On August 15, we celebrated an important milestone: the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998 and the establishment of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College).
Since 2000, the College has been guided by its mission and vision as well as its values to provide ethical, accountable, effective and community-centred care. Together, we have built strong foundation of public trust that supports high-quality social work and social service work across Ontario.
As we continue to build on that foundation, this year marked a significant step in strengthening our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion work. We are proud to share the first-year findings of the Equity and Inclusion Data Initiative. With approximately 66.5% of registrants participating voluntarily, this data provides a valuable starting point to better understand the diversity within the professions. These insights will guide future decisions and equity initiatives that reflect lived experiences and promote authentic representation, which is central to the College’s public protection mandate.
As employers of social workers and social service workers, you are essential partners in the College’s mandate to protect the public. By supporting the ethical and accountable practice of your staff, you help provide services that are professional, community-centred and responsive to the needs of Ontarians.
We encourage you to take advantage of the College’s practice resources to support you in this role, including session recordings from AMED 2025. For those who work in Electoral District No. 3, we hope you will join us at our virtual Employer Roundtable in October for an opportunity to connect, share ideas and collaborate.
Thank you for your partnership over the past 25 years. Together, we will continue to protect the public and strengthen the professions for years to come.
Sincerely,
Denitha Breau, RN, MSN, MBA
Registrar and CEO