Explanatory note

This Bill sets out a number of provisions to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. It requires social work practitioners in particular to make judgements based on their professional training and competence. Their analysis and reflection will have a far reaching impact, for example, on the decisions made at family group conferences and on the future of children born to parents who have previously had children removed from them. Currently, there is no legislative requirement that social workers be professionally trained and accountable to a professional body. Social workers currently have an option to register as a social worker and be held accountable to the professional body for social work. Currently there are a significant number of social workers in state sector agencies who are not professionally trained and are not registered social workers under the Social Workers Registration Board. This Supplementary Order Paper amends the Bill to require those who practise as social workers to be registered within 5 years of the passing of this Bill. This allows ample time to achieve the goal of allowing registered social workers only to work with vulnerable children and individuals.