Amendments Introduced to the Social Workers Act

Government introduced amendments to the Social Workers Act on behalf of the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers today, Nov. 18.

This bill will enable the Nova Scotia Association of Social Workers, a self-regulating body, to better regulate the practice of social work in the province.

"We are committed to working with social workers to support their profession and provide the tools they need to help protect vulnerable families," said Community Services Minister Joanne Bernard.

Specifically, the amendments include:

• changing the name of the organization from association to college
• placing appropriate emphasis on the protection of the public as the primary responsibility of the organization
• updating the definition of social work
• improving the complaints process to make it more transparent

These changes will bring the profession in Nova Scotia in line with other provinces and reflect current social work objectives and focus.

Community Services, as the largest employer of social workers in Nova Scotia, currently employs 450 social workers across the province.