The primary responsibility of the Accreditation Council is to provide oversight of the accreditation process of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) with the objective of ensuring that graduates from social work programs have achieved the professional competencies and learning outcomes identified as necessary for entry into professional practice by the Australian Social Work Education Accreditation Scheme (ASWEAS).

The goal is to maintain consistency and fairness in the accreditation process without interfering with the Panel’s autonomy. By maintaining this approach, the Council will contribute to the credibility and integrity of the accreditation framework whilst respecting the expertise of the Assessment Panel members in carrying out their responsibilities.

Meeting ASWEAS standards ensures the Higher Education Providers (HEPs) design and deliver social work programs that equip entry-level social workers to practice safely and effectively, thus making them eligible for membership of the AASW.

The standards and accreditation process overseen by the Accreditation Council aims to ensure:

• The program submitted by the Higher Education Provider is capable of producing social work graduates with the skills and attributes identified by the ASWEAS for entry level social work professionals.
• Graduates will possess the capabilities specified by the Higher Education Provider.
• The program will continue to produce the graduate attributes expected throughout the accreditation period.

 
The Accreditation Council Terms of Reference can be found here.