The Social Workers Registration Board of South Australia is committed to supporting a smooth and informed transition to registration across the sector. We recognise the vital role employers play in this process and are working closely with organisations to ensure the workforce is well prepared and supported.

The SWRB SA will discuss your concerns and solutions as an employer regarding the registration categories.

Social workers are an essential workforce, applying expertise and skills across a range of organisations and services, working with vulnerable individuals and communities to improve wellbeing.

Employing a suitably qualified and/or experienced person, who is registered with the SWRB SA, gives you confidence in their skills, professional practice and competency.

For a comprehensive guide to registration see here: Guide to Social Worker Registration

Your employees must be registered if they:

Under the Act all employees working within the definition of social work services will be required to register with the SWRB SA. There are three categories of registration:

Full Registration

  • Allows individuals to perform social work services, legally use the title "social worker," and work in any role that requires registration.
  • These employees hold a prescribed qualification in social work or have completed the professional experience pathway (PEP).

Provisional Registration

Provides pathways to full registration status to individuals who have experience working in social work services and who either:

  • Complete a pathway of recognition of current competencies with the SWRB SA (PEP) practice experience pathway
  • Enrol in a prescribed qualification (qualification and experience pathway QEP)
  • Employers must provide an endorsement to the SWRB SA in order for each employee to be provisionally registered
  • Employers must ensure that individuals with provisional registration are working towards meeting the full registration requirements
  • Employers must enable professional supervision and support to these individuals to help them transition to full registration

Limited Registration 

  • Is designed for those currently working in social work services and where provisional registration is not suitable for an individual's circumstances
  • Employers must endorse the application for limited registration
  • Employers must ensure that individuals with limited registration are working within the specific conditions set by the SWRB SA. This includes ensuring that they are only performing social work services in a specified role and organisation that has been approved

The SWRB SA is dedicated to collaborating with employers to facilitate the transition to the new regulatory framework.

We will offer guidance and resources to help you understand and meet your obligations under the Act.

Through communication and education our approach emphasizes working with you in the implementation of these new regulations.

Please see Lutheran Care's organisational template used to determine registration requirements for various roles.  We thank Lutheran Care for allowing this information to be shared with the sector.