In principle, Uniting Communities supports the intention of the Social Worker Registration Scheme and, when it is appropriately operationalised, hopes that it will achieve its’ objectives of enhancing the quality and effectiveness of social work practice.

However, we do not support the proposition that only registered social workers can perform and manage the functions and activities outlined on page 10 of the consultation’s Companion Document, which would have a significant, negative impact on the not-for-profit sector.

Non-government organisations (NGOs) employ thousands of staff that regularly undertake these activities and functions who have completed other tertiary qualifications. For example, the minimum education requirement for many “Case Worker” roles is a Certificate IV in Community Services, or an undergraduate degree in either psychology, social science, humanities OR social work. By broadening the reach of social work registration to incorporate these myriad allied roles risks undermining the very intent of the scheme.

These staff and these roles have not traditionally been considered to be undertaking Social Work as conventionally defined within the sector. The administrative burden of capturing this cohort into the scheme would be unreasonably onerous for both the organisations involved and for the staff and likely to act as a deterrent for recruiting and retaining staff to undertake these important roles.