South Australia will be the first state to maintain a registration system for social workers after a Greens bill was today enacted after passing in Parliament in late 2022.
The Social Workers Registration Board of South Australia will safeguard the public interest by confirming that only suitably trained and qualified persons are able to practise as social workers. It will also ensure that registered social workers are held accountable professionally for the conduct of their practice.
Greens MLC Tammy Franks first introduced the bill in 2018 in response to repeated calls from the Australian Association of Social Workers for reform and the creation of a registration system for social workers.
Quotes attributable to Tammy Franks MLC:
“This is an important reform that has been a long time coming, and I am proud that the Greens have worked together with the Australian Association of Social Workers and other members of Parliament to make this happen.”
“We know that a Federal scheme would be preferable, but we’ve seen Governments put that idea put in the too-hard basket time and time again. The Greens have stepped up on this issue, and South Australia now leads the way in this important reform.”