Rich Katherine: Social Workers Registration Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Rich Katherine: Social Workers Registration Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:607;Page:4864] 
KATHERINE RICH (NZ National) 
: 
 This is a very important part of the process. We need to get it right because the Social Workers Registration Bill will potentially affect about 10400 social workers who currently work in New Zealand. This debate is wide ranging over the total bill so I will work my way through some of the concerns that I have and some of the questions that I would like to put to the Minister in the Chair the Hon Steve Maharey. First I will discuss the title. Social Workers Registration Bill as the bill is presently named is not quite accurate. If it is to be appropriately named the word “voluntary” has to be inserted so that it becomes the “Social Workers Voluntary Registration Bill”. 
One of the key things we understand about this bill is that social workers do not need to register. I would argue as many of my colleagues have argued that if someone happens to be one of the shonky cowboys or cowgirls of the social-work world would that person go the distance and register? The chances are that he or she would not. When it comes to making sure that this legislation does increase the discipline on the profession or raise its standard or increase the professionalism within the sector that issue can be debated. It can be debated because many people who presently work within the sector and who may not have the qualifications and may not be implementing a best-practice approach to their profession simply will not register at all. I question the bill’s effectiveness in making big changes. 
The purpose of the bill is to protect the safety of members of the public and to encourage competency in practice but once again if we are looking at really protecting the safety of the public the State sector plays a role in that. It should be a leader within the sector and that is why we find it quite alarming that such a big chunk of social workers has been left out of this bill. It was originally intended that they be involved. About 10 percent of social workers in this country are employed either by the Department of Child Youth and Family Services or by other Government agencies. We have to protect members of the public and especially those who are most vulnerable. People who have to deal with Child Youth and Family Services in very difficult times will not know whether they are dealing with a registered social worker. We have some concerns about whether the bill will create a framework that will really make a difference. 
I turn now to clause 4 “Interpretation”. One of the glaring problems is that “limited registration” can be up to 8 years. That is hardly a limited registration. That is the equivalent of one’s childhood. Limited registration should be for a very short period of time and it should be a period in which hopefully the person is working towards full registration. So 8 years is far too long. 
There are some pretty vague words in Part 2 and for that reason we think the registration board in making decisions about social workers will run into problems. What is a “fit and proper person”? There is a definition in the bill but one of the things we do know about social work is that some people come into the profession having had certain life experience that allows them to have greater empathy with some of the people they are working with. At the moment people are not allowed to be a social worker if they have a conviction that could have been punishable by up to 3 months’ imprisonment. I want the Minister to confirm that that provision will not include people with quite serious convictions that may not have resulted in imprisonment because the judge decided not to impose a prison sentence. There could still be some pretty serious crimes that could be of deep concern to other New Zealanders. 
The next issue relates to the increasingly “politically correct” approach to legislation. This legislation had some really general statements about a social worker having practical experience in social work. That has been broken into two so that a social worker has to have specific experience dealing with Maori Pacific Islanders and other cultural groups. When people are dealing with those who are disadvantaged then of course cultural issues are important so they can tailor what they are offering.