Since 2017, the College has hosted Employer Roundtables in Thunder Bay, Windsor, Sudbury and Kitchener. These interactive events provide an opportunity for employers to learn about the College and its public protection mandate and to share their ideas about how the College can better support employers.
The College’s most recent roundtable was held on November 9, 2018, at the Holiday Inn in Kitchener. Twenty-four employers across a variety of settings and sectors signed up for a wide-ranging discussion on the role of the College, its public protection mandate, routes to registration, and the benefits of hiring registered social workers and registered social service workers.
Issues to explore
Employer Roundtables provide an opportunity for employers and the College to freely discuss opportunities and challenges. Some of the issues raised included:
- A need for increased awareness and understanding of the College’s mandate.
- Accountability, employer liability and mandatory reporting obligations.
- Differences between colleges (regulatory) and associations (advocacy).
- How to tell whether employees are registered with the College.
- The cost and timeframes associated with the registration process.
- Understanding the reinstatement process.
- Understanding the Continuing Competence Program (CCP).
- Understanding the Social Worker and Social Service Worker Professional Development Fund.
Ideas and areas for support
Employers also shared their ideas about how the College can offer ongoing support, including:
- Continuing to provide information through the Employer Communiqué and Roundtables.
- Continuing to provide more information about the importance of registration and regulation.
- Creating an inactive membership category for those on maternity/paternity leave.
- Providing more comprehensive information in the Online Register.
We appreciate this important feedback and will endeavour to address these questions and ideas in future issues of the Employer Communiqué. We thank everyone who participated in this year’s Employer Roundtables and we look forward to meeting more of you in 2019!