Social work in Nova Scotia is undergoing a regulatory and governance shift. After ten years since becoming a college under the Social Workers Act, the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers will be transitioned to the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA).
It is anticipated that this change will take place by early 2027. The next steps in this process will be working with the Nova Scotia government to define the regulations and by-laws under the RHPA.
NSCSW staff are travelling across the province to meet with members in person. Our roadshow offers an opportunity for social workers in Nova Scotia to better understand the regulatory framework under the RHPA, provide feedback and insights related to governance and professional regulation in social work practice, and meet other social workers.
- May 19: Port Hawkesbury
- May 20: Sydney
- May 28: Truro
- June 11: Bridgewater
- June 12: Yarmouth
- June 22: Halifax
Good Morning,
I notice that there are no evening roadshow offers. Most Social Worker I know work during the day and most are booked at least a month in advance, therefore not having wiggle room to attend these sessions. Do you think there will be any opportunities for future engagement in evening sessions? I really appreciate that this is being done. However, I worry that a huge demographic of social workers will be missed and hence lost opportunities for meaningful engagement. Is this being provided by NSCSW or the Government? Thanks for the opportunity to provide a comment.
Thanks for asking, Dawn! We’ve had poor attendance for evening in-person events in the past, so all of these have been planned for mornings or afternoons. However, we are planning a virtual version in late June, and an excerpt of that one will be recorded and published online; I don’t think the time for this has been finalized yet, but I’ll definitely pass on a recommendation that it be scheduled in the evening if those staff members can both be available then.
The roadshow sessions are presented by the NSCSW, not by the government. However, what we learn from our members during these meetings will guide our conversations with government as we consult with them on their development of new social work regulations. We know that we can’t reach everyone, but we hope that we’ll be able to hear from members with many different practice settings and contexts, to help us broaden our understanding of what our top priorities should be when recommending changes that make safe(r) social work across the province possible.