When receiving services from a
registered social worker.
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Will I have to become registered to continue to work as a social worker?
Why should I become registered?
What is the process for becoming registered?
What sort of qualifications will I need to become a Registered Social Worker?
If I get registered will I be paid more?
Will it be difficult to get work if I'm not registered?
What will it cost to become registered?
Will there be different levels or types of registration?
Does the Act contain any ‘grandparenting’ provisions?
Who is on the Registration Board?
Where does the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) fit with the Act?
The Social Workers Registration Act establishes a voluntary system of registration. The legislation protects the title ‘Registered Social Worker'. This means that unregistered social workers will still be able to call themselves a social worker, but will not be able to call themselves a Registered Social Worker.
Registration is an endorsement by the profession that minimum standards have been reached and continue to be maintained. Gaining registration demonstrates to clients and to potential employers that social workers are committed to professional standards for practising in a safe, competent and accountable manner backed by legislation. Over time it is expected that more employers may require registration as a condition of employment and that it will become the basic standard for all social workers in New Zealand and that it will enhance the public profile social work as a profession.
The Social Workers Registration Act sets out a broad framework for registration. It involves five key components:
Social workers need to make an application for registration to the Registrar. Practising Registered Social Workers will need to hold an Annual Practising Certificate.
A Registered New Zealand Social Worker will need to have a ‘recognised New Zealand qualification’ (for more information see the Recognised Qualifications page).
There is provision in the Act for social workers to gain registration without holding a recognised New Zealand qualification (for more information see the Section 13 Applications page).
This will be up to employers to decide. It is conceivable that some registered social workers, because of their qualifications, practical experience and recognised competence, may be able to negotiate a premium for their services.
It will take a few years before registration becomes the basic standard expected of all social workers in New Zealand. There is likely to be an increased demand for registered social workers. The voluntary framework established by the Social Workers Registration Act tries to strike a balance between encouraging people to practise social work and protecting the public from poor social work.
Fees payable for registration are listed on the Fees page.
The Act allows for three different levels of registration - full, provisional and temporary.
Grandparenting provisions refer to transitional arrangements included in legislation that allow people time or extra flexibility to conform to new requirements. As registration will not be mandatory for social workers, grandparenting provisions are not a significant feature of the Social Workers Registration Act.
Two provisions are included. The first allows the Board to register social workers whose practical experience is enough to compensate for the fact that they do not hold the qualification normally required for registration.
The second provision allows social workers, practising at the time registration first becomes available, to be granted provisional registration for up to eight years (as opposed to two years for other provisionally registered social workers) if they apply within the first three months of registration being available, i.e. between 1 October 2004 and 31 December 2004.
There is provision that Board consist of six Registered Social Workers and four other people. The Board is also representative of the social work profession (including social workers employed by non-government and government organisations), consumer advocates, social work educators, Maori and different ethnic and cultural groups.
Board members are:
The Social Workers Registration Board is separate from and independent of ANZASW. The Act requires the Board to consult with the social work sector on a number of matters, as it does, but does not explicitly refer to ANZASW.
Note: The text of the Social Workers Registration Act can be found online at www.legislation.govt.nz or purchased through Bennetts Bookshop in Wellington.