Statement of Intent 2009-2010

Key Points

Enhancing the professionalism of social workers and increasing registrations are the SWRB’s focus areas for the coming year, as outlined in the Statement of Intent for 2009–2010.

The purpose of the Statement of Intent is to promote the public accountability of the SWRB. It reflects the Board’s outcome-based strategic planning and how the Board contributes to the social development sector’s boarder strategies.

The Board’s key outcome areas are:

• Managing the registration of social workers
• Considering complaints against registered social workers
• Enhancing the professionalism of social workers
• Promoting the benefits of registration.

Since October 2004, when registration was made available to social workers in New Zealand, over 2,000 social workers have voluntarily become registered. In that time, the Board’s strategic focus has been on ensuring that registration processes were in place and on assessing and processing applicants for registration.  

Now, with these operational activities firmly established, (outcomes 1 and 2 above) the Board’s focus has moved to concentrate on increasing registrations and on enhancing the professionalism of social workers (outcomes 3 and 4 above).

To achieve this, the Board’s operating intentions over the next three years will include the following priority areas:

• working to increase the number of Registered Social Workers in the DHB and NGO sectors, via targeted promotion and developing relationship/agreements with employers
• implementing alternative and affordable competence assessment options
• looking at reducing the costs of registration in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development
• continuing to streamline the current registration processes
• over time, developing additional registration scopes for Associate and Assistant Social Workers to increase coverage and uptake.

Download a full copy of the Statement of Intent 2009–2010 here.

Registration Facts, Figures and Trends

(copy and paste in grey boxes from pages 6 – 8)

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