Social Work Registration: What’s the Contention?

ABSTRACT

In the face of consistent lobbying for the national registration of social workers by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), the Council of Health Minsters maintains the view that registration is not required, placing it at odds with comparable countries around the world. One factor that shapes this current decision is the view that social work does not pose a significant risk to the health of individuals to warrant the need for this level of regulation. In light of this ongoing debate, the following article provides an overview of the discussion to date, summarising the risks, harms, and the associated costs. Additional evidence of harm and cost are then posited, followed by suggestions for further steps that can be taken to support the Council of Health Ministers making an informed decision on whether or not to include the social work profession in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS).

IMPLICATIONS

• Registration of social work is an under-researched topic. Research will provide much needed evidence to help understand the impact and efficacy of registration in protecting the public.

• Research will inform the Australian Association of Social Workers strategy in pursuing mandatory registration and also support the federal government in its decision making.

• Research in this area may have broader implications for other professions and government policy both nationally and internationally.

面对澳大利亚社会工作协会进行社会工作者全国登记的不断游说，卫生部长议事会坚持登记没必要，认为那不合世界相关各国的惯例。形成目前这一决定的观点是社会工作对个人健康构不成需要如此规范化的威胁。本文回顾了此前的辩论，对风险、危害以及相关的成本做了归纳。作者还提出了关于危害及成本的补充证据。文章还指出下一步应做哪些工作以帮助卫生部长议事会充分了解情况，以做出是否为社会工作者进行全国登记的决定。

KEYWORDS:

• Social Work
• Child Protection
• Social Work Education
• Social Work Practice
• Ideologies and Policies
• Practice Research

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Shane Vincent Fotheringham http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1755-7206