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

In this Onboard:

• Foreword from Sarah Clark
• Time to renew your Practising Certificate
• Fill out the annual social worker workforce survey
• Publication of the Education Standards
• Hui for Toitū te Waiora

For all of our readers who are RSWs or employers, you’ll also know it’s Practising Certificate renewal time. We are wanting to better understand why people choose to become non-practising – we know anecdotally that it’s a mix of reasons but we are now adding a specific question which means we will be able to look at trends over time.

I am pleased to let you know that we have published our new education standards – this is the work of many hands, and many conversations. We think the revised standards are future focused and will support social work into the future, ensuring graduates are well prepared for their future career. The implementation of the new standards will be from 2026, and between then and now we will be refining guidance to the sector on what the new standards will mean, including consulting with the sector on reviewing the way fees for education providers are set. That’s for the education organisations, rather than students or social workers!

We continue to build connections through our workforce planning role and were pleased to be represented at the Toitū te Waiora first kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) hui with the newly established social services National Industry Advisory Group. It was a valuable opportunity to engage with others who have knowledge and experience of the wider social services sector, where we can offer insights specifically in relation to the social worker workforce.

That leads me onto one final reminder. When you are completing your PC renewal, please take the time to complete the annual social worker workforce survey. This is a huge opportunity for us to hear social workers voices, and the more responses we receive, the stronger the evidence will be for identifying workforce challenges and opportunities. Your voices are the foundation of the Annual Social Worker Workforce report, which enables ministers, policy makers, government agencies, and social work employers to hear directly about the challenges that you are facing in the workforce.

Ngā mihi nui,
Sarah Clark
Chief Executive

Time to renew your Practising Certificate

You can now renew your Practising Certificate (PC) for 2025/26 practising year. There has been no change to the fees (and levy) from last year as we have worked hard to manage our costs, appreciating the pressures the sector is under.

If you have yet to renew your PC, here are some reminders:

• the total annual cost is $759. It is made up of the Practising Certificate fee $540, and the annual disciplinary levy $219. The cost is the same as last year.
• Part payment options are available. Read about payment options on the SWRB website.
• You will need to log into your MySWRB account. Your username is the email address that we have on your account.
• You need to complete your annual practising declaration. This confirms that you are fit, proper and able to practise.
• If you intend to stop practising as a social worker, please let us know. Read about how to declare yourself as non-practising.

The renewal process is not just a regulatory requirement but also an important opportunity to affirm your professional standards to the benefit of your organisation and the people you serve.

We know costs can be challenging, and we have part payment options available for social workers who are paying their own costs directly. Don’t forget all outstanding PC debt must be cleared before you can renew your certificate. If you have debt and/or are struggling to pay your costs please reach out to us.

If you have any questions, please:

• watch the video tutorial on how to renew your PC
• read the frequently asked questions about PC renewals
• contact us at applications@swrb.govt.nz 

Remember to always include your full name and registration number when making an enquiry. This will help us handle the volume of enquiries more efficiently.

Fill out the Annual Social Worker Workforce Survey

Please share your insights and have your say in the Annual Social Worker Workforce Survey!

As part of your practising certificate renewal, you have the opportunity to complete the survey. If you have already completed your renewal, you can still go back to the survey via the link in MySWRB.

Your voice matters. Your insights on the challenges and opportunities facing social workers and the wider social work workforce are invaluable. The data and perspectives you provide through this survey inform the Annual Social Worker Workforce report that reaches ministers, government agencies, and key decision makers across the sector.

When completing your practice certificate declaration please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Your voice will contribute to key actions to address the sustainability challenges facing the social work workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Education Standards published

The new Education Standards are now available via our website. They will come into effect from January 2026. We also want to make sure education providers understand how the new standards will be implemented, and what information we will be looking for when we prescribe or monitor a programme. This is with the hope that if we are clear in what information we need and why, that it will allow educators to know what to prepare and reduce the amount of paperwork required. We will be making the prescription and monitoring framework available on our website in the next few weeks. It’s not only education providers who will find this interesting, but also students and employers.

As we have developed our approach towards monitoring, we are now able to revisit the fees related to our education activity. Educators have been waiting for several years for SWRB to revisit the funding model. We will be releasing a consultation on education fees in the next few weeks, seeking feedback on different options for how we can approach setting fees for education providers.

Details on how to provide feedback will be provided when the consultation documents are released, it will include online hui and survey.

Education fees were last reviewed before the introduction of mandatory registration in 2021.

The education fees charged annually to tertiary education organisations (TEOs) have been reviewed based on the activities outlined in the Education Standards and the prescription and monitoring framework.

Once the period of consultation is completed the Board will consider feedback before making their decision.

Hui for Toitū te Waiora

In April, Toitū te Waiora proudly hosted its first kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) hui with the newly established social services National Industry Advisory Group.

National Industry Advisory Groups (NIAG’s) are a group of people who represent their sector, bringing industry voices, knowledge and wisdom to Toitū te Waiora.

Read more about the group on the Toitū te Waiora website.

We welcome the opportunity to engage in discussions with this group of social services sector leaders and experts – feeding into and hearing feedback on the direction of vocational education and training initiatives to support workforce development, particularly for priority groups and allied social work roles.

As the occupational regulator for the social work profession with responsibility for setting education and training standards, and the government’s Lead Agency for workforce planning for all social workers, we are keen to collaborate with others across the Aotearoa New Zealand who are also facing workforce challenges.

We hope to contribute, sharing knowledge and insights about challenges facing the social worker workforce and to learn more about where opportunities for vocational training lie.