The College is phasing out pre-convocation registration as of September 1, 2024. View the College Update for more information on this change.
Why Register with the College?
When you become a registrant of the College, you join a community of social workers and social service workers across Ontario who are professional, ethical, qualified and accountable. Registration provides professional credibility and added value for registrants, while protecting the public from unqualified, incompetent or unfit practitioners.
Registration is also the law. Only College registrants can use the title “social worker”/ “registered social worker” or “social service worker”/ “registered social service worker”. Registration is also required if you represent or hold yourself out as a social worker or social service worker.
Click on the sections below for more information on registration with the College.
Value of registration
Registered social workers and social service workers are committed to delivering professional, ethical, qualified and accountable care and services to the clients and communities they serve.
As a College registrant, you demonstrate to employers and to the public that you’ve:
- met specific registration requirements;
- follow a code of ethics and standards of practice; and
- engage in ongoing learning through the College’s Continuing Competence Program (CCP).
Added value for registrants:
- Access information and resources that can assist you in your practice including the Perspective newsletter, Practice Guidelines, Practice Notes, the website and eBulletins.
- Attend educational and networking opportunities as part of the Glenda McDonald Educational Series including the Annual Meeting and Education Day (AMED) and Educational Forums.
- Consult with and seek free guidance from the Professional Practice Department for ethical and practice-related questions.
Criteria for registration
To register as a social worker or social service worker with the College, you must meet the following requirements:
- Pay a non-refundable $100 application fee.
- Pay the annual registration fee. Be able to speak and write either English or French with reasonable fluency.
- Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or authorized to practise social work or social service work under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada).
- Disclose any current proceeding in relation to professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity and other similar proceeding (for example, a complaint or discipline proceeding) in any jurisdiction.
- Disclose any findings of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity in any jurisdiction.
- Disclose any findings of guilt in relation to criminal or other offences.
- Make a declaration regarding health and conduct so that, based on your past and present conduct, the College has reasonable grounds to believe that you:
- do not have any physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect your ability to practise social work or social service work in a safe manner.
- will practise social work or social service work with decency, integrity and honesty and in accordance with the law.
- have sufficient knowledge, skill and judgment to practise social work or social service work.
- Have engaged in the practice of social work or social service work within the five years immediately before the date of the application, or otherwise satisfy the Registrar that you are competent to perform the role of a social worker or social service worker. Note: This requirement does not apply to applicants who have obtained the academic qualifications required for registration with the College within the five years before the date of application.
- Meet specific academic requirements and experience as outlined under each application route.
Application information
Please ensure that you have read the information below before you begin to complete your application.
Contact information
The application will ask you for your personal and business contact information. Once you are registered with the College, your name, business address, business telephone number and name of your employer or business will be available to the public in the Online Register.
If disclosure of your business address(es), business telephone number(s) or name of your employer or business may jeopardize your safety, please provide the College with written details and we will assess whether there is a basis for the information not to be made public. If you use a pseudonym in your practice of social work or social service work because it is necessary for your personal safety, please provide the College with written details.
Language proficiency
All applicants must be able to speak and write either English or French with reasonable fluency. If you do not have reasonable fluency in English or French, you must take a language proficiency test(s) that is approved by the College, and achieve the result scores posted below in order to become a registrant.
Applicants are responsible for all costs associated with taking the language proficiency test(s) and it is your responsibility to arrange to have the test results forwarded in writing directly from the testing agency to the College. The testing agency can send the test results by mail to the College office or by email to registration@ocswssw.org.
The College will not accept test results from a language proficiency test that you completed more than two years prior to the date your application for registration is received by the College.
Written and spoken fluency (English)
The below English language proficiency testing systems are acceptable to the College. An applicant must achieve the test result scores indicated to be able to register with the College
- TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT)
- Overall: 92, Writing: 22, Speaking: 26, Listening: 22, Reading: 22.
- IELTS Academic
- Minimum score of no less than 7 in each component: reading, listening, writing, speaking.
- IELTS General
- Minimum score of no less than 7 in each component: reading, listening, writing, speaking.
- CELPIP General
- Minimum score of no less than 7 in each component: reading, listening, writing, speaking.
- PTE Core
- Minimum score of no less than CLB 7 or as described below:
- Listening comprehension: 60-70
- Reading comprehension: 60-68
- Verbal skills: 68-75
- Written skills: 69-78
- Minimum score of no less than CLB 7 or as described below:
For information on French written and spoken fluency, please visit the French webpage.
Translation of documents
Documents that are not in English or French must be translated before they are submitted to the College. You must provide your original documents plus a word-for-word translation in English or French. This must be a certified translation, accompanied by a cover letter from an accredited translator including:
- The exact name of the document(s) which has been translated.
- The method by which the accredited translator received the document(s).
- Any comments about the accuracy of your documents.
- The date of the translation.
- The accredited translator’s identification number and/or seal.
It is up to you to arrange and pay for translation, copying and mailing costs.
To find an accredited translator, contact the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario, ATIO at 1-800-234-5030 or email info@atio.on.ca.
Citizenship
Only Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada can register with the College and practise social work or social service work in Ontario, unless authorized under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. If you are uncertain if you meet this requirement, please contact the Registration Department at registration@ocswssw.org.
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
If you are authorized to practise social work or social service work under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, you must submit a copy of your valid work permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as part of your registration for application.
After a review of your work permit, if the Registrar is satisfied that the other requirements for registration have been met, you may be asked to sign an Undertaking, Agreement and Acknowledgement (UAA) before a certificate of registration is issued to you. By signing the UAA, you undertake and agree that you will comply with the conditions imposed on your work permit and will notify the College about any changes or updates to your work permit.
Consent to the release of information from the Register for research purposes
As part of your registration for application, you will be asked to indicate if you consent to the release of information pertaining to you for the purpose of research. If you do not complete this section, the College will assume that you do not consent. Completion of this section enables the College to respond to requests for information contained in the Online Register from persons or organizations conducting research. In accordance with the policy approved by Council respecting such requests, with your consent, the only information contained in the Online Register that may be released includes some or all of the following:
- your name;
- category of registration;
- name of your business or employer;
- your business address; and
- your business telephone number.
Academic qualifications
All applicants must list the academic qualifications you have obtained from a social work or social service work program or equivalent program.
It is your responsibility to contact the academic institution(s) from which you graduated and request that transcripts be sent directly to the College. Do not request a transcript prior to your convocation; for registration purposes, your transcript must confirm that the credential has been awarded. The College will only accept transcripts sent directly from the academic institution by mail or by email to registration@ocswssw.org. We also accept transcripts that are shared directly with us through third party platforms (such as MyCreds™ or Parchment) to our registration@ocswssw.org email.
If your social work program has been submitted to the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) for an evaluation, ensure that the CASW emails the written evaluation directly to the College at registration@ocswssw.org. In this case, an official transcript from your academic institution is not required.
Currency of practice of social work or social service work
Applicants who obtained their academic qualifications more than five years ago are required to satisfy the currency requirement. This requirement states that the applicant must have engaged in the practice of social work or social service work within the five years before applying to the College or otherwise satisfy to the College that they are competent to perform the role of a social worker or social service worker.
The College would consider that you have engaged in the practice of social work or social service work within the last five years if your practice falls within the scope of practice for social work or social service work.
Note: This requirement does not apply to applicants who have obtained the qualifications required for registration with the College within the five years before the date of application. If you have not practised social work or social service work within the five years before applying, and the Registrar is satisfied that the other registration requirements have been met, the College may propose to issue a certificate of registration with terms, conditions and limitations (TCL). The TCL may impose a period of supervised practice. If you consent to these terms, you can be issued a certificate of registration with TCL.
For more information about the currency requirement, please contact the Registration Department at registration@ocswssw.org.
Registration in any other regulatory body
All applicants must disclose whether they are currently, or have ever been, a member of a professional association or other body that has self-regulatory responsibility, in relation to the practice of social work, social service work or any other profession, in Ontario or outside of Ontario.
If you are or have been a member in another professional association or body, you must include in your application the name and address of the association or body, dates of membership, and registration number.
Please note that this does not include membership in a professional association such as the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW), the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) or the Ontario Social Service Worker Association (OSSWA).
Professional conduct and health
If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions relating to Professional Conduct and Health (other than the question relating to physical or mental condition or disorder), you must include an explanation and any relevant supporting documentation as part of your application for registration.
If you answer “Yes” to the question relating to having a physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect your ability to practise social work or social service work in a safe manner, you must include an explanation regarding the ways in which your physical or mental condition or disorder could affect your ability to practise in a safe manner.
FAQs with additional information about this requirement are available on the College website.
Dual registration
If you wish to apply for registration in both the social work category and the social service work category, you must complete two applications and, submit two application fees. Only one registration fee is required.
Please note: Registrants are eligible to vote in only one registration category as part of the College’s Council election process. During a Council election, you will be asked to specify in which registration category you want to vote.
Application and Registration Fees
Fee Chart
General Registration Fees
Registration Fee – $400
Application Fee – $100 (Non-refundable)
Total Amount – $500
Registration Fees for new graduates from a social work or social service work program
Registration Fee – $300
Application Fee– $100 (Non-refundable)
Total Amount – $400
* The registration fee for graduates of social work or social service work programs who apply for registration in the College no later than December 31 of the year in which they graduate. Note: the application must be received by the College on or before December 31 of that year.
New graduates are eligible for a $100 registration fee exemption for the first two years of registration immediately following registration if their application is received by the College no later than December 31st of the year they obtain their social work degree or social service worker diploma. If a new graduate fails to pay the annual fee on time during their first year of registration, they may not be eligible for the reduced fee in their second year. This new graduate fee exemption also applies to those graduating with a Certificate in Social Work Practice from the Internationally Educated Social Work Professionals Program at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).
Pro-Rated Registration Fee
The College’s registration fee is payable once your application is determined to be complete and approved. The registration fee is pro-rated based on the quarter in which your application has been approved. Please note that the $100 non-refundable application fee must be paid when submitting your application. See below for the pro-rated registration fee schedule:
General Class Pro-Rated Registration Fees:
- First quarter (January 1-March 31): $400
- Second quarter (April 1-June 30): $300
- Third quarter (July 1-September 30): $200
- Fourth quarter (October 1-December 31): $100
New Graduates Pro-Rated Registration Fees:
- First quarter (January 1-March 31): $300
- Second quarter (April 1-June 30): $225
- Third quarter (July 1-September 30): $150
- Fourth quarter (October 1-December 31): $75
Application processing times
Once all the required documentation for your application is received, including payment of registration and application fees, it takes approximately three to six weeks to process your application. .
The application process can be delayed if the College does not receive all of the required documents from you or from a third party on your behalf (i.e. academic institution, employer, etc.).
Important note: The typical time for processing an application received through the equivalency stream is a minimum of eight months after all required documentation has been received. These applications are complex and receive a detailed review. Currently the College is experiencing an exceedingly high volume of applications which may affect the timelines for evaluation. Please contact equivalency@ocswssw.org for more information.
What can slow down the registration/evaluation process?
Any of the following circumstances would slow down the registration/evaluation process:
- Incomplete paper-based applications – Please double check your application before sending it to the College to ensure that it is fully completed.
- Receiving transcripts from the applicant and not directly from the educational institution(s).
- Receiving transcripts lacking information (e.g., no indication if a degree/diploma was conferred/transfer credits without any indication as to what credit value they carry, etc.).
- When applicable, not receiving the academic institution’s official course descriptions for courses on the transcript(s).
- When applicable, not providing a third-party evaluation assessment, which includes a “Credential Equivalency/Authentication Report and a Course-by-Course Analysis”, directly to the College.
- Failure to provide additional documents requested by the College.
- Receiving documents in a language other than English or French.
The College’s review
Once your application and any supporting documents are reviewed, the College may:
- Issue a certificate of registration to you;
- Issue a certificate of registration to you subject to terms, conditions or limitations to which you have consented;
- Propose to impose terms, conditions or limitations on a certificate of registration to which you have not consented; or
- Determine that you have not met the requirements for registration and not issue you a certificate of registration.
FARPACTA
In 2021, the Ontario government amended the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006 (FARPACTA) through the Working for Workers Act, 2021 to help remove registration barriers to internationally trained applicants of some regulated professions.
In 2022, further changes were made to FARPACTA through the Working for Workers Act, 2022 and O. Reg 261/22. These amendments set timelines for processing applications from both domestic and internationally trained individuals for certain professions.
- The amendments to FARPACTA require regulators, including the College, to provide a written acknowledgement of receipt of an application from domestic labour mobility applicants within 10 business days. The written acknowledgement of receipt must indicate whether the application includes all the required documents.
- Make a registration decision and provide the domestic labour mobility applicants with written reasons within 30 business days of receiving all the required documents.
- Make a registration decision and provide the Internationally Trained applicants with written reasons within six months of receiving all the required documents.
FAQs
Registration eligibility
Who can become a registrant of the College?
Graduates of an approved/accredited social service work (SSW), bachelor of social work (BSW) or master of social work (MSW) program are eligible for registration with the College. Please visit our lists of approved social work programs and social service work programs offered in Ontario.
If you are a graduate of a social work outside Canada or the United States, please click here for relevant information.
For more information on how to apply if you do not have a social work degree or social service worker diploma, please visit one of the following webpages:
I hope to get a job in the agency where I did my placement. The job title isn’t social worker/social service worker, and the agency doesn’t require registration with the College. Do I still need to register?
The College doesn’t have the legal authority to require employers to hire only registered professionals. As an individual, however, you must ensure that you are in compliance with the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998. This means that even if the agency doesn’t require registration, you must be registered if you use the title “social worker”, “social service worker”, “registered social worker” or “registered social service worker” (or their short forms or French equivalents), or if you represent yourself or hold yourself out as a social worker or social service worker.
I am currently enrolled in a community services worker program at a career college in Ontario. Will I be eligible upon graduation to apply for registration as a social service worker and/or as a social worker?
No. Programs from career colleges do not meet the education requirement(s) for registration in either category of the College (SSW or SW). This applies to any application for registration.
Accumulating post-graduate work experience does not alter this.
I am currently enrolled in a social work/social service work program. Are there ways for students to get involved with the College? Can I join the College as a student registrant?
The College does not have a student registrant category. However, the College reserves space at our Educational Forums for social work and social service work students each year. To find out more information regarding the upcoming Educational Forums, follow the College on social media.
Registration process
How do I apply for registration with the College?
Applicants should first read all information related to the requirements for registration found on the Information for All Applicants webpage.
Applicants can then complete the application process, including pay their application and registration fees through the Online Portal.
For more information regarding the application process for social work and social service work applicants, please visit one of the following webpages:
Why do I have to wait until I graduate to apply for registration with the College?
Only those with specific academic qualifications are eligible for registration with the College. This is one of the ways that the College fulfills its mandate to protect the public from unqualified, incompetent or unfit practitioners. As a student, you are still in the process of completing those requirements. Applicants must have completed a diploma from an approved social service work program, or accredited bachelor or master of social work program.
If you are in the process of completing your degree or diploma and would like more information on how to register once you graduate, please click here.
What is the cost of registration for a new graduate?
Please visit the registration fee chart for more information.
I won’t convocate for a while, but I have been offered a job and my future employer requires me to register. What can I do?
The College is phasing out pre-convocation registration as of September 1, 2024. View the College Update for more information on this change.
If you are graduating with a degree in social work or a diploma in social service work and require registration in the College prior to convocation – but after you have completed all the academic and practicum requirements of your program – the Registrar may issue a general certificate of registration provided all other registration requirements are met, and you agree to a term, condition and limitation on your certificate of registration. (This term, condition and limitation will be removed once the College receives verification from your academic institution that you have obtained a degree in social work or a diploma in social service work.) If you would like to apply for a certificate of registration on this basis, you must:
- Complete your application through the College’s online application portal.
- Contact the dean/director of your social work program or the coordinator of your social service work program and request that they complete the “Confirmation of Completion of Requirements for a Social Work Degree” form or “Confirmation of Completion of Requirements for a Social Service Work Diploma” form, and forward it directly to the College. This form is not available publicly, the dean/director and coordinators will have it on-hand.
- Once the College receives the completed form directly from the dean/director or coordinator, you will receive a “Student/Applicant Declaration, Consent and Undertaking Regarding a Social Work Degree” form or “Student/Applicant Declaration, Consent and Undertaking Regarding a Social Service Work Diploma” form, which you must complete and return to the College. By signing this form, you are agreeing to the term, condition and limitation on your certificate of registration. Your application will then be reviewed.
Due to the multiple steps in this process, it may take several weeks to process your application.
Important Note: If you will be obtaining your social work degree or social service work diploma within approximately six weeks from when you submit your application, you do not need to follow these steps. Click here to take the next steps and join the College.
How long does it take to process my application for registration?
Once all of the required documentation for your application is received, including payment of your registration and application fees, the application process takes approximately three to six weeks to complete.
The application process can be delayed if the College does not receive all of the required documents from you or from a third party on your behalf (i.e. academic institution, employer, etc.).
Important note: The typical time for processing an application through the equivalency stream is a minimum of eight months after all required documentation has been received. These applications are complex and receive a detailed review. Currently the College is experiencing an exceedingly high volume of applications which may affect the timelines for evaluation. Please contact equivalency@ocswssw.org for more information.
Do I need to pass an entry-to-practice exam in order to join the College?
Not at this time. However, on September 10, 2021, College Council passed a motion to approve entry-to-practice exams for social work and social service work applicants to the College. The development and implementation of the exams will take several years, and it is anticipated that the exam requirement will not be fully implemented until 2027.
For more information on the implementation of entry-to-practice exams, visit the College’s webpage.
How can I access my application file? How long do you keep my record? Can you return my submitted documents to me?
The College does not return any original documents submitted for the purposes of registration. However, at your written request, the College will provide a copy of submitted documents, unless the Registrar believes that to do so may jeopardize the safety of any person. Currently, all records are kept indefinitely and may be stored in a secure location off-site. The College can release a copy of your record to a third party if you provide your consent.
Are there any variables that would slow down the normal registration/evaluation process?
Any of the following circumstances would slow down the registration/evaluation process:
- Incomplete paper-based applications – Please double check your application before sending it to the College to ensure that it is completed.
- Receiving transcripts from the applicant and not directly from the educational institution(s).
- Receiving transcripts lacking information (e.g., no indication if a degree/diploma was conferred/transfer credits without any indication as to what credit value they carry).
- When applicable, not receiving the academic institution’s official course descriptions for courses on the transcript(s).
- When applicable, not providing a third-party evaluation assessment, which includes a “Credential Equivalency/Authentication Report and a Course-by-Course Analysis”, directly to the College.
- Failure to provide additional documents requested by the College.
- Receiving documents in a language other than English or French.
Applying with a degree from outside Canada
Can I apply to become registered if my social work degree is from a university in the U.S.?
If you obtained your degree in social work from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), you will likely meet the academic requirements for a general certificate of registration for social work.
Visit the CSWE website to find out if your social work program is accredited.
If your social work degree is not accredited by CSWE, please go to Graduates of Non-Accredited Canadian and American Social Work Programs.
Can I apply to become registered if my social work degree is from a university outside of Canada and the U.S.?
If you have not already had your academic credentials evaluated by the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW), please do so first before applying to the College. You will likely meet the academic requirements to be issued a general certificate of registration for social work if the CASW determines that you have the minimum equivalent of a bachelor of social work obtained from a CASWE-accredited social work program. The CASW website provides the information you need to start the credential evaluation process of your international social work degree.
If the CASW evaluation concludes that your academic credentials don’t meet the minimum requirements, please visit Graduates of Non-Accredited Social Work Programs for more information.
Why do I need to have my non-social work international academic credentials evaluated?
The College requires an evaluation report that confirms the equivalency of your credentials to a Canadian credential. This helps the College assess whether you are qualified to practise social work/social service work in Ontario.
This evaluation only confirms the equivalency of your credential to a Canadian credential (e.g., baccalaureate or master’s degree). The evaluation report does not confirm if your credential is substantially equivalent to a social work degree from a CASWE-accredited social work program, or to a social service work diploma offered in Ontario at a College of Applied Arts and Technology.
Do I have to be a Canadian citizen to work as a social worker/social service worker in Ontario?
You must be either a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to engage in the practice of social work or social service work in Ontario. If you are authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to practise social work or social service work in Ontario, you must submit with your application form a copy of your valid work permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Following a review of your application and work permit, you may be asked to sign an Undertaking, Agreement and Acknowledgement (UAA) if the Registrar is satisfied that the other registration requirements have been met. By signing the UAA, you undertake and agree that you will comply with the conditions imposed on your work permit and will notify the College about any changes or updates to your work permit.
Are there any steps in the registration process that can be started outside of Canada?
Yes. If you have been educated outside Canada and the U.S. but not in social work:
- Have your academic institution send your official transcript(s) to a provincially mandated or provincially recognized third-party evaluation agency such as World Education Services (WES) or the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) to be evaluated.
- Have your official documents translated into either English or French prior to sending them to an evaluating agency.
- Request that the third-party evaluation agency send a Credential Equivalency/Authentication Report and a Course-by-Course Analysis or Specialized Report directly to the College for every degree you obtained.
- Arrange for the evaluation agency to receive your documents directly from your academic institution.
The evaluation completed by the third-party evaluation agency will let you and the College know if you meet the academic qualification to register with the College.
Registration Regulation – Ability to practise in a safe manner
Why is the College requesting information about my physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect my ability to practise in a safe manner?
As of January 1, 2018, the Registration Regulation, Ontario Regulation 383/00, made under the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998 was amended to revoke and replace clause (i) of paragraph 3 of subsection 5(2) with the following provision:
5(2) The following are registration requirements for a certificate of registration in any class:
…
- The applicant’s past and present conduct must afford reasonable grounds for the belief that the applicant,
- (i) – does not have any physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect his or her ability to practise social work or social service work, as the case may be, in a safe manner.
This registration requirement is consistent with the registration requirements of many other regulatory bodies in the province.
Is the information about my physical or mental condition or disorder a new requirement for registration?
No, this is not a new requirement. It is an improvement to wording that existed in the Registration Regulation prior to January 1, 2018. Since it began operations in 2000, the College has had the authority to request information from applicants in order to ensure they were “mentally competent to practise social work or social service work.” The amendment to the Registration Regulation now puts the emphasis on the ability to practise social work or social service work in a safe manner.
If I answer “yes” to the question about whether I have a physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect my ability to practise in a safe manner, I am asked to provide an explanation. What should I include?
Please provide as much information as is necessary to explain the ways in which your physical or mental condition or disorder could affect your ability to practise in a safe manner. This may include a description of functional limitations and restrictions. You may wish to include steps that you are taking to ensure you will be able to practise in a safe manner and/or accommodation you may require in order to practise in a safe manner.
If I answer “yes” to the question about whether I have a physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect my ability to practise in a safe manner and provide an explanation, will I be asked to provide any other information?
It depends. You may be asked to provide relevant supporting documentation. Relevant supporting documentation depends on the nature of the physical or mental condition or disorder and its impact on your ability to practise in a safe manner.
Examples of potentially relevant supporting documentation may include: an opinion from your health care provider as to whether the condition or disorder will impact your ability to practise safely; letters of reference; clinical evaluations; and/or evidence of rehabilitation/recovery.
How will the College assess the information I provide?
The College will review the information provided in the application and determine whether additional information is needed, whether the registration requirement is met and/or whether further steps are required. Applicants must provide the College with enough information to demonstrate that they can practise social work/social service work in a safe manner.
How will the College handle my personal information?
The College takes its responsibilities with respect to confidentiality of your personal information, including personal health information, very seriously. Among other things, the College adheres to strict confidentiality and record management practices with respect to the application process.
What if I am not sure whether my physical or mental condition or disorder could affect my ability to practise social work or social service work in a safe manner?
If you think that there is a possibility that your physical or mental condition or disorder could affect your ability to practise social work or social service work in a safe manner answer “yes” to the question on the application form and provide any relevant information so that the College may consider this.
If the College later discovers that you answered “no” to the question on the application form when you did have a physical or mental condition or disorder that could affect your ability to practise social work and social service work, this may have serious consequences, similar to the consequences for misrepresenting information on your application.
If I answer “yes” to this question on the application, will I be refused registration?
If you answer “yes” to this question, you will be contacted by the College. You may be asked to provide more information and/or take steps that would allow you to meet the registration requirement.
If the College proposes to refuse your application, you will be provided with notice, written reasons, an opportunity to request a review and an opportunity to provide written submissions.
Does this requirement for registration apply to current registrants of the College?
It only applies to registrants of the College if a registrant is applying to move into specific registration classes, e.g. into the inactive class, or into the general class from the inactive class.
If you have any further questions or comments, please contact the Registration Department at registration@ocswssw.org.