PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED BY THE AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS LTD

Australia is often characterised as a laid-back society. When it comes to the regulation of the Australian health and human services workforce there may be some truth to this depiction. Indeed, many Australian health and human service occupations operate in a largely self-regulated environment with limited government oversight of education or professional standards. This chapter discusses government regulation of the health and human service professions in Australia, and the implications for social workers seeking to relocate to Australia. The concept of ‘professional self-regulation’ is outlined, and the prospects and problems of self-regulation for achieving professional standards and achieving diversity within the social work profession are considered, as are the implications of the self-regulating environment for social workers migrating to Australia. It concludes with a discussion of how the Australian Association of Social Workers is collaborating with other allied health professions and with the New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board to strengthen professional standards and capacities.

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Social Work Education and Regulation in Australia

Encyclopedia of Social Work ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1169 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Karen Healy

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Social Work Education ◽

Professional Education ◽

Professional Standards ◽

Limited Government ◽

Australian Association ◽

Practice Standards ◽

Professional Body ◽

Work Education

This article provides an overview and analysis of social work education and professional standards in Australia. The professional education and practice standards are set and monitored by a single, professional body, the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). In Australia, there is no legislation protecting the title of social worker, and there is limited government involvement in regulating educational standards and professional practice. In this article, I outline the characteristics of the educational and professional standards for social workers set by the AASW. I will explain the Australian regulatory environment for health and human service professions and discuss how this contributes to conditions in which the AASW plays a central role in the regulation of social work education and practice standards in Australia. I will outline the opportunities and challenges posed by the highly deregulated environment and the consequent central role of the AASW in standard setting and monitoring. The article concludes with a discussion of the strategies currently being pursued via the AASW to achieve government authorized regulation of social workers.

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