 practising certificates, the annual workforce survey, being hosted by Minister Upston, tertiary sector graduations, cross-agency and key sector group meetings, international regulatory information exchanges that strengthened our Australian connections and shared learning, and education standards hui. We have appreciated the opportunity to engage, kōrero, and strengthen connections with many of you.

I want to acknowledge the registrations team’s outstanding mahi in making the annual PC renewal process such a success. You made a significant achievement look effortless, even though we know it took focus, care, and a huge amount of work behind the scenes.

July also marks Matariki, the Māori New Year – a time to reflect on the year that has been, acknowledge those who have gone before us, and look with purpose to the future. Matariki invites us to recognise the connections between people, whakapapa, place, and the natural world, and to draw on the resilience, wisdom, and guiding principles that continue to sustain our communities.

For the social work sector, this is an important reminder that our work is grounded in relationships, collective responsibility, and shared commitment. As we mark Matariki, we acknowledge the value of coming together as a hapori to support one another, strengthen our connections, and uphold the spirit of unity, collaboration, and kotahitanga in the mahi ahead.

Mānawatia a Matariki – celebrate, honour, and welcome in Matariki.

Ngā manaakitanga, Sarah