Social Workers Registration Act 2003

Introduction

You could also call this:

"Keeping You Safe with Trained and Accountable Social Workers"

Illustration for Social Workers Registration Act 2003

The purpose of this Act is to protect the safety of members of the public. You are protected by making sure social workers are competent to practise and accountable for the way they work. This Act also makes sure social workers are registered and have rules to follow.

This Act creates a framework for the registration of social workers in New Zealand and determines their scopes of practice. It establishes a board to register social workers and gives the board powers, and it also establishes a tribunal to exercise disciplinary powers over social workers. You can find more information about the board's powers and the tribunal's disciplinary powers in this Act.

The Act also aims to enhance the professionalism of social workers. This means social workers will be encouraged to be professional and follow the rules. The rules for social workers have been amended by the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 and the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025.

Some changes have been made to this Act, including amendments to section 3(b) and section 3(b)(ii). You can find more information about these changes in the amending provisions.

Overall, this Act is in place to keep you safe and make sure social workers are doing their jobs properly.

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This page was last updated on 7 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM189914.

Highlights from this law

6AA: Unregistered person must not claim to be social worker

Only registered people can call themselves social workers

6AAB: Key requirements for practising as social worker

Rules for being a social worker in New Zealand

5A: Board to determine scopes of practice for social work profession

The Board decides what jobs social workers are allowed to do.

38: Competence to practise as a social worker

Proving you're good enough to work as a social worker

38A: Professional development for practising social workers

Social workers must keep their skills up to date with training and courses to do their job well.

47A: Mandatory requirement for employers to report serious misconduct allegations to Board

Employers must report serious wrongdoing by social workers to the Board as soon as possible.

47: Fitness to practise as a social worker

Being a good social worker: what you need to be able to do the job

105: Code of conduct

Rules for social workers to be honest and do their job well

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1: Title, or

"The name of the law that registers social workers in New Zealand."

Social Workers Registration Act 2003

Reprint as at:: 2025-08-01
Assent:: 2003-04-09
Commencement:: see section 2

The Parliamentary Counsel Office has made editorial and format changes to this version using the powers under subpart 2 of Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

Note 4 at the end of this version provides a list of the amendments included in it.

This Act is administered by the Ministry of Social Development.