The retired class of certificate of registration is intended for registrants who no longer practise social work or social service work and do not intend to return to practice.
Registrants in the retired class of certificate of registration must still complete the annual renewal and pay the renewal fees. Retired registrants are not required to complete the Continuing Competence Program.
Registrants in the retired class of certificate of registration can:
- Use the protected titles “social worker,” “registered social worker,” “social service worker” or “registered social service worker” immediately followed by “retired” in English or “retraité” in French.
- Example: Jane Doe, RSSW, Retired
- Describe themselves as a retired social worker or retired social service worker.
- Participate in College events, such as the Annual Meeting and Education Day and Educational Forums.
- Receive communications from the College through College publications including the Perspective newsletter and eBulletins.
- Vote in the election of Council members.
Eligibility
Registrants can apply for the retired class if they are currently registered in the general class or the inactive class. Additionally, they cannot owe any outstanding fees, must have completed their Continuing Competence Program obligations for the previous year and cannot be the subject of any pending or ongoing disciplinary matter.
Fees
The annual fee for the retired class of certificate of registration is $50.
Considerations Before Applying for the Retired Class of Certificate of Registration
If a registrant moves into the retired class, please note:
- They are not entitled to practise social work or social service work (including part-time or on a volunteer basis); and
- They are not able to return into the general class unless you re-apply to the College and meet all of the registration requirements in place at the time of re-application.
Registrants who are not currently practising but intend to return to practice in the future may want to apply for a certificate of registration in the inactive class.
To apply for registration in the retired class, log into the Online Portal and click on “Request Status Change” under the “Request” tab. For more information, click on the sections below.
Applying to the retired class
Eligibility
To apply to the retired class of certificate of registration, registrants must be currently registered in the general class and in good standing. Additionally, they cannot owe any outstanding fees, must have completed their Continuing Competence Program obligations for the previous year and cannot be the subject of any pending or ongoing disciplinary matter.
Application Process
To apply for the retired class of certificate of registration, log into the Online Portal and click on “Request Status Change” under the “Request” tab.
Fees
The annual fee for the retired class of certificate of registration is $50.
There is no refund of fees for changing your status to retired at any time during the year.
Important note about fees for registrants applying to the retired class during the renewal period
- Registrants who apply to move into the retired class during the renewal period must still renew their registration after their application has been accepted.
- If a registrant has already completed their renewal and then decides to move into the retired class, there is no refund of fees for the difference between the general class and retired class renewal fee amounts.
Please note: The status change to “retired” will take effect on the date selected on the application.
Once the application has been approved, a notation indicating that a registrant holds a retired class of certificate of registration and is not entitled to practise will be noted on the Online Register. This information is available to the public.
Renewing a retired class certificate of registration
Those in the retired class of registration must still renew every year.
Retired registrants are not required to participate in the Continuing Competence Program (CCP).
Renewal Process
To renew a retired class certificate of registration, follow the same steps as you would to renew a general certificate of registration. More information can be found on the Annual Renewals webpage.
Questions?
Contact the College’s Registration and Renewals Department:
- info@ocswssw.org
- 416-972-9882 or 1-877-828-9380 (toll free)