Social Workers Registration Act 2003

Registration, authorisation to practise within scope of practice, and practising certificates - Practising certificates

30: Restrictions on issue of practising certificates

You could also call this:

"Rules for Getting a Social Worker's Practising Certificate"

Illustration for Social Workers Registration Act 2003

When you apply for a practising certificate, the Registrar checks your application. The Registrar must send your application to the Board if they believe you have not completed a competence assessment or if your assessment results are not available or seem unsatisfactory. The Registrar also sends your application to the Board if you have not had a practising certificate in the last three years.

The Registrar sends your application to the Board if they suspect you have not kept up a good standard of work as a social worker. This also happens if you have not worked as a social worker in the last three years or if the Registrar thinks you are not a suitable person to work as a social worker. The Registrar checks if you have met all the conditions of your individual scope of practice.

The Registrar can send your application to the Board if you were first registered as a social worker in the last three years. The Registrar can also refuse to give you a practising certificate if they find out you gave false or misleading information in your application.

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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=DLM189999.

Topics:

Work and jobs > Job licensesHealth and wellbeing > Mental health

29: Board may adopt general conditions, or

"The Board can set basic rules for social workers to follow."

31: Board to consider certain applications, or

"The Board checks your social worker application to see if you can work as a social worker."

Part 2Registration, authorisation to practise within scope of practice, and practising certificates
Practising certificates

30Restrictions on issue of practising certificates

The Registrar must refer an application for a practising certificate to the Board if the Registrar—
believes on reasonable grounds that—
1. the applicant has not completed a competence assessment required by this Act; or
2. the applicant has completed a competence assessment required by this Act, but the results are not yet available; or
3. the applicant has completed a competence assessment required by this Act, and the results seem unsatisfactory; or
4. the applicant has previously held a practising certificate, but has not held a practising certificate within the 3 years immediately before the date of the application; or
suspects on reasonable grounds that the applicant—
1. has at any time failed to maintain a reasonable standard of professional competence; or
2. has not been practising as a social worker at any time within the 3 years immediately before the date of the application; or
3. is not a fit and proper person to practise as a social worker; or
4. has failed to fulfil or comply with a condition included in the applicant’s individual scope of practice.

The Registrar may refer an application for a practising certificate to the Board if the applicant was first registered within the 3 years immediately before the date of the application.
The Registrar may refer any application for a practising certificate to the Board for it to decide whether the person is a fit and proper person to practise as a social worker, if the Registrar has reason to suspect that the applicant is not a fit and proper person to practise as a social worker.
The Registrar may refuse to issue a practising certificate if satisfied that any information included in the application for it is false or misleading.
Repealed

Notes

Section 30(1): amended, on 30 March 2025, by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
Section 30(1)(b)(ii): amended, on 27 February 2021, by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 30(1)(b)(ii): amended, on 28 February 2019, by section 42(1) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 30(1)(b)(iii): amended, on 27 February 2021, by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 30(1)(b)(iv): inserted, on 27 February 2021, by section 43 of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 30(2A): inserted, on 28 February 2019, by section 42(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 30(4): repealed, on 28 February 2019, by section 42(3) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).