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Social Workers Registration Act 2003

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

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

You could also call this:

"Only registered people can call themselves social workers"

Illustration for Social Workers Registration Act 2003

If you want to say you are a social worker, you must be registered as one under this Act and your registration must not be suspended. You can only use certain names, words, or titles that imply you are a social worker if you are registered. You must also have a current practising certificate to claim you are practising as a social worker or to suggest that you are willing to practise as one.

If someone else is not allowed to say they are a social worker, you cannot say it about them either. However, if you are looking for a job as a social worker, you can say you are willing to practise as one if you would be allowed to register and get a practising certificate once you have the job.

You should check the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 for more information about these rules, which were updated on 27 February 2021.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS456236.

Topics:
Work and jobs > Job licenses
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5C: Provisions relating to sections 5A and 5B, or

"Rules for changing or cancelling some notices about social worker registration"

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6AAB: Key requirements for practising as social worker, or

"Rules for being a social worker in New Zealand"

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

6AAUnregistered person must not claim to be social worker

  1. A person may use names, words, titles, initials, abbreviations, or descriptions stating or implying that they are a social worker only if they are registered as a social worker under this Act (and their registration is not suspended).

  2. No person may claim to be practising as a social worker, or state or do anything that is calculated to suggest that they practise or are willing to practise as a social worker, unless—

  3. they are registered as a social worker under this Act (and their registration is not suspended); and
    1. they hold a current practising certificate as a social worker (and their practising certificate is not suspended).

      1. No person may make an express or implied statement about another person that the other person is prohibited by this section from making about themselves.

      2. The prohibitions under this section do not apply to a person who states that they are willing to practise as a social worker for the purpose of seeking employment if the person would, on obtaining employment, be entitled to—

      3. be registered as a social worker; and
        1. hold a current practising certificate as a social worker.

          Notes
          • Section 6AA: inserted, on , by section 11 of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).