Mahuta Nanaia: Social Workers Registration (Mandatory Registration) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMahuta Nanaia: Social Workers Registration (Mandatory Registration) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 14 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7239. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato): As I make a contribution to this debate it is not surprising—listening to the contribution of Alfred Ngaro—that the Government will not support this bill in its first reading and referral to the select committee. Heck it does not support registered teachers in charter schools so it is no surprise.But here is the thing—and I hope that common sense does prevail because there is every opportunity for this bill to go to a select committee and be heard concurrently with the review that is being undertaken by the Minister. That review will show what the state of care report has shown: more work needs to be done to ensure that in the space of social work there is a lifting of its professionalisation and that registration can help.I agree in part with the comment that was made by the previous speaker about the transition time but it is 12 years since 2003 and a voluntary registration method and there is some urgency to ensure that those most at risk in our communities and in our schools have the opportunity to have access to registered social workers who are able to participate in different response models in the community where it is needed most. We have all visited our community organisations and our social service providers and they have all told us—whether they are social workers in schools or in faith-based organisations or community providers—that now more than ever before there is a real need for social workers who are registered who have best-practice approaches to some of the most challenging situations. In fact more than anyone else community providers will tell you that the benefit to the family the whānau and the children whom they are working with of having a registered social worker is a lift in the outcomes for those families who need it most.Some of the challenges in 2003 remain as the challenge today which is the cost of moving towards a registration programme and the cost to community organisations. All those issues can be considered at the select committee. I visited a number of Māori providers and they will highlight and amplify just how important it is to have access to social workers let alone registered social workers—and right now they will make do with whatever they have but they do want access to registered social workers. Best practice matters because the families that they work with have the most severe and urgent circumstances that require a different approach.Social workers today working in our communities are working as part of multi-disciplinary teams. We have had social sector trials in the Waikato. We have got the Family Safety Network we have got the child safety teams and we have got Family Start. All of them have access to social workers and all of them will say that they would benefit from registered social workers. The transition time yes is an issue the cost is an issue but they would never ever say that having a registered social worker would not make a difference. They would actually say that having a registered social worker across that profession would ensure that they are getting best-practice delivery in the services that are being provided.I support the intent of the bill and I recognise that urgency is really important when we think about our decision to send it to the select committee. There are outstanding issues that can be addressed—whether or not a 1-year transition time is sufficient—but we need to start now because it is 12 years on since 2003 when a voluntary system was brought into place. We can do this concurrently with the review that is being undertaken by the Minister and it is necessary. It is necessary because children people suffering from mental health issues refugee and migrant communities women who have been victims of abuse and men who have been the victims of sexual abuse all need access to qualified registered social workers. There are not enough social workers there—and there are certainly not enough registered—to ensure that the professionalism and the best-practice approach that they should have access to are available. This bill will help that outcome.