On behalf of the Social Work Alliance, Toitū te Waiora is pleased to share the recently released position paper entitled “Strategic Priorities for Social Work Workforce Planning and Development in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

This paper has been developed by sector leaders within the Social Work Alliance, including Toitū te Waiora kaimahi, providing an internal view of the key challenges faced across the social work profession, many of which are already well known. These key challenges are positioned within eight priorities for action, which could strengthen the workforce and improve services to whānau and communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Toitū te Waiora hopes this paper will help inform the workforce planning mahi led by the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) and explore the development of skill standards and micro-credentials to support a clear vocational educational pathway into social work registration.

It is hoped this position paper creates a foundation for shared understanding of the issues the social work sector faces and inspires organisational-level responses to the challenges outlined within the document.

The Social Work Alliance is an independent coalition of social work system leaders from across Aotearoa New Zealand, who collaboratively provide strategic advice and leadership on behalf of the social work profession. Originally convened by the SWRB in 2013 to inform the establishment of mandatory registration, it is a collaboration between major social work services (Oranga Tamariki, Te Whatu Ora), tertiary education providers, professional bodies (ANZASW, TWSWA, CSWEANZ, SSPA), Toitū te Waiora and unions (PSA).

Read the report here.