Upston Louise; O'Connor GregSOCIAL WORKERS REGISTRATION LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILLThird ReadingHon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Social Development and Employment): I move That the Social Workers Registration—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Do you have some words around a legislative statement?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I don't but I seek to table the legislative statement for the Social Workers Registration—DEPUTY SPEAKER: You say I present a legislative statement on" and the name of the bill.Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I present a legislative statement on the Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill to the House.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. The legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon LOUISE UPSTON: Thank you Madam Speaker. I move That the Social Workers Registration Legislation Amendment Bill be now read a third time. I first want to put on record my thanks to the members of the Social Services and Community Committee who examined this legislation. In the previous Parliament I was a member of that committee and I know how hard-working the members of that select committee are. I also want to acknowledge the officials from the Ministry of Social Development who worked incredibly hard to ensure that this legislation is before the Parliament. So for those that are watching it was a bill that was started in the previous Parliament and is being continued here today.This bill seeks to amend the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 to delay the repeal of section 13 of the 2003 Act which concerns the experience pathway for social worker registration from 28 February 2024 to 28 February 2026. Delaying the repeal by two years will help to reduce workforce pressures in the social work sector by continuing to provide an alternative means of entering the profession while ensuring that the momentum continues towards a mandatory qualification environment and there is widespread agreement this should happen.This Government believes in investing in early interventions which will be the most effective for vulnerable New Zealanders. With this comes investing in those who provide invaluable assistance and help to our vulnerable community members. As we know and agree across the House social workers continue to be a pillar of support across New Zealand for those in need. Recently social workers have provided support services during extreme weather events in addition to helping New Zealanders every day overcome challenges and pursue their aspirations.The Social Workers Registration Act 2003 sets out occupational regulations for social workers that protect the safety of the public. These regulations ensure that social workers are competent to practise and enhance the professionalism of social workers. Under this Act there are currently two pathways to registration for applicants who are within New Zealand. There is the qualification pathway and there is an alternative—the experience pathway. Approximately 3 percent of the current social workers have registered through this experience pathway. So it is a very small number of those who become registered social workers. Registration provides the basis of determining the safety of social workers to practise whether this is through the qualification or the experience pathway.Both pathways require the Social Workers Registration Board to assess whether the applicant has demonstrable competence to practise as a social worker and importantly whether they meet the fit and proper person requirement. As part of registration social workers are also required to undergo regular supervision and professional development. If they are practising they also need to have an annual practising certificate. To be eligible for registration via the qualification pathway applicants must hold a prescribed academic qualification that is recognised by the Social Workers Registration Board. Section 13 of the Act states that the Social Workers Registration Board may recognise practical experience usually between 10 and 15 years in lieu of a recognised qualification. In February of 2021 registration became mandatory for anyone wanting to use the title "social worker" and/or practise as a social worker.In 2017 Cabinet agreed to repeal the experience pathway and had a delayed commencement date of 28 February 2024. This repeal would remove the ability for people without a prescribed qualification to apply for social worker registration on the basis of their practical experience. Social workers registered through the experience pathway prior to the repeal date will continue to have their registration recognised.The experience pathway was always intended only as a temporary measure for social worker registration while the sector transitioned to a professional qualification environment. The delayed commencement date was intended to support the social work sector to transition from voluntary to mandatory by allowing unregistered practitioners more time either to complete a qualification or to apply to register under the experience pathway. The decision to repeal the experience pathway was made to enhance the professionalisation of the sector through the achievement of a qualification.Academic achievement was not defined or constrained to being solely via attainment of a degree but through the attainment of qualifications that have been prescribed by the Social Workers Registration Board. This decision was also underpinned by an assumption that there would be sufficient supply to meet future demand for social workers. There has been both political agreement as well as general support from the social worker representatives that social workers should be required to complete a qualification. However several changes have meant that more time is needed to support the transition to a mandatory qualification environment.Firstly social worker shortages have continued to increase. Social workers are experiencing an increase in demand alongside a reduction in supply due to decreasing student enrolment in social work qualifications. That was exacerbated due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Cyclone Gabrielle. The Social Workers Registration Board currently estimates there are about 700 unfilled roles.Secondly delaying the repeal of the experience pathway will also enable the sector to maximise the opportunities presented by recent pay changes for social workers. These increases provide a financial incentive for eligible practitioners to become registered. Delaying the repeal of the experience pathway will ensure that an additional pathway for entry into the social worker workforce remains open temporarily as it was always intended to only be temporary while steps continue to be taken to transition to a professional qualification environment as quickly as possible and that is important for the public safety element.Mandatory qualifications are part of the wider changes designed to enhance the professionalism of social workers and provide the public confidence in the services they provide. Addressing workforce shortages requires a multi-pronged approach with support from the whole social work sector including employers and industry bodies. It is important that the sector continues to take the lead in developing their workforce working towards increasing the pipeline of social workers entering the profession.Since becoming the Minister for Social Development and Employment I have considered several options regarding the future of the bill including whether the bill should be progressed discarded or amended. Last week I tabled an Amendment Paper to amend the bill and shorten the time period for those applying through the experience pathway from four years to two years. I have considered feedback from the sector input from submissions received at the select committee along with advice provided by officials. I have also received more recent correspondence from the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers who during the submission process supported a two-year delay to the experience pathway. They have more recently expressed a preference for a four-year extension together with the Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association. I would like to acknowledge and thank these organisations for their contribution along with their ongoing dedication to the sector. Based on a number of considerations I believe that a two-year delay of the repeal from 28 February 2024 to 28 February 2026 will balance the need to support the supply of social workers in the short term while maintaining the emphasis on transitioning to a professional qualification environment as soon as possible. No one has disputed the need or justification to transition to a mandatory qualification environment and it is important that the emphasis remains for people to start fulfilling this requirement as soon as they are able.The Social Workers Registration Board have recently made changes to the experience pathway application process to make this more accessible for Māori. I anticipate this will support experienced Māori practitioners to register as social workers through the experience pathway over the next two years. All applications received by the board prior to the repeal date on 28 February 2026 will be considered and processed for registration so experienced practitioners will have two years to lodge an application under this experience pathway. In addition the two-year delay will provide an opportunity to consider alternative entry pathways into social worker registration including reviewing recognition of prior learning requirements.The work that social workers do is tireless and deserves much recognition. I'd like to also thank the former Minister for her contribution in the first parts of this bill. I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): The question is that the motion be agreed to."