The purpose of this Act is to protect the safety of members of the public. You are protected when social workers are competent to practise and accountable for the way they practise. This Act creates a framework for the registration of social workers in New Zealand and determines their scopes of practice. This Act establishes a board to register social workers and gives it powers. It also establishes a tribunal to exercise disciplinary powers over social workers. You can find more information about the disciplinary powers in section 4(1) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 and section 4 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025. The Act aims to enhance the professionalism of social workers. This means social workers will be better at their jobs and provide good services to people. The Act has been amended, which means it has been changed. You can find more information about the amendments in the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 and the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025. The changes to the Act were made on specific dates, including 27 February 2021 and 30 March 2025. These changes affect how social workers are registered and disciplined.