Social Workers Registration Act 2003

Competence and fitness - Fitness to practise and serious misconduct

50: Board to ask for Police vet, and consider convictions and other information

You could also call this:

"The Board checks if you're suitable to be a social worker by looking at your police record and other information."

Illustration for Social Workers Registration Act 2003

To decide if you are a fit and proper person to practise as a social worker, the Board must get a Police vet from the Police Vetting Service. The Board may also ask you to do what the Police need you to do for the vet. The Board will think about any criminal convictions you have, in New Zealand or overseas, and other information the Police or someone else tells them.

If you apply for a practising certificate and it is sent to the Board under section 30(1)(b)(iii) or (2A), the Board might not ask for a Police vet if you had one done in the last three years, unless they have other concerns about you. The Board will look at your convictions and other information to help them make a decision about you.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

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=DLM190226.

Topics:

Work and jobs > Job licensesHealth and wellbeing > Mental health

49: Action if Board considers social worker not fit and proper, or

"What happens if the Board thinks a social worker is not suitable to work?"

51: Reporting of conditions affecting ability to practise as a social worker, or

"Telling the Board about a social worker who can't do their job properly because of a health issue"

Part 3Competence and fitness
Fitness to practise and serious misconduct

50Board to ask for Police vet, and consider convictions and other information

In order to help determine whether a person is a fit and proper person to practise as a social worker for the purposes of this Act, the Board—
must obtain a Police vet from the Police Vetting Service; and
may require the person to comply with Police requirements for that purpose; and
must consider any criminal convictions (whether in New Zealand or overseas) and other information disclosed to the Board by the Police or otherwise known to the Board.

However, if an application for a practising certificate is referred to the Board under section 30(1)(b)(iii) or (2A), the Board may not request a Police vet if a Police vet of the applicant under this section has been done within the preceding 3 years, unless other concerns about the person’s fitness to practise have been raised with the Board since that Police vet was done.

Notes

Section 50(1) heading: replaced, on 28 February 2019, by section 73(1) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 50(1): amended, on 27 February 2021, by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 50(1): amended, on 28 February 2019, by section 73(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 50(1)(a): replaced, on 28 February 2019, by section 73(3) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 50(1)(aa): inserted, on 28 February 2019, by section 73(3) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 50(1)(b): replaced, on 28 February 2019, by section 73(3) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
Section 50(2): inserted, on 28 February 2019, by section 73(4) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).