New Scheme for Social Work Registration – The Guardian’s call for a careful and considered approach.

Those who have been following the rollout of the South Australian Social Workers Registration Scheme may have picked up – or participated in – the recent consultation on the ‘Scope of Practice’ and definition of Social Work Services.

South Australia is the first jurisdiction in the country to put laws in place requiring social workers to be registered, in order to practice social work services. The Scheme commences from 1 July 2025; and, in the meantime, the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) is busy preparing and consulting on draft policies shaping the details of how the Scheme will work.

The SWRB’s recent consultation sought feedback from South Australian communities and the social services sector on the proposed boundaries and scope of the Scheme. Once settled, this will dictate:

  • Who needs to be registered as a social worker
  • Who can be registered as a social worker
  • What jobs or activities (if any) can only be undertaken by a registered social worker.

The Guardian, Shona Reid, has been following this topic closely and provided a comprehensive submission to the SWRB. While acknowledging the Scheme’s intent (and potential) to improve social work professional services, The Guardian’s submission raised some serious issues with the broad scope put forward by the SWRB.  Shona told us:

“As an oversight body, I am a strong advocate for improving the quality of services and outcomes for children and young people in care and youth detention. But doing this through professional regulation is a delicate process.

After reviewing the proposed scope put forward for this Scheme, I am worried about the potential for unintended consequences, and what this will mean for the lives of children and young people in care and detention.”

In looking at the details, The Guardian noted that the proposed scope extended beyond a registration scheme for qualified social workers. Instead, it would appear to capture a whole raft of roles that are currently held by professionals with a range of backgrounds and qualifications – such as teaching, psychology, youth work or community health. It would also impact significantly upon many people who have lived experiences and cultural knowledges, which the sector relies upon to navigate the very complex and nuanced needs of the most vulnerable.

“If the Scheme goes ahead as proposed, I am concerned that this will have wide reaching consequences for the sector – and, most importantly, people who rely on social services including highly vulnerable children and young people in care and detention.

It could exclude valuable talent and skillsets that the sector requires and disrupt highly valued relationships for people who engage with or rely on social services, to say the least.

The child and family support services sector is already struggling with workforce shortages. This is not an academic problem, it has direct tangible impacts for the day-to-day lives of children and young people who rely on these service workers to meet their life, care and support needs.”

In her submission, The Guardian put a spotlight on these real and tangible ways that big workforce changes impact children and young people’s lives – and what young people tell us directly about those experiences. The following words from young people in care (which related to the Department for Child Protection Boundary Realignment) powerfully demonstrate how their lives and experiences get lost in these decisions:

“In our area, every kid is losing their social worker. The weekend we were told….every kid went missing that weekend. Every kid was running away from the situation.”

“I guess it just hurts…they don’t mean to do these big swaps, but it hurts”

The Guardian’s submission also included a strong focus on the importance of paying respect to the skills, experience and competencies which Aboriginal staff bring to their practise.

This was a matter that The Guardian raised when providing evidence to the Joint Committee Parliamentary Inquiry on the Social Workers Registration Bill 2018, in her former capacity as then CEO of Reconciliation SA. In the final iteration of the Social Workers Registration Act 2021, there was some responsiveness to this feedback – particularly through the introduction of an ‘experience pathway’ to registration, for those who do not hold tertiary qualification. Noting the (potentially broad) cultural implications of the Scheme, The Guardian’s submission highlighted the need to engage in respectful consultation with South Australian Aboriginal communities.

“Ensuring access to and growing the Aboriginal workforce is key to government commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the Safe and Supported framework,” Shona said. 

“These commitments have been made because we know that this access improves outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and families. A fundamental part of enabling all children and families’ access to Aboriginal workers involves recognising the knowledge, skills and experience of Aboriginal people who deliver social services, but do not hold formal qualifications as may be required for professional registration under the proposed scope of the Scheme.

Over past years, there has been progress in the sector towards respecting and valuing cultural authority in applying Aboriginal knowledges and practice lenses. But we are still early in that journey, and we have to be very careful to make sure this work is not undone.”

With these matters in mind, The Guardian’s submission calls for a considered, and gradual transition towards registration of social work services in South Australia. This transition should allow us to adapt and change to the unique way our sector operates here in South Australia, and take time to prioritise the needs and best interests of children and young people who are most vulnerable to unintended consequences of far-reaching sectoral changes. This transition should adopt an approach that values the skills brought to the social services sector from a variety of areas and particularly from people with lived experiences and cultural knowledges.

The advice I have provided to the Board is to take time and care, on what should be a careful and considered approach,” Shona said.

I believe the proposed scope of the Scheme is too broad. Taking one step at a time, we need to pull back on who is being regulated under the Scheme, and make sure that it does not limit the type of work that people without social work qualifications can do.

In my view, this is the only way to make sure that those who need these vital supports (our children and young people) do not bear the brunt of unintended consequences.”

To read more about what that means from a practical (and technical) perspective, you can read The Guardian’s full submission here.

For the most up-to-date information on the rollout of the scheme, you can visit the Social Workers Registration Board website.

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