On World Social Work Day 2025, AASW Calls for Urgent Action on Social Worker Registration

On World Social Work Day 2025, the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) calls on the federal, state, and territory governments to follow South Australia’s lead and commit to the mandatory registration of social workers to protect the public.

“For decades, governments have delayed taking this essential step. This means social workers continue to support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities—often without the safeguards that registration provides in other professions,” said AASW CEO Cindy Smith.

“Registration ensures safeguards are in place to protect the community. If someone has caused significant harm, they can be prevented from practising as a social worker, just as we expect in other regulated professions.”

South Australia has already legislated a Social Worker Registration Scheme, beginning on 1 July 2025, with mandatory registration from 1 July 2026. “South Australia has set the standard—now it’s time for the rest of the country to act,” said Cindy Smith.

“Repeatedly, coroners’ reports and experts have underscored that an unregistered profession intensifies harm to our community’s most vulnerable members. It’s these findings that prompted South Australia to take action, yet these recommendations follow tragedies from every state and territory.” Cindy Smith said.

The theme for this year’s World Social Work Day “Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing” highlights the urgent need to bolster social work services and strengthen the workforce. “The wellbeing of future generations depends on the strength of the social work profession today,” said Cindy Smith.

“The title of social worker is not protected, meaning anyone can call themselves a social worker, unlike other professions. It is like being able to call yourself a dentist when you have an apprenticeship as a mechanic.”

“This means individuals working with the community calling themselves social workers, but are not qualified, may be unaware of what social work is, and may even be harming the wellbeing of community members.” Cindy Smith said.

“There are 46,000 social workers in Australia, and the workforce is growing by 2,700 people every year,” said AASW CEO. “We also have a pipeline of 21,000 social work students. Yet, unlike in comparable countries, this workforce is unregulated, creating a concerning gap in public protection.” Cindy Smith said.

Australia has a National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS), which has regulated health professions since 2010. “Social work is deeply embedded in health and mental health services—yet social workers remain one of the few unregistered professions in this space. The solution is already in place. The government needs to act.”

The AASW urges the government to: 

• Commit to national registration of social workers to protect our community
• Integrate social work into the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS)
• Follow the lead of South Australia in ensuring public safety and professional standards.

“The registration of social workers is not just about professional recognition, it’s about protecting the people we serve. We call on our leaders to act in the interests of the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Cindy Smith.

About the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)

The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is the professional body representing social workers in Australia. Our mission is to promote wellbeing and social justice in Australia by empowering the social work profession to create positive change.

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