Enhancing the readiness to practise of newly qualified social workers

Enhance R2P

These resources form an evidence-informed, industry agreed, professional capabilities framework that will inform the design of pre- and post-qualifying social work education programmes, setting clear expectations for the capabilities and continuing professional development of social workers.

The phase one report focuses on the question: What is the content of the current New Zealand social work curriculum and how does it relate to the ten core competence standards of the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB)?

The phase two report focuses on the question: How well-prepared are Newly qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) (social workers in their first two years of practice) to enter professional social work, and how is their learning being supported and enhanced in the workplace?

The phase three report focuses on the question: what are the professional capabilities, including cultural capabilities, we should expect of newly qualified social workers and of social workers working at beginning, and experienced, levels of practice?

Resource download:

Background:

A three-year project, completed in 2019, that aimed to develop a professional capabilities framework, clarifying the capabilities of newly qualified social workers and social workers at experienced and advanced levels of practice.

The project included social work academics from Open Polytechnic, The University of Auckland, Massey University, the University of Canterbury and the University of Otago. The Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) was represented on the project’s advisory group.

Reports prepared by Neil Ballantyne, Liz Beddoe, Kathryn Hay, Jane Maidment, Shayne Walker and Liz Ngan.

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Co-funded by the Ako Aotearoa National Project Fund (NPF)