Social Workers Registration Board

Check out our July Onboard newsletter - we celebrate the publication of our Statement of Performance Expectations (SPE) and Statement of Intent (SOI), discuss the upcoming Register audit/ update, and thank all those who participated in this years' Workforce Survey when renewing their Practising Certificate for 2024/25.

Follow the link to read more: swrb.govt.nz/onboard-newsletter-july-2024/

Changes to social work legislation are set to be considered by the House.

The Social Workers Registration Amendment Bill has been tabled today. It incorporates amendments recommended in the SWRB 2020 review of the Social Workers Registration Act 2003 (the Act).

The Ministry of Social Development holds policy responsibility for the Act. You can read more here: https://disclosure.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2024/63/

House - New Zealand Parliament House

Check out our June Onboard newsletter - we announce the start of the 2024/25 Practising Certificate renewal period, reflect of our recent staff noho at Ōrongomai Marae, and celebrate Board member Rose Henderson on receiving her Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).

Follow the link to read more: swrb.govt.nz/onboard-newsletter-june-2024/

All social workers can now renew their 2024/25 Practising Certificate (PC). If you are yet to do so, make sure you log in to your MySWRB to complete your declaration. Current PCs will expire on 30 June 2024.

If you are new to PC renewal, you might like to look at our video guide.

MySWRB tutorial - Practising Certificate renewal In this video we demonstrate how social workers can renew their Practising Certificate, and participate in the Annual Workforce Survey via their MySWRB.

The SWRB has a fantastic opportunity for a Professional Advisor – Social Work to join our team in Wellington. This is a part-time, 12-month, fixed-term role.

If you have significant experience of social work and a high level of expertise on competence to work with Māori, we'd love to hear from you. The role will support the regulatory functions of the Board by utilising your strong analytical abilities, good communication, and collaboration skills.

Find out more about the role on our website (link below)

Jobs | Social Workers Registration Board He ara pukenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei whakamana mātā waka The many pathways of knowledge, the many pathways of social work, upholding the dignity of all The Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) is a Crown Entity which is the regulatory authority responsible for the registration of social worker...

Check out our April/ May Onboard newsletter. We discuss signing up to our Authorised Employer scheme ahead of this years' Practising Certificate renewal period, reflect on our growing workforce and announce an exciting job opportunity, Professional Advisor - Social Work

Read it here: swrb.govt.nz/onboard-newsletter-april-may-2024/

This is an important announcement for anyone who tried to email the SWRB between 11pm on 4 April and 1pm 5 April 2024.
There was a temporary problem affecting email delivery which resulted in emails not reaching us. Unfortunately, messages sent to any SWRB email address between 11pm on 4 April and 1pm 5 April 2024 (NZDT) will not be received and cannot be recovered. If you sent an email to the SWRB during this period, please resend your message.

Check out our March Onboard newsletter - We discuss preparing for 2024/25 Practising Certificate renewals, highlight findings from the Annual Social Worker Workforce Report and thank those who contributed in making this years Māori & Pasifika Symposium a huge success.

Read it here: swrb.govt.nz/onboard-newsletter-march-2024/

Happy World Social Work Day 2024!
Last week Barnardos, ANZASW and the SWRB together hosted the 5th Māori & Pasifika Symposium 'Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei – For us and our children after us'. This was a great opportunity to reflect and learn about indigenous practice, while also connecting with so many social workers who are doing such inspiring mahi across the motu. To celebrate the day, here are some photos from the event.

Check out our February Onboard newsletter - We welcome the government’s decision to extend the experience pathway, give an update on the CPD audit for those selected, and invite social workers to join us at next weeks Māori & Pasifika Symposium 2024 (Wednesday 13 March).

Read it here: swrb.govt.nz/onboard-newsletter-february-2024/

Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei | For us and our children after us

On sale now - Māori and Pasifika Symposium 2024

13 March: 9am - 4.30pm (NZDT)

Tickets are now available! Join us for the annual social service symposium showcasing indigenous knowledge, practice and research. A one day live-streamed event for those committed to culturally responsive practice (some in-person Whanganui-a-Tara tickets also available).

This symposium is a partnership between:
Barnardos Aotearoa
Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers | Te Rōpū Tauwhiro i Aotearoa
Social Workers Registration Board | Kāhui Whakamana Tauwhiro

Tickets available through humanitix: https://bit.ly/3wjHOu6

We welcome the government’s decision to extend the experience pathway for social worker registration until February 2026. It was great to hear so many positive statements from MPs during the debate as the Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill passed its third reading. They spoke highly of the important mahi social workers do and the significant contributions they make to whānau and communities.

Extending the experience pathway for registration - update | SWRB The SWRB welcomes the government’s decision to extend the experience pathway for social worker registration until February 2026. This follows the passing of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill at its third reading in Parliament yesterday (20 February 2024). The experience pa...

We are on the look out for social workers to be involved in a focus group to test new prototype resources for the sector. The discussions will centre around regulatory elements such as the Code of Conduct and the Core Competence Standards. Participation in a focus group can also count as a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity.

This is a great opportunity to be part of a new initiative to benefit yourself, your colleagues, and newcomers to social work. If this sounds like something you or your colleagues would be interested in participating in, or if you’d like some more information, please contact:

Megan Chapman
Social Work Advisor and Resources Lead
[email protected]

The Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill has progressed through its Second Reading in the House. We were encouraged by the many positive statements made by MPs about the importance of the social work profession and highlighted the valuable work that social workers do. You can watch videos and read the Hansard transcripts from the debate online.

Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill — Second Reading - New Zealand Parliament Hansard editors report what politicians say in the House of Representatives. Here you can read our near-verbatim reports on all debates, including oral questions and proposed laws (bills).

If you are about to enter the social work profession and are looking to become registered, we invite you to join our Thursday digital sessions (1-2pm) with any questions you may have about the registration process, maintaining CPD and holding a Practising Certificate. You can join via this link: https://bit.ly/31H8XEq

Check out our first Onboard newsletter of 2024 - we met with Australian social workers to discuss their journey towards mandatory registration in South Australia, we give updates on the upcoming CPD log audit, develop resources aimed to enhance social workers’ practice (with help from focus group participants) and more!

Onboard newsletter – January 2024 | SWRB He ara pūkenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei whakamana mātā wakaThe many pathways of knowledge, the many pathways of social work, upholding the dignity of all Ngā mihi o te Tau Hou! While we are still in January, I trust it is early enough in the season to wish you all a very happy New Year!

We offer our happy congratulations to SWRB Board member Rose Henderson - awarded an ONZM- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contributions to social work and health. It is great to see your service recognised 😀. You can read more below:

New Year Honours List 2024 - Citations for Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit: ANSON, Associate Professor James Gregory (Greg) For services to exercise sciences and neuroscience

Congratulations again to Florence "Flo" Tamehana who won the Tangata Whenua Practice Award at the ANZASW Social Work Awards 2023 earlier this year.

We recently interviewed Flo to learn more about her mahi which led to the award and her social work journey. You can read the full interview online via the link below.

Introducing Florence Tamehana – winner of the Tangata Whenua Practice Award 2023 | SWRB Huge congratulations to Florence "Flo" Tamehana who won the Tangata Whenua Practice Award at the ANZASW Social Work Awards 2023 in September. The award was sponsored by the Symposium – Barnardos, ANZASW and the SWRB. It was awarded for contribution to the Tangata-ō te whenua body of knowledge, mo...

Another huge congratulations to Okesene Faraimo, the winner of the SWRB sponsored 'Quality Practice Award' at the ANZASW Social Work Awards 2023.

We recently spoke with Okesene to find out more about his social work journey – from his early years learning about respect and service in the Pacific Islands, through to building an extensive network where he now lives in Cannons Creek, Porirua. You can read the full interview online via the link below.

Introducing Okesene Faraimo – winner of the Quality Practice Award 2023 | SWRB Huge congratulations to Okesene Faraimo who recently won the Quality Practice Award at the ANZASW Social Work Awards 2023. The SWRB sponsored the award as a valuable opportunity to celebrate and highlight quality professional practice. Okesene delivers a social work in schools service as part of the...

Check out our November newsletter - we introduce two new staff members, Liz Gourlay (Workforce Planning Lead Advisor - Health) and Natasha Emery (new Lead Professional Social Work Advisor, Māori) and we celebrate the Okesene Faraimo, the winner of the Quality Practice award at the Social Work Awards 2023.

Onboard newsletter – November 2023 | SWRB He ara pūkenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei whakamana mātā wakaThe many pathways of knowledge, the many pathways of social work, upholding the dignity of all When I look back at some of our activity since our last newsletter, I wanted to share one of my highlights of my year - a wonderful celebration of...

Dr. Katheryn Pascoe (Otago University) is examining the continued professional development needs of field educators/practice educators in social work field education and is looking for survey participants. She has shared the following information about her work with a link to the survey:

Whether referred to as a practice educator, field educator, or placement supervisor, your role in social work education is essential for enabling social work students to connect theory to practice and develop their skills and knowledge before entering the profession. This project aims to map the training already access for fulfilling the role of a practice educator, the ongoing development needs practice educators faced, and any gaps in having these met.

If you are a registered social worker currently supervising a social work student on placement or have supervised a social work student on placement in the past three years in Aotearoa New Zealand, we want to hear from you.

The survey should take approximately 10-12 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary and anonymous, and the survey will be open until 9pm on the 2nd of October 2023.

Please follow this link to access the survey: https://otago.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eKZXOw9IkDTgRme

Happy New Zealand Social Workers' Day 2023. Ngā mihi nui to all social workers for the amazing mahi you do every day for tamariki, whānau and communities.

E te Māreikura e Robyn Corrigan
Kua riro atu koe, I te tirohanga kanohi
Anei mātou e tangi nei mou kua riro atu ki te pō

With heavy hearts, the SWRB wishes to acknowledge the passing of Whaea Robyn Corrigan.
Robyn has had a long and distinguished career in social work, spanning over 30 years. She was the inaugural chair of the Social Workers Registration Board in 2003, a president of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) and played an influential role in the international arena, especially in relation to indigenous social work practice. Locally, she was instrumental in establishing the Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association (TWSWA) where she has served as a Kāhui member. Robyn accomplishments were recognised by being awarded an MNZM for services to social work in the Queen’s Birthday Honours last year. Her passion and strength radiated in all the mahi she did.

Robyn held the registration number ‘1’ on the register, and when registration became mandatory in February 2021, Robyn spoke at the celebratory event. We also were fortunate to interview her in August last year for our Onboard newsletter where she was gracious enough to share some professional and personal insights. We share these insights with the sector, an illustration of how she has inspired generations of practitioners.

SWRB is profoundly grateful for all she has done for this organisation, for the support she extended to each subsequent SWRB Chairperson, and enhancing the social work profession.

We send our thoughts and aroha to her whānau at this time.

Nō reira e te hoa, e te whaea,
Haere atu rā koe ki o ihi, ki o tapu I te pō
Moe mai rā.

Shannon Pakura
SWRB Chair

We are looking for social workers with education experience who can join a prescription panel to provide advice on a new Bachelor of Social Work degree. The work will involve auditing the draft degree, utilising the SWRB’s regulatory tools including the Education Standards and the Core Competencies as measures to ensure they are embedded in the qualification.

If this sounds like something you or someone you know would be interested in, you can find out more about the prescription panel by following the link below.

Jobs | Social Workers Registration Board He ara pukenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei whakamana mātā waka The many pathways of knowledge, the many pathways of social work, upholding the dignity of all On this page: Lead Professional Advisor Social Work, Māori Workforce Planning Lead Advisor – Health Sector (Fixed-Term) The Social Workers Regi...

The SWRB has two fantastic new job opportunities. We are looking for a Lead Professional Advisor Social Work, Māori and Workforce Planning Lead Advisor – Health Sector to join our team.

We would love to hear from you if you can bring your skills and experience and apply it within a regulatory frame to ensure alignment with our legislation.

More information, including job descriptions for both roles, can be found via the link below.

Jobs | Social Workers Registration Board He ara pukenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei whakamana mātā waka The many pathways of knowledge, the many pathways of social work, upholding the dignity of all On this page: Lead Professional Advisor Social Work, Māori Workforce Planning Lead Advisor – Health Sector (Fixed-Term) The Social Workers Regi...

The SWRB is delighted to welcome new Board member Lois Hutchinson.

Lois brings extensive governance, regulatory and operational experience, having over 30 years’ senior management experience in the public sector including working in health, censorship and transport. We look forward to her joining us. Nau mai, haere mai!

Nau mai, haere mai! Welcome to new Board member Lois Hutchinson | SWRB The Social Workers Registration Board is delighted to welcome new Board member Lois Hutchinson. Lois has over 30 years’ senior management experience in the public sector working in health, censorship and transport, including work as: the statutory decision maker for the Video Recordings Authority ...

Check out our June Onboard newsletter - we discuss 2023/24 Practising Certificate renewals, the Experience Pathway: S13 extension, we farewell Dr. Catherine Hughes and Dr. David McNabb, and introduce you to new project team members Lin Ayo and Megan Chapman.

Follow the link below to read more.

Onboard newsletter – June 2023 | SWRB He ara pūkenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei whakamana mātā wakaThe many pathways of knowledge, the many pathways of social work, upholding the dignity of all We have lots of news and updates to share this month, so I will keep it brief for my introductory greetings. I just really wanted to take this opp...

Do you know an excellent social worker? Nominate them today for a 2023 Social Work Award.

Finalists in each of the categories will receive flights and accommodation to attend the awards gala evening. Category winners will receive funds towards further developing their social work career.

Nominations close on Sunday 18 June. To nominate a social worker or find out more information see: https://bit.ly/3W9WV2e

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