Social Work Registration Board's
Response to Feedback

Thank you for providing the SWRB[1] with the feedback from your members.  The SWRB is appreciative of the opportunity to respond to the concerns and to talk with your Board about the future direction of Social Workers Registration. 

Social Work Registration for New Zealand social workers has been a significant achievement for the social work profession.  Registration provides a means to gain public recognition of the social work profession, that actions are being taken to improve the quality of social work in New Zealand; and ultimately, to increase public confidence in the work being done by social workers.  The registration framework provided for in the Act is the mechanism for ensuring that social workers are suitable for, and competent to, undertake the responsibilities and duties of social work.  The passing of the Social Workers Registration Act has bought the social work profession in line with other professions (such as teachers, midwives, nurses, psychologists). 

As you are aware the purpose of Social Workers Registration Act (2003) is to:

• protect the safety of members of the public, by prescribing or providing for mechanisms to ensure that social workers are:

• competent to practise; and

• accountable for the way in which they practise; and

• enhance the professionalism of social workers

The Act establishes five key components in the social work registration process:

• recognised New Zealand qualification

• fit and proper person

• competence to practise social work

• competence to practise social work with Māori and different ethnic and cultural groups

• practical experience.

These criteria are discussed in more detail below.

Once registered, social workers are required to recertify their competence to practise every five years.  All practising registered social workers are required to hold a current practising certificate, which must be renewed annually.  Registered social workers are subject to a Code of Conduct and are held accountable for their practice through a Complaints and Disciplinary process.  The Board is also charged with working with social work educators and training providers to promote and set social work education and training standards.

This year the SWRB reviewed the operation of Act as well as its own operations.  The SWRB considered:

• the extent to which the Act, and the system of voluntary registration it provides for, are achieving the stated purposes and

• whether any amendments to the Act are necessary or desirable.

As a part of the review process, the SWRB Board sought input from social workers, their representative bodies, educators, employers of social workers, and other key agencies and individuals likely to have a direct interest in the efficient and effective operation of the Act.  The issues which your members raised mirrored those raised by other stakeholders.  The principal barriers to registration under the current policy settings were identified as:

1. the costs associated with registration and competence assessment are relatively high in comparison to other similar professions;

2. the current approach to competence does not facilitate registration of newly graduated social workers at the beginning of their careers; and

3. the complexity of the current processes to evidence competence.

Some issues will be addressed through changes to Board policies:

1. there are a number of actions the Board can take to significantly improve levels of coverage under a voluntary regime.  These include reviewing current competence policies and the operation of section 13 (under which unqualified social workers with significant practical experience can be registered).

Report Preamble:

Although significant progress has been made in establishing the current voluntary registration regime for social workers this review concludes that the SWRB can not yet claim to have achieved the purposes of the Act: to protect the public, by ensuring that social workers are competent to practise and accountable for the way in which they practise; and to enhance the professionalism of social workers.  Only a minority of social workers is registered.  To achieve the purposes of the Act a more comprehensive, inclusive approach that can accommodate all practising social workers who meet the minimum standards for public safety. 

There are a number of actions the Board can, and will, undertake to enhance coverage under the voluntary system of registration we are now working within. The Board has identified a number of barriers and disincentives to register under the current voluntary regime which we will address.

Other actions we propose will require direct government support and we recommend you consider those.  Ultimately, however, the objectives of the Act can only be achieved by a comprehensive, inclusive approach, under which all persons practising social work are required to hold either limited or full registration.  We consider this can be achieved while recognising the overall limitations of the current workforce, and while maintaining a strong focus on continuing professional development and “raising the bar” for the profession as a whole.

Actions the Board intends to undertake:

Action 1

The Board will develop a set of entry level competencies in order that new graduates can be provisionally registered. 

Action 2                            

The Board will work with employers, educators and professional bodies to review the Board’s current approach to competence assessment to identify ways to:

• reduce compliance costs for social workers and their employers, while maintaining confidence in the competence assessment system;
• reduce the complexity of the current processes to evidence competence; and
• reduce the costs of registration to applicants.

Action 3

The Board will further review the operation of section 13 of the Act (recognition of practical experience in lieu of a recognised qualification).

Action 4

The Board intends to explore ways to reduce the cost and complexity of registering and maintaining registration, including streamlining competence arrangements. 

The Board is also recommending direct government funding for “public good” functions such as promoting and supporting employer-based complaints systems, as well as additional funding to allow a reduction in fee levels.

Recommended Legislative Amendments:

The Board recommends that the Government:

1. Agree to amend the Social Workers Registration Act (2003) to provide for a comprehensive system of social worker registration through protection of the title “social worker” and by requiring that functions normally performed  by social workers cannot be performed by unregistered persons;
2. Agree that the registration system be broadened to include registration of associated workers.  This would enable workers in associated fields to participate in a registration system.  Practitioners undertaking activities normally only undertaken by social workers, such as people in the process of gaining sufficient social work experience to demonstrate minimum levels of competence, would be required by law to at least be registered as an associate social worker.  This would ensure no social work activity is undertaken without a worker being assessed as fit and proper and that all social work activity is subject to a Code of Conduct and a Complaints and Disciplinary process; and
3. Agree that policy work should be undertaken as soon as possible because of the potentially long lead time for legislative change.  Early decisions and announcements of the Government’s legislative intentions could add significant impetus to engagement in the registration system by employers and social workers.  Subject to your support for this recommendation, the Board will commence scoping work, in consultation with the Ministry of Social Development and others, on defining the scope of coverage of a comprehensive regime based on protection of the title “social worker” and associated limitations on who can practise social work.

Copies of the Review are available on request. Thank you again for the opportunity to discuss the concerns of your members about registration. I am confident the proposed changes will make a significant difference for registration and the social work profession.

[1] SWRB – Social Workers Registration Board

25 responses were received on the Social Work Registration Questionnaire sent to Social Service Providers throughout NZ earlier this year.   There were many different perspectives provided in response to the questionnaire and I have included as many of these as possible to give the flavour and diversity of opinion from providers.   The following is a summary of the responses received

How many registered Social Workers do you have working within your Agency now?

Ranged from Nil through to five

How many registered Social Workers do you expect to have working within your Agency in five year’s time?

Ranged from 1 through to 8 - Many had the proviso that it would be nil unless there was extra funding to assist with registration costs

What has been the experience of social workers within your Agency applying for or gaining social work registration?

• Over complicated process - An expensive exercise - especially for those who had to gain competencies first - A lot of work for everyone - At this stage no gain for the organisation or the worker e.g. no higher salary An expensive, lengthy, stressful and unnecessarily difficult process which at the moment means very little in real practice terms - a harrowing experience - paper work confusing and very expensive

• It was a very long winded and expensive process with considerable on-going annual costs involved.   Section 13 approvals appear very rare and this seems to be leading to some excellent older social workers leaving the sector which I believe is a real loss.   I have had no experience to date that my registration changes anything with regard to my work.

• The experience has not been good.  It has been long winded, frustrating, overly bureaucratic, lacking flexibility and the practice has been the exact opposite to the values and ethics that you would expect from a social work process.  It has been judgemental, disempowering, lacking respect, consistency and transparency.

• The registration process is quite complex however as the only social worker based in our agency it is something that needs to be done

• Why do we need to register?  Why does it cost so much?  What do we get out of it? Why can’t our Whanu/hapu or iwi validate we work with our own?

• Positive experience – competency with ANZASW can take a while

• Time consuming and problematic with the processes and requirements; and costly through getting our workers’ registered with the Board, getting their memberships with ANSASW so they are able to sit their Competency Assessment, paying for their Competency Assessment as well as the time and resources required to achieve the above

• Staff need to be given time outside of their normal work duties to prepare themselves in order to gain registration

What have been the financial implication of Social Work Registration for your Agency?

• Restrictive/costs seem prohibitive - Financial implications minimal at this time, but future costs will be significant, Huge - NGOs particularly hard hit - We could give some time, but possibly not much money - Can’t do it - enormous cost pressure on NGOs

• The flow on effect of this has increased the cost per family; however the cost per client has not been increased.   What this means is that we are sailing very close to the wind attempting to meet the cost of the service and stay within budget

• A very expensive process for a very small piece of paper.  Also a huge cost to employers particularly in the NFP sector where every dollar counts.   The organisations do not benefit from this revenue collection!   The annual fee is outrageous for what is effectively a small amount of clerical time and a rubber stamp

• I have paid all costs personally apart from the ANZASW annual subscription fee.  Our Agency is not in a financial position to pick up registration costs particularly when there is no real place for social work managers in registration (as in the only recognised qualifications are degree level social work with no acknowledgement of management qualifications).  I hear many NGO social services express strong concerns about the enormous cost of registration with no increased funding to match.     I am particularly flummoxed as to the necessity of the double layer of costs with ANZASZW and registration

• Our organisation is dependent on funding and finds it very difficult to absorb this additional cost

• Huge - our organisation has committed to paying for registration, but the cost is considerable

• High sundry costs for a NGO – it’s money that could go towards out clients especially when multiplied by four social workers

• The Agency has paid, but individual training budgets have been halved as a consequence

• We could only pay for one Social Work Registration and suspended the other Social Work Registration because of cost

• Our Agency is applying for specific funding to cover the cost

• It has been a huge strain on our budget.  At times not really been able to afford the registration process but also unable to not afford them.   We have been unable to find funding for these types of things as funders see it as an individual benefiting from it.  

Has your Agency contributed toward the cost of the initial registration and will you be contributing toward the annual practising certificate?

• Would assist with practising certificate - costs too high to afford as an NGO

• Yes, and we will have to in order to stay current

• Unsure as yet

• Paid for by Agency and annual practising certificate also paid for by Agency – this is an enormous burden for NGOs.  I wrote to the Registration Board about the costs to NGOs and received a very unsatisfactory letter back

• We have assisted financially in two ways.  Firstly a contribution toward the registration and secondly with an interest fee loan to the social worker.   There is an undertaking that the cost of the ongoing yearly practising certificate will be paid for my the organisation

• We pay half cost of ANZASW competency and ongoing annual membership

• We have made an agency commitment to pay the whole cost although a huge financial burden x 4 responses

• I will be paying out of my own limited wages for all but the ANZASW membership annually

• Our organisation has registered all its kaimahi with Te Awhi Paa (indigenous Quality Framework) who have complet4ed the whanau, hapu and iwi papers through Te Korowhai Aroha o Aotearoa

• Yes on both accounts.  We also will be paying for the Competency Assessment our social workers have to sit which is a requirement for registration – another huge cost again is the time consuming component

What overall benefits do you think your Agency will gain from having Registered Social Workers?

• It is beneficial as it adds to the credibility of the Service x 3

• Unclear - perhaps some credibility as a result of accreditation but this could be equally obtained through professional association membership

• Agency seen by othesr as having competent staff in place - could assist the Agency to gain contracts - having a National Body gives a National Voice

• Apart from saying they are registered - not much!

• I think it gives clients more confidence as to the professionalism of the worker

• Should improve social work standing and confidence both within the organisation and with other key players.  There is some evidence that the number of registered social workers are considered when CYF are looking at contracts in approval rounds etc.

• The social workers experienced a sense of satisfaction and achievement upon having gained registration.   I would ne expecting to he able to have an increase in good standard of practice.   For the Agency itself it is still wait and see.  NZASW already has in place a good accountability system and complaints procedure

• Equity with state employed social workers

• We can’t see any benefits at the moment - no increased funding.   Also as it is not mandatory there is no real drive/commitment to it

• Honestly the only gain I can think of might happen in the future where funding could be affected if the Social Workers are not registered.   Nothing has changed yet as far as practice is concerned and I don’t think it will in the near future.   I will, as am employer, be looking for demonstrated skill, experience and competence rather than registration – always

• At this point I see no specific advantages.   I believe CYFS contracts in the future however will demand registration which will be a dilemma for our agency as we only employ qualified counsellors who belong to a professional body.   I do believe in demanding high standards in service delivery be employing qualified and professionally accountable staff, however, I believe that only recognising social work qualifications in the social service is very narrow.

• It’s political in my view and appears to be following the trend in education and health.   So it appears it will ensure that we (agency) continue to gain Govt. funding for our agency.    If you asked the client group on what they saw as a tangible difference between a qualified and unregistered social worker you can guess the response

• Registration is about trying to reduce providers!!! Not about standardising social work practice

• More credibility and accountability as well as assurance for families about the quality of the workforce.

• Improving quality of social work interventions and a bonus for applying for funding and putting in proposals

Are there any other comments you may like to make re your experience to date of Social Work Registration?

• Time consuming - not very clear with requirements - back and forth communication not culturally aware

• Another push for social workers to be registered needs to be made, maybe with a simple flier setting out the process involved/criteria/costs etc.

• Experience to date is sparse because SWRB is relatively new - this question needs to be asked in 12 months time

• Emphasise that the cost is prohibitive

• Feedback from Social Workers is that other than the high cost the process flowed well.   As an Agency we now have a system in place which assists with the social worker requests for supporting information required when completing their applications

• Cost!  Cost!  Cost!  Cost!  Cost!  This is a badly administered piece of legislation which negatively impacts on relatively low paid workers in the NGO Sector and NGO Agencies themselves

• In theory registration is great because it will improve standards across the sector however because it’s not mandatory there are no advantages at this stage for an organisation to commit to this process

• Not an affirming process at all, unlike the SW Competency process where real practice is tested and affirmed thoroughly.   In fact the initial letter that was sent out to candidates was very rude and unaccommodating.   I was not impressed at all.   I waited three months after my registration was approved to actually get written confirmation and my piece of paper.  I had to phone them to find out what on earth had happened as I knew the date of the hearing.  I also know of others who waited weeks for phone calls to be returned, pretty shoddy service for the money really

• I understand registration was set up to improve the professional standards and accountability of social workers however I find it an expensive and narrow response.   I do not see it recognising the scope of social work practice (e.g. educators, counsellors or managers).  I also believe that the complaints processes of ANZASW could have been made more effective particularly with compulsory membership and could have achieved the same goal at a much lower cost.

• Just the financial implications, especially for organisations who have more than one social workers and who is dependent on grants and donations

• My personal experience was not good.   I was forced to seek information and qualifications that I knew was not available from Universities that I attended 25 - 35 years ago  Presenting paper trails and attempts to gain police checks from the UK when I had lived here for 9 years was problematic.  Need I go on!

• For overseas social workers it could be a complicated process - but worth it

• There must be some way of melding ANZASW and SWRB registrations to help lessen the fees

• It is reasonably straightforward, yet rigorous.  Reasonably clear expectations are given to staff about what is needed

• The cost of Social Work Registration needs to be incorporated into contracts for it to be viable

• The benefits will be having registered social workers acknowledged in the professional arena

• To date the registration process has not been easy.   I have heard a lot of negative response to this process and obtaining accessible information has not been easy either.   Social Workers are already under pressure to manage high and low need cases in the community - the amount of energy that needs to go into registering I hope is worth it!

Are there any other issues or concerns that you would like to bring to the notice of SSPA?

• Recent Newsletter seems to promote the Board but does not revisit the importance of registration and restate the advantage/benefits of registration

• Yes - advocate for less costs for NGOs

• Funding for equity of registration access - equity of pay rates for NGO staff

• In theory registration is great because it will improve standards across the sector however because it is not mandatory there are no advantages at this stage for an organisation to commit to this process

• I am very concerned about the affordability of the registration process for the NGO sector.   I believed it is an exclusive system which will challenge the viability of a diversity of services in the sector

• Just the financial implications - especially for organisations who have more than one social worker and who are dependent on grants and donations

• How does the Social Work Registration Board link with an Indigenous Quality Framework – Te Awhi Paa Trust?

• The cost of Social Work Registration needs to be incorporated into contract funding for it to be viable

• Why is it taking so long for CYFS social workers to be registered?   Should we in the NGO Sector be concerned about numbers of unregistered staff working for CYFS?

Social Service Providers Aotearoa will be meeting with members of the Social Work Registration Board to raise these issues on your behalf.     Their response will be communicated to you in due course.

If you have any contributing thoughts or opinions please contact us by email