Scope of Practice and Social Work Services Consultation

Consultation has concluded

Social Work Services and Scope of Practice Consultation August 2024

A Message from the Director of Social Workers Registration Board

We welcome you to the Scope of Practice and Social Work Services Consultation. Please view the video presentation outlining the process of consultation and its importance for the registration of social workers in South Australia.

Welcome and Instruction Video

What's being decided?

The Social Workers Registration Board is consulting on the Scopes of Practice and Social Work Services to ensure that there is alignment with the definitions proposed by the Board and the social services sector prior to becoming regulation.

The Board are required by the Social Workers Registration Act 2021 (The Act) to 'consult with persons the Board considers able to represent the views of social workers, or of classes of social workers, or views of employers of social workers, or organisations and members of organisations that the Board considers to be affected' on the proposed definition of Scope of Practice and Social Work Services.

We are seeking your input on:

The Scope of Practice of social workers.
The definition of Social Work Services.
Social workers functions and activities.
Social worker roles.
Where social workers practice?
How social workers practice?

Background

The introduction of a Social Workers Registration Board for South Australia was supported by the South Australian Government on the basis that the registration of social workers will have a range of benefits including improved public safety, higher standards of conduct and accountability through the provision of accessible mechanisms for complaints and review and improved professional development opportunities for people within the profession.

As legislated in the Act, the Board must write and consult on the Scopes of Practice and Social Work Services paper to ensure that is reflective of contemporary social work practice. For this reason, we are seeking input from the social services sector on the Draft Scopes of Practice and Social Work Services paper.

Consultation will inform the Board’s decision, setting the boundaries of the Scope of Practice and defining Social Work Services. This will then inform registration, accreditation of education standards (including competency and conduct), and investigations of incompetency and misconduct.

The Board intends to endorse both the AASW Code of Ethics (2020) and the AASW Practice Standards (2023) as these are foundational documents which have informed the draft Scope of Practice and Social Work Services document.