Social workers work with particularly vulnerable members of the community in areas such as child protection, youth justice, aged care and disability. But unlike most allied health professions, there is no process for formal registration. This means there is no formal registration framework, there is no boundary defining who is and isn’t a social worker, and no way to check whether a practitioner is professionally qualified.

In December 2021, the South Australian government legislated what would have been the only social work registration in Australia. But in June 2026, after more than four years of implementation planning, the proposed Social Workers Registration Scheme was disbanded. 

The sector returns now to the question of the best way to regulate its workers, and how best to keep those in its care safe.

Regulating social workers in Australia

Social work is one of the largest allied health professions in Australia, employing 47,400 people. 

The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) has campaigned since the late 1960s for a registration scheme, and since 2012 for their inclusion in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) administered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

However, the federal government has consistently opposed this proposal, arguing social workers present a low risk of harm.

What went wrong in South Australia?

In 2021, the South Australian government passed legislation and allocated $4.7 million to establish a social worker registration scheme. In June 2025, just a month before it was due to commence, legislation was amended to allow more time for implementation planning given the complexity of organising pathways into social work qualifications for many human service workers working in high demand areas such as child protection, mental health, homelessness, and family violence.

The government’s reasons for abandoning the scheme seem spurious. While it blamed cost of living concerns for its decision to scrap the registration scheme, the requirement for an annual registration fee was reported from the very beginning, and applicants were able to apply for a 50 per cent reduction on the grounds of financial hardship. 

It seems more likely that the government was concerned about the challenges of organising a verifiable pathway to social work qualifications for many human service workers, including meeting the cost of funding or at least subsidising the required bridging education and training. It may also have been struggling to manage the complexity of distinguishing between workers who had professional social work qualifications and those who did not, yet were often working in similar roles. Paradoxically, the major argument in favour of registration – to define the boundaries of the social work profession – also seems to have been a key factor in its downfall.

Why do we need a registration scheme for social workers?

Supporters of a registration scheme argue that service users are currently exposed to forms of incompetent or overtly harmful practice, and that a formal registration of the social work title would provide greater protection. They argue it could also improve practice standards by requiring all social workers to undertake continuing professional development, including an advanced knowledge of First Nations culture, and improve access to employment, training and career opportunities in allied health and wider sectors that are currently limited to members of registered professions.

Critics argue a social worker registration scheme would unreasonably divide social workers from the many workforce colleagues who have other qualifications or forms of practice experience. There are also concerns that registration unduly targets the competence and failings of individual practitioners, while ignoring the wider systemic and structural context of practice.

It is hard to judge whether pro- or anti-registration views are more influential within the industry given that most AASW campaigns have not engaged the majority of social workers; 60 per cent of the workforce are not AASW members. The only empirical study of Australian social work views on registration reported a wide diversity of opinions. However, a recent survey of 3034 Australian social workers by the AASW identified registration as only a moderate priority compared to greater concerns around issues such as pay equity, professional recognition, and policy advocacy for social justice.

Looking to the future

AASW, previously the strongest advocate for national registration, has pivoted to a new position of proposing further consultation to consider a range of regulatory options for advancing social work’s professional status. 

The South Australian case teaches us it is difficult to separate social work practice from broader human service practice given many overlapping and integrated roles. Perhaps the biggest lesson is that further research is urgently needed to interrogate the preference of most Australian social workers (both AASW members and non-members) regarding yes or no to advancing registration. Should the yes case win, it will be vital to identify the best possible frameworks and structures for enabling a successful implementation.