Advocacy Update
Advocacy Update
February 2025
Have your input via ‘Have Your Say’ in MyAASW. The AASW Social Policy and Advocacy team regularly post opportunities for you to inform our work and provide feedback.
The AASW is committed to driving meaningful change through our advocacy, addressing key social issues and championing the vital role of social work in our communities.
We’re advocating for:
- National registration of social workers via NRAS
- NDIS Advocacy and Social Worker Recognition
- Call for Full Implementation of Family Violence Royal Commission Recommendation 209
- Better Access Industry Liaison Group
- Private Health Insurance
- Support for Greater Regulation of Social Workers in Primary Care
- National Dementia Clinical Guidelines
- Advocacy on compensable schemes
- AMHSW survey
- Development of Submission for Australian Government Review of PHNs
Registration
The national registration of the social work profession remains a key priority for the AASW. Social workers delivering services to South Australian service users will be required to register under the Social Workers Registration Scheme from 1 July 2025. The registration scheme is overseen by the Social Workers Registration Board of South Australia, part of the Government of South Australia. You can find updates on the scheme on their website here. Social Workers Registration Scheme | Social Workers Registration Scheme
To include social workers in NRAS, Australian state and territory Health Ministers and Heads of Health Departments must agree that the profession meets established criteria for inclusion in the scheme. We have been working on collating evidence to meet the criteria as specified by government. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency – Policy directions and guidance
The AASW is engaging with Health Ministers and other related stakeholders to seek their endorsement to initiate this process.
This includes making submissions to the Independent review of complexity in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, led by Sue Dawson. Crucially, the review will consider how the NRAS can expand and grow to meet future needs. A final report is expected to be handed to Health Ministers in April 2025. Further information – Independent review of complexity in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
National Insurance Disability Scheme (NDIS)
In September 2024, the AASW established a working group to provide guidance to the AASWs on the major changes being implemented by government to the NDIS scheme to return to its original vision and reduce costs.
- Advocacy meetings with the Ministers Advisor for NDIS (Dec 2024); the Hon Bill Shorten MP (Dec 2024) and CEO, Service Design & Improvement, NDIA to raise member concerns about barriers to working effectively with NDIS participants.
- Development of new resources to support members to advocate directly to NDIA planners and coordinators social workers to understand the scope of social work in participant care.
- Making submissions relating to the new legislative framework to implement the changes, NDIS pricing reform, Foundational Supports, NDIS registration requirements and new practice guidelines.
Family Violence
In November 2024, the AASW called on the Victorian to commit to the full original implementation of Recommendation 209 of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.In 2016, the Royal Commission’s final report called for mandatory minimum qualification requirements for specialist family violence practitioners to hold a Bachelor of Social Work or equivalent qualification.
Letters have been written to the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence and requesting a meeting. AASW advised that it is more than eight years since the commissioners handed down their report and we are concerned the Victorian Government has signalled it is walking away from its obligation for specialist family violence workers to be appropriately qualified.
Better Access Industry Liaison Group
For AMHSWs, the integrity of the MBS mental health items for the Better Access scheme and Mental Health Treatment Plans (MHTP) are important to ensure patients are referred to, and receive the mental health care they need.
The AASW is a member of the Better Access Industry Liaison Group, which has been established by the Australian Government to provide advice on the proposed legislative changes to the MBS mental health items to commence from 1 November 2025. More information about these changes can be found here – Mental health
Key focus areas for AASW include the following changes:
- MHTP review and mental health consultation MBS items being removed and replaced with the use of general attendance items
- Patient can only be referred for treatment under Better Access by a GP if they attend their registered MyMedicare practice or their ‘usual GP’. This is concerning as many people do not have a ‘usual GP’ or are registered for MyMedicare, for many reasons
- Concerns regarding the mental health assessment tools used by GPs to enable them to refer patients to the most appropriate service.
Private Health Insurance
The AASW has consistently advocated to Private Health Funds of the value that AMHSWs bring when they are included as providers of mental health services for members with extras cover.
This advocacy resulted in the AASW signing an Ancillary Services Deed with the Australian Regional Health Group (ARHG) in late 2024. ARHG is the voice of private health care for regional Australians and provides an ancillary provider accreditation service for its 30 member funds. This arrangement enables AASW to work with more private health funds to recognise AMHSWs and pay benefits for mental health services provided by AMHSWs. Currently we have Phoenix Health Fund, St Lukes Health Insurance and TUH – Teachers Union Health Fund on board.
Scope of Practice Review
AASW welcomed one of the findings in the Scope of Practice final report, released in November 2024, that social work should be a priority profession for strengthened regulation.
The Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care commissioned the report to investigate how health professionals could work to their full scope of practice in primary care. The review was a recommendation of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce.
The AASW made multiple submissions to the review. We argued that the inclusion of social workers in NRAS is the most effective and foundational reform that would support social workers to work to their full scope of practice.
The final report identified social work as one of seven priority self-regulated profession for strengthened regulation. The other six self-regulated professions are: dieticians, sonographers, audiologists, exercise physiologists, speech pathologists and counsellors.
National Dementia Clinical Guidelines
Monash University has reached out to the AASW to participate in the review of the 2016 NHMRC approved Australian Clinical Practice Guidelines and Principles of Care for People with Dementia. This is a two-year project that engages multidisciplinary clinicians, experts, consumers and organisations across the spectrum of care for people with dementia.
The AASW, together with a group of members, are providing input into the guidelines development process through a range of consultation webinars and targeted meetings. Engagement is important as this impacts the work of social workers across aged care and NDIS.
Advocacy with compensable schemes
The AASW meet with stakeholders from several worker’s compensation schemes and transport accident schemes to advocate on behalf of social workers and AMHSWs. Key issues raised include fee parity with other mental health service providers and recognition of scope of practice and value of service provision within these schemes.
Phoenix Australia will be undertaking a Mental Health Maturity Assessment of the Transport Accident Commission (TAC)’s approach to supporting clients with mental health complexities. Outcomes are expected in October 2025. The AASW is keen to hear your thoughts on this process. Please get in touch with the social policy and advocacy team if there is something you would like to discuss.
AMSHW Survey
We are disseminating the Accredited Mental Health Social Worker survey again in 2025. This survey is vital for collecting updated evidence and data that underpins our policy and advocacy work for AMHSWs.
Have your say about the Australian Government Review of PHNs
Primary Health Networks (PHNs) were established by the Australian Government in 2015. PHN policy settings have not changed significantly since they were established. The Department of Health and Aged Care is initiating a review to examine the PHN Program business model in the context of the changing operating environment and to ensure it is fit for purpose.
The AASW will be developing a submission. To find out more or provide your input, log on to MyAASW here
The AASW is dedicated to driving meaningful change through our advocacy efforts, addressing key social issues, and championing the essential role of social work in our communities. We will continue to keep you informed on our progress in these important advocacy initiatives, and let you know about chances to get involved.