Mooney JosephJOSEPH MOONEY (National—Southland): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I rise to speak on the Social Workers Registration Amendment Bill. It's a pleasure to rise as the chair of the Social Services and Community Committee that will be hearing submissions on this bill after it passes its first reading which I speak on today.This amends the Social Workers Registration Act 2003 which provides mechanisms to ensure the safety of the public and enhance the professionalism of social workers. Now the board is required at intervals of not more than five years to conduct a review of its own operations and the operation of the 2003 Act and consider whether any amendments to the 2003 Act are required or necessary or desirable. The board must then report its findings to the Minister for Social Development and Employment who presents a report to the House of Representatives. The board conducted a review in 2020 that identified some areas for improvement. The bill that we have before the House today is in response to that. The Ministry of Social Development collaborated with the board to identify and develop 11 amendments to the 2003 Act which are contained in the bill that we have before the House this afternoon. An additional five amendments where identified to streamline operations and address minor inconsistencies in the Act which were added during the drafting of the bill.In total the bill makes 16 minor policy and technical amendments to the 2003 Act. Those amendments are seeking to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the operation of that Act. So six of those amendments will require minor policy adjustment to reduce delays in processes in the 2003 Act protect the public from harm and clarify functions that were provided for under the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019. The remaining 10 amendments are technical and address inconsistencies created by the 2019 amendment Act streamline the operation of the 2003 Act and update language used in the 2003 Act.I just want to take a moment to just acknowledge the work that social workers do right across New Zealand in what has certainly been a challenging few years particularly in the last few years including in my own electorate of Southland. The social workers are a voice for their clients. They help their clients—the individuals; they can be young people families people suffering various health and other challenges—navigate complex systems and connect them with other agencies that can support them including facilitating access to organisations like the Ministry for Social Development and many others. There are a lot of agencies who provide support for people who are vulnerable in our communities but sometimes it's enormously valuable to have a specific social worker who can help connect them to all these organisations and help simplify what is often a complex environment. So I just want to acknowledge all of the work that they do.This bill is ultimately about assisting them and ensuring that also the safety of New Zealanders is served by social workers. So in that vein we're tightening up the process where social workers—on the rare occasions they're accused of wrongdoing enabling them to be stood down before a formal investigation or criminal procedure has started to reduce the risk to the public. This move follows wider changes to how social workers are governed which professionalise the workforce across the board. I think we would all agree that a professionalised workforce is in the best interest of everyone—in upholding the integrity and the reputation of social workers which is generally very good. Which is to make sure that the proper processes are followed in that respect.So social workers will now need to formally register with their Social Workers Registration Board and hold a practising certificate which must be renewed each year. Those changes will increase transparency within the social work profession and we think will help elevate the status of the profession alongside similar professions in health teaching and law which all have mandatory registration. So the social work profession is one that we think is very important very valuable. We think these changes will help elevate that both within the profession itself and in the mind of the public at large—a very good step forward.The Government is always committed to supporting early interventions delivered by social workers which are more effective for those most at risk. It's crucial that we have a workforce of social workers that are able to serve increasingly complex and diverse needs and I recommend this bill to the House.