Bills

Social Workers Registration (Commencement) Amendment Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading (resumed on motion).

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (15:36): I did commence this speech before the lunch break. I do not intend to take up too much time. I think other members have comprehensively covered the nature of this particular bill. In summary, we are going to see an extended and staged approach to get into social worker registration, the setting up of the body that will be responsible. Part of the approach is to ensure that we can make necessary changes as we go along through regulations so it does not have to come back to the house, which is a very efficient way of doing it.

Ultimately, we would all like to see a national body, but we do need to get some of the other states on board when it comes to that approach. The changes will ultimately mean there will be greater professional accountability amongst social workers and there will also be that scope for additional professional development. It is an important step, and it is something that has been supported by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

I could speak at length about social workers. I have known quite a few of them over the years, including my sister, who was a social worker. She started many years ago in what I think might have been the Department of Community Services at the time—I am not too sure; it has had a lot of changes over the years—and she was in that area of child protection, but there was also a bit of a community development focus back then as well. She was one of those people who went to work in Port Augusta.

Eventually, she moved to the Eastern States to work as a high-level professional social worker in the social security field until she got so disgusted with the approach of the Howard government and its approach to some of the most vulnerable people in our society—and this was in the western suburbs of Sydney—that she left and became a social worker in the private health field. She had a long history of working as a social worker. Indeed, accidentally—I am not sure how you do this accidentally—I also ended up doing the four-year social work degree and at least ended up with a qualification, but I have never worked as a social worker. I think the degree, in a number of ways, has stood me in very good stead. It was a bit unusual because I was going to go to Flinders to do a science degree, so it is a long story and I am not going to bore you with it here.

Clearly, social workers work across a whole range of areas. It has been said by other members that the Department for Child Protection alone employs 700 social workers, so it would be probably by far the largest employer of social workers at a state government level in this state. However, they work for other government agencies, non-government agencies and indeed the private sector, and some of them are in private practice and delivering a service there.

The degree in some respects enables you to go on to other areas. Somebody like April Lawrie, who most of the people in this chamber would know—who of course has ended up as the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People—did a social work degree, and I had the honour of doing a social work degree with her. We did our degree together. I have known April for many years, and it is great to see how she has progressed and the work that she has done not only for the state in general but also for her community and Aboriginal people in particular.

That is very positive and reflects the importance—and I know that it is another bill and we should not reflect upon another bill before the house, when it comes to the university amalgamation—of regional universities and the number of people who come out of those regional campuses, many of whom then go back and service our regional communities. When we did the particular degree it was three years in Whyalla and a final year in Adelaide.

The work that social workers are exposed to is some of the most intense work, and sometimes it can be very disturbing work, especially in the area of child protection. They are damned if they do, they are damned if they don't. There are often very difficult decisions that have to be made, so it is not an easy job by any means, and it carries with it for some practitioners a significant degree, a high level, of stress.

We should acknowledge the work that social workers do, and it is incredibly important work. It will be good to see us reach the final outcome here. It is somewhat delayed but for good reason. It has been somewhat delayed to get to that point where social workers can be registered so there is that, as I said, greater degree of professional accountability. With those few words, I commend the bill to the house.

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (15:42): I am always proud in this place to speak about the wonderful work of social workers in our community. I would like to acknowledge all those people involved in protecting our most vulnerable. Somewhat like the member for Giles—and I did appreciate his contribution—I did commence studying social work at one stage. I commenced my postgraduate studies in social work when I had first gone into a grad program after my undergraduate degree.

I very much did want to end up at some stage working in social work, but for me that was very much, I guess, something that I wanted to do in response to my own personal experiences growing up and having known the really positive influence that social workers had on particularly those children in my life who were in the child protection system.

Of course, we know that not all social workers are involved in the child protection space, but such a large number do play a really vital role in the lives of young people who do not often have those close familial supports of their own. For us as kinship carers for many years, I have nothing but respect and warmth towards those social workers who became incredibly central in the lives of my family members and also those social workers who in different ways assisted us in our journey through domestic and family violence.

For me, going to at least commence studying social work—and I never completed my postgraduate studies in social work—it was a way, I think, to acknowledge and give back to a profession that had really shaped my life and also a profession that I had seen firsthand having such a really positive impact on particularly those vulnerable people who did not have others in their lives. I know that the relationships that particularly my cousins made with their social workers over many years were so important, and I do not think that we can ever underestimate the value of those relationships and the impact that those relationships have on lives, particularly of children who grow up without those familial influences.

We know that the Social Workers Registration Act was assented to in December and was due to commence on the two-year anniversary in December this year. Social workers in our state are, of course, often working with our most vulnerable people—not just with children, but with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in our prison systems and in many other spheres as well. I think it is important to note that in the work that we are doing today, we are not just prioritising the safety of vulnerable people, but the safety, the protections and the professional development of social workers themselves. Introducing this bill, and bringing in the registration scheme, is a really important part of doing that.

There are a range of benefits to bringing in the social worker registration scheme. Some of those include improved public safety; higher standards of conduct and accountability through the provision of accessible mechanisms for complaints and review, which increases transparency as well; and improved professional development opportunities for people within the profession.

In a profession that can be incredibly emotionally charged, can be incredibly draining and can take an incredibly personal toll on the lives of a lot of those individuals working within it, I do think a system which allows for greater development opportunities and also greater cohesion within the profession—to be able to have those supports, to be able to rely on each other and to have that support amongst those peers—is not just important or helpful but integral to maintaining those positive social work influences in the lives of people in our state.

It would not be a surprise to know that a lot of social workers decide to leave that profession because of the difficulties that are faced within the profession, or perhaps the specific circumstances that many are confronted with. I do think that something like a registration scheme is really important to allow for that camaraderie in what can often be a very emotionally charged profession.

This bill will amend two sections of the act and that has been described at length by other members. One of the things that I think is really important to note here is the way that it very much prioritises investment and care for the most vulnerable people in our community. Our government committed $4.7 million to support the establishment and introduction of this scheme for social workers here in South Australia. We really recognise that the work undertaken by social workers is very much often under-recognised. There are social workers working in a range of professions, but over 700 of them are working in the sphere of child protection. We really cannot underestimate the role or the value of those social workers.

Good governments need to invest in not just valuing those roles but in empowering those roles to continue to be driving forces for change. When we think of the way that social workers influence the lives of people, we also need to think of the impacts that that has on our state as a whole and the benefits there are for the community at large when people are supported by individuals in professions such as social work who are able to provide that support and often, I guess, a supportive ear and supportive conversation at times for those who may not otherwise have it. They often do take on that role, particularly for young people: the role of being strong, positive role models in the lives of young people who, due to no fault of their own, often do not have those positive influences.

Today I would like to commend the work that so many of those social workers have done. In my life I have known a number of really wonderful social workers. I was thinking a moment ago of a dear family friend, Rose, who worked in child protection in its various iterations for over 30 years, and the influence that she has had, not just on the children whose lives she supported but on people in her broader community, and what she was able to do for so many people in our family when we were going through difficult times. That skill set and that heart, I think, of being a social worker in the child protection system was something that I will always think about and always consider in my life. She was really very much a driving force in my life for change and for strength when there was a lot of difficulty going on at home.

When we have a scheme like this, the benefits are obvious in terms of the protection they provide to vulnerable people, but I think that giving a centralised way to seek improved professional development and support in what is often an incredibly difficult profession is just as relevant here. We seek to protect those individuals who are seeking the support of a social worker and, of course, we seek to empower those social workers to continue to give adequate and improved support.

The bill today amends the commencement of the scheme so that we can recruit a registrar, establish robust guidelines and appoint a registration board, and I would like to acknowledge—as has been done already—Professor Wendt who, I believe, is here with us today and who has extensive experience in the realm of social work, particularly in the family and domestic violence sphere.

The fact that Professor Wendt has also had a role in teaching the social workers of the future says a lot about the ability and breadth of experience being brought to the role, because so many social workers in our state have already benefited from that expertise—and will continue to do so, hopefully long into the future. As someone who has very much benefited from the work of people in the domestic violence and child protection space in my own life, I do always like to acknowledge the role of people like yourself and the influence those individuals can have on the lives of young people who are perhaps doing it tough.

Obviously, in that role it would be really important to be working with government and non-government bodies, but also to be using that lived experience, whether it be through teaching or research. This is a vital thing we are doing. We know we have to get this right and we know that, being nation-leading in having the scheme, it is really important to be putting in that groundwork and making sure we are doing this scheme in a way that benefits not only the workers but also those individuals who are seeking their services.

I acknowledge that there is a push for a national body of work similar to this, and although there is perhaps not that cross-jurisdictional support at the moment to implement such a scheme, I think it strengthens or increases the need for us to make sure that here in South Australia what we are doing is nation leading, that there is the right amount of research and the right amount of background work put into the scheme. I guess the hope is that states will continue to follow on from the work done here to implement systems very similar in their own states further on. That is further reason for us to go back to basics a little bit and make sure that, before the full implementation of the act, the registration scheme is ready to go and ready to support those workers.

This amendment bill will defer the commencement until 1 July 2025 to ensure that the registration scheme is in place at the time of its amendment, so that there is proper time to make sure that social workers are receiving those supports and that our system continues to be nation leading—which we often have been here not just in terms of being progressive but also in terms of pragmatic change, particularly in the lives of vulnerable people here in South Australia.

I am really proud—as I often am—to be part of a government that is prioritising better outcomes for vulnerable people, particularly those who perhaps do not benefit from the lottery of life in terms of their postcode or the circumstances they were born into. I will always be proud to be part of that work, to make sure that those individuals have equal opportunities across our state, no matter the circumstances that have been brought into their lives.

I am very happy to commend the bill. I would like to thank our dear minister and all the individuals who have been involved in this crucial work. Finally, I commend the work of social workers across our state. I, for one, am all the better for the wonderful work they have done and that they continue to do in the lives of vulnerable people.

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:54): I rise also to support the bill and commend everybody who has had a hand in getting it to where it is at the moment. This type of concept was brought to me before I got into parliament, actually. I have had the pleasure of employing well over 30 social workers through the Independent Learning Centre and various other centres around South Australia. A lady called Kate Barnes, who is one of the most outstanding social workers that I have ever had the privilege of working with and learning from, probably first brought it to my attention back in 2007, so a fair while ago. Her reasoning is not only about recognition and having that standard but also, and most importantly, having the support and the professional development that goes along with that.

My own personal journey really started at Port Augusta, where I had my first teaching placement. Very quickly, I was a coordinator and then, quite quickly after that, I was the student counsellor. With zero experience, zero training in that field, you quickly realise the depth of issues, and breadth of issues as well, that a number of students are facing and confronting. Certainly, Maslow's hierarchy of needs is pretty quick learning. I felt completely underprepared for that role, there was almost no support, and for most of it I was winging it.

We had some very confronting issues back in middle nineties. Train surfing was a popular fad, particularly with a number of students at my site, which was Port Augusta Secondary School; that was until one of the students fell off the train and got run over by the train, and there were about nine other students there who witnessed pretty much full decapitation and severing of limbs and arms. To deal with that as the counsellor was pretty horrific not only for students and their learning but, before we could even address that, there was a whole heap of family trauma and student trauma.

That was really the steep learning curve that I went on in terms of investing my time and energy into social work. I always have this philosophy, and I would love to see it one day, that for every teaching degree, you also have to do a social work degree hand in hand with it. When I had the Independent Learning Centre, I always used to say that every teacher is a social worker, and every social worker is a teacher. The skills are very transferable. Good teachers are also very good social workers in terms of their approach and care for kids. In the same way, our very good social workers became very good teachers.

In fact, what was really pleasing to me was the number of social workers that we had. Frazer Scanlon came in as a social worker. We provided an environment where he could complete his teaching degree, because it was a one-year addition. He has progressed through Reidy Park Primary School and is now the principal of Glencoe Central Primary School. Christine Hart, who was my head social worker at that centre, has achieved her teaching degree and is now the senior school assistant principal in a Victorian high school.

Bevan White is a very good social worker. He is now running his own business, looking after the wellbeing of young people. Carla Doody is a fantastic social worker as well. She is involved in the education space. I think she has just done eight years at Allendale East Area School. She informed me the other week that she has now just won a job with a NDIS provider. So, they are fantastic outcomes for a number of social workers. As I said, I think we employed well over 30 over a period of time. You get to see the skills that very good social workers bring and the difference they make to kids' lives.

We also need to recognise the difficulty in achieving a social work degree. For somebody who is out of school age and working, to try to do those placements is a prohibitive factor, particularly the 10-week one, which is unpaid. Three months without income coming in is just unachievable for a lot of people. We would have systems set up where we would bank hours and do a whole range of very creative things, probably frowned upon by other institutions, but there was a real desire to have people complete that degree, and now the registration of that I think is a brilliant step forward.

One thing we need to ensure for our social workers is support and professional development, but less so in an educational setting. I have painted a couple of examples already, but certainly the social workers that I know who are with Families SA or the Corrections department are facing a lot of confronting issues and sometimes, in their mind, hopeless situations. Their wellbeing and mental health has to be a priority as well, and I see something like this contributing to that network and that support mechanism that we can put around our social workers.

One other thing I want to briefly touch on, and this is why I think professional development is so important, is really making sure that social workers create an independent or empowering model. It is very easy to fall into a dependence model, because that can make you feel good when young people need your services. We would challenge each other all the time at the various centres that we had: 'Is this intervention a dependence model or an empowering model?'

Whilst it is just one very small example, the lightbulb really came on for me when we were buying taxi fares for students to come into the Independent Learning Centre. Over a week per student it does add up to well over $100, even for Mount Gambier. We just thought, 'This is not sustainable; how can we do this better?' So as a group we sat down and talked about empowering models. It resulted in bikes being purchased for two students. Our person who did automotives helped the young people put them together, with maintenance and all that type of stuff, and gifted them a bike each, and they were able to turn up from there.

Another example of that was we had an ex-teacher who donated a small car. Our auto guys fixed it up. That person lived out of town with a young baby, and they were able to then get into the Independent Learning Centre. They are the types of empowering models that really stuck with me. The constant challenge from my social workers of 'How can we do this better?' I found very valuable, and the results are there. A number of young people have gone on to great lives and great careers. It is a testament to the social workers we had not just at Mount Gambier but at the Independent Learning Centres at Naracoorte and Millicent. They really did change kids' lives, and I am very grateful for the social workers that we had. Anything that I can do to support their professional development, their support mechanisms, I will do in this place. I commend the bill to the house.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (16:04): Can I first of all just say a wholehearted thank you to all of the members who have made really important contributions in this debate. It has been lovely and inspiring to hear different stories about members' own experiences with engagement with social workers at different points in their lives. It has been lovely to hear about members' appreciation of and support for the social workers in their own families. It has been lovely to hear from one member in particular about his undertaking of the degree in social work.

It has also been wonderful to hear, most recently, from the member for Mount Gambier his reflections on social workers who he has worked alongside and encountered during the course of his career. The quote that he said will stick with me. I hope I have it right in my mind, but that is that every social worker is a teacher and every teacher is a social worker. I think that is very, very true and, again, is a lovely reflection of those interactions with social workers that members have had. Thank you very much to the members for Mount Gambier, Newland, Giles, Elder, Davenport, Hurtle Vale and Heysen.

Thank you also to our inaugural director of the social worker registration scheme, who the speakers in the debate have rightly honoured. Professor Sarah Wendt comes to us with such a wealth of experience and expertise, and I know from speaking with her she has such a commitment to making sure we develop and implement this scheme in the best possible way for social workers in South Australia and for our community. I again place on record my thanks to Professor Wendt.

I also want to thank Matt Pearce and Ruth Sibley in my office for their work towards this bill, but also toward all of the aspects of bringing this scheme to life and getting it to the point that we are at today. I also very much thank Alex from the Department for Child Protection and parliamentary counsel for their work in progressing this matter.

Bill read a second time.

Committee Stage

In committee.

Clause 1.

Mr TEAGUE: As was just now referred to in the course of the debate, there has been an occasion to recognise and to honour the credentials and welcome the appointment of Professor Wendt. I will just ask the minister: under the recruitment process, when was Professor Wendt first identified as the candidate to whom the offer be made for the role?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: Thank you for that question. It is my understanding that the position of director was advertised in February, with applications closing in March. It is also my understanding that there was a recommendation for Professor Wendt to be appointed to the position in July. What I can absolutely confirm is that Professor Sarah Wendt commenced in the position as director on 18 September.

Clause passed.

Clause 2.

Mr TEAGUE: What consultation was undertaken with regard to the preparation of the bill and, in particular, with the Australian Association of Social Workers?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: What I can first of all say to the member in relation to consultation is that there was a great degree of consultation about the need for a social workers registration scheme over many years. He has certainly alluded to his time on the committee in the previous session of the parliament. What I can also advise the member is that, without going back into the exchange that was had previously, the proponents of the progress of the bill, being the member for Hurtle Vale and the Hon. Tammy Franks, certainly engaged broadly, as again is my understanding, around the need for the progress of the bill.

After some hesitation, the bill was finally assented to on 9 December 2021. What I can say is that, on coming to government, it was very clear that there had not been any progress in terms of the establishment of the scheme or thinking about the process for recruiting a director and how it would be implemented, nor was there any funding applied either. So in the Mid-Year Budget Review 2022, we allocated funding at last for this scheme that had been long called for. As I spoke about earlier, $4.7 million was allocated, and then I have just outlined the progress in terms of appointing the exemplary director, who will now establish this really important scheme.

In terms of this bill, given this bill is about changing the date of implementation, of course, given earlier consultation about the need for a scheme, the elements of the scheme, etc., that kind of consultation was not required for a bill that is about a different date for the start of the scheme itself. Certainly, my Chief of Staff did speak with the director—I think that is the correct title—of the AASW. There was certainly a conversation about this bill and the reasons for the bill being introduced into the parliament.

Mr TEAGUE: We got there in the end to some extent. Given the last part of that answer began to answer the question that I asked, is there any indication of when the minister's Chief of Staff spoke with, or communicated in any other way with, the Australian Association of Social Workers?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: What I will add to my previous answer is that I have of course met with the Australian Association of Social Workers. I met earlier this year with Cindy from the AASW, and also my Chief of Staff spoke again with Cindy in September. I was also really pleased that the AASW were present at our incredibly successful deep conversation that we had through our child protection and family support symposium just last week.

The CHAIR: Do you have a supplementary?

Mr TEAGUE: I could repeat the question, I suppose. The minister, in concluding the answer to the question as originally asked, indicated, in respect of consultation with regard to the preparation of the bill—that is, this bill, the bill that extends time for the implementation—that the minister's Chief of Staff spoke with, and I think the minister described the relevant position as the director, and I will not cavil with the appropriate term but there was relevantly communication from the Chief of Staff by speaking with the director and that that contact involved something resembling consultation, if I understood the answer correctly. So I am just asking: is there any indication as to when that happened and is there any record of it?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: I have actually answered the question that I think the member is asking again in this second speech/question.

Clause passed.

Clause 3.

Mr TEAGUE: When, if at all—I do not make the presumption—did the minister, or in light of the previous answer, the minister's Chief of Staff, communicate with the Australian Association of Social Workers that the government would request or seek the endorsement of the parliament for an additional 18 months before commencing the scheme at 1 July 2025?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: Again, as I answered two questions ago, in September. My understanding is that there were not further questions arising from that particular discussion.

What I can reiterate again is that I am so incredibly proud that Professor Sarah Wendt has been appointed to the position. I am really, really pleased. I have such faith and clearly, from the contributions earlier, I think everybody in this chamber has great faith in Professor Sarah Wendt's ability to now take forward the scheme in a way that is thoughtful, that is considered, that ensures that social workers and our broader community are deeply engaged in that process. I really look forward to continuing to hear about the progress of that.

I think I mentioned in my speech that it is my understanding that now Professor Sarah Wendt independently gets on with implementing the scheme and it is my understanding that steps will continue to appoint board members and to begin that process of broader consultation heading to implementation and then the scheme's operation. I really look forward to that. Again, I have great faith in her ability to progress the scheme as it should be.

Mr TEAGUE: Just in case we might be at completely cross-purposes—I hope we are not—the question I asked of the minister was: when, if at all, did the minister communicate with the Australian Association of Social Workers that the government was requesting of the parliament an additional 18 months in which to commence the scheme? That remains the question.

As I understand the answer, we are all aware Professor Wendt was appointed commencing on 18 September. We understand the productive work that is expected following Professor Wendt's appointment. My question remains: when, if at all, did the minister, or in light of the previous answer the Chief of Staff or anyone from the minister's office, communicate with the Australian Association of Social Workers that the government was seeking an additional 18 months within which to commence the scheme?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: I am not quite sure how to give you the information other than to say the discussion occurred in September.

Mr TEAGUE: Okay; I will just say what I understand that answer to mean. I understand that answer to mean that in September, and around the time of the appointment of Professor Wendt, the minister's Chief of Staff had some form of conversation with the director of the Australian Association of Social Workers, at which time the minister's Chief of Staff indicated to the AASW that the government would be seeking an additional 18 months with which to introduce the scheme. Is that the correct sequence of events?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: I am just not sure what you are trying to get at here. This is a really great step forward. I will say it again: I am advised that that discussion took place in September.

Mr TEAGUE: Just to be clear, we will put the pieces together. I want to know when, if at all, anyone associated with the minister had a conversation with the AASW about the government seeking the additional 18 months—not the appointment of Professor Wendt, not the good work ahead, the seeking of the additional 18 months. There must have been a time at which the government formed a view that it was not going to get this done before the time allowed under the act for commencement and that it needed to go back to the parliament to seek the extra time in which to implement the scheme. That must have been a position that the government became appraised of at some time.

I have understood answers from the minister in the course of this committee process to be that any communication with AASW relevantly was constituted by some form of verbal communication between the Chief of Staff of the minister and the director or the person in the equivalent role at AASW—that is the contact. I am asking when, and in particular when if at all, was AASW—ahead of following the debate in this place, following the introduction of the bill—appraised of, informed or consultation sought in relation to the need for the additional 18 months?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: I will just try one more time. I am advised that in September my Chief of Staff spoke with the AASW director about the need for more time.

The CHAIR: There are no more clauses, sorry.

Mr TEAGUE: I know. I would like to know whether they were on notice of 18 months at that point or whether it was just, 'Well, we're going to seek more time and it's just a question of the pragmatics.' Do we know that?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: What I will say again is that we are absolutely committed to getting this right. It was really disappointing that there had not been any earlier work done on it; nonetheless, we have funded the scheme. We have appointed an exemplary director. We have enabled that director to get on with developing and implementing the scheme. I have answered the question. I suggest that if there is any more, something, that the member is looking for he gives me a call.

Clause passed.

Title passed.

Bill reported without amendment.

Third Reading

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (16:24): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (16:24): On the third reading I just wish to reflect on the course of the second reading debate. Of course, the bill is an occasion to revisit the question of social worker registration, and of course there is an occasion to reflect on, including through personal experience and study, the important vocation that is social work and to welcome, of course, the recent appointment of Professor Wendt.

I just indicate to the chamber that it is my sincere hope that this additional time that has now been afforded to the government to commence the scheme is such that when next this house has the occasion to speak to the important work of social workers it is not in the context of seeking yet further time to implement the scheme.

As the course of the debate has also indicated, it is my sincere hope that, in the course of progress towards the implementation of the scheme, the important role of the Australian Association of Social Workers, and indeed its contribution to the committee process that preceded the implementation of the act and the report that ensued, is all put to good use, including by keeping in close contact with the association going forward. I otherwise commend the work ahead and commend the bill to the house.

Bill read a third time and passed.