Bell on social worker registration move

Friday December 01, 2023

MEMBER for Mount Gambier Troy Bell has expressed his support for social workers to be put on a register, similar to teachers.

It comes following the Social Workers Registration Bill was discussed in Parliament recently with the aim to develop a registration scheme and strive for high professional standards.

Mr Bell said he was a "huge supporter" of social workers and he believed they performed an amazing role in the community and in assisting its most vulnerable people.

"Anything that improves the professionalism of their service, the support network and the standard so we get the very best social workers is great," Mr Bell said.

"I applaud the government for it and it is something I have been speaking with the government about since 2014."

Mr Bell said the change will ensure a "high standard of social workers" and "ongoing professional development" plus the support network improving.

"It really does look to improve the quality of social work for our most vulnerable," he said.

During Parliament, Mr Bell also stated the difficulty in achieving a social work degree needed to be recognised with some placements taking 10-weeks and being unpaid.

"Three months without income coming in is just unachievable for a lot of people," Mr Bell said.

"We should have systems set up where we would bank hours and do a whole range of very creative things, probably frowned upon by other institutions, but there was a real desire to have people complete that degree and now the registration of that I think is a brilliant step forward."

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