Submissions on Social Workers Registration Act 2003 due by 13 July

The Parliamentary Social Services Select Committee is conducting an inquiry into the operation of the Social Workers Registration Act 2003.

The committee is accepting submissions through to 13 July 2016.

The submission process is part of a wider review of the current operation of the Social Workers Registration Act 2003, including its relationship with other legislation such as the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

The terms of reference for the Select Committee inquiry are to consider:

• "whether registration of social workers should be mandatory and the potential challenges to registration at present
• the adequacy of current competence assessments and other pre-requisites for registration
• how fitness to practise social work is assessed by the Board
• the level of oversight of social workers by the Social Workers Registration Board
• the process and powers of the Complaints Assessment Committee
• the adequacy of grounds of discipline and sanctions available to the Social Workers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal
• the appropriateness of suspension and cancellation of registration and practising certificates as sanctions for non-compliance."

The Social Workers Registration Board has previously prepared an issues paper for the Committee.

There are a few guides to making a submission:

• From the Social Workers Registration Board, specific to this inquiry
• See the New Zealand Parliament general guide to Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee (2012)
• See the Easy to Read guide Have a say in making the laws of New Zealand: Making a submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee. (This translation of "Making a Submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee" was produced by the Office for Disability Issues in consultation with the Office of the Clerk at Parliament. Note: It is from 2004.)

Get on with it - compulsory registration for social workers, Opinion: Dr Barbara Staniforth, Stuff, 12.04.2016