The SWRB SA focus on quality practice aligns with professional competence, conduct and accountability as primary objectives of the Act.
Developed by the SWRB SA to address these objectives, the Quality Practice Framework comprises the Social Work Core Competencies and the Code of Conduct for Registered Social Workers. Reflecting the Board’s definition of social work services and scope of practice, the framework provides the foundation for the regulation and registration of social workers in South Australia.
The framework promotes transparency and accountability while supporting a shared understanding of what it means to practise as a registered social worker. It connects professional expectations with social work identity and values.
As the foundation for its legislated functions, the Quality Practice Framework articulates SWRB SA’s vision for a robust approach to regulation focused on uplifting the profession, ensuring accountability and enhancing public safety.
In bringing together conduct and competence, the Quality Practice Framework is consistent with the Act’s interpretation of unprofessional conduct as including incompetence and/or disgraceful or improper conduct. It provides a foundation for understanding and responding to unprofessional conduct that is critical in a regulatory context and relates specifically to the ‘fit and proper person’ requirement for registration.
The Quality Practice Framework’s emphasis on end-results and impacts reflects an outcome-focused approach that enables transparency and accountability which is necessary for regulation. At the same time, it offers a visual representation of what is being worked towards that integrates practice, social work identity and values.
While informed by the Australian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (2020) and Practice Standards (2023), the Quality Practice Framework addresses the particular demands of the South Australian regulatory environment.
Competence describes the capacity to consistently integrate and apply contextually appropriate knowledge, skills and values. Competence is not an individual attribute but rather is inseparable from the situation, task and setting in which it is applied.
Competencies are sets of profession-specific knowledge, skills, and values that, together, form the building blocks for overall competence. They are not tied to a particular role or setting but are interrelated and transferable across situations and contexts. Importantly, competencies are neither abstract concepts nor concern the quality of performance; instead, they relate to the work actually performed - the integration of knowledge and skills and values in practice.
The SWRB SA has identified seven areas of competency, and aligned knowledge, skills and values, that, together, construct competence in undertaking social work services. These acknowledge the importance of being able to identify, integrate and apply contextually appropriate knowledge, skills and values.
You can download the Social Work Core Competencies here.
The SWRB SA Code of Conduct sets out the base expectations for conduct and behaviour that constitute the core requirements for professional and safe practice while also expressing social work’s distinct identity and values.
Developed by the SWRB SA in line with its legislated responsibility for public protection, the Code establishes the standards against which performance can be assessed for the purpose of regulation.
You can download the Code of Conduct for Registered Social Workers here.
