Principles, Criteria and Standards for Recognizing Qualifications

in Social Work for Registration of Registered Social Workers

　

Foreword

 

       The Social Workers Registration Board (the Board) is empowered by the Social Workers Registration Ordinance, Chapter 505, to assess social work qualifications to ascertain whether a qualification should be recognized for registration, thereby qualifying its holder for registration as a registered social worker (RSW).  In this regard, a Committee on Qualification Assessment and Registration (the Committee) is set up under the Board and tasked with the responsibilities, amongst other duties, to:-

 

(A)   set, review and recommend to the Board the principles, criteria and standards for recognizing social work qualifications for registration purpose; and

 

(B)   establish lists of local and overseas social work qualifications recognized by the Board for registration purpose.

 

        The Board strives to ensure the professional quality of RSWs by setting basic qualification standards for registration.  To achieve this purpose, the Committee or other related entity as appointed by the Board will, based on the requirements set out in the following sections of this document, carry out a thorough assessment on a programme leading to a recognized social work qualification for registration.  Hence, social work programmes designed for facilitating social workers’ professional enhancement are not covered in this context.

 

To keep abreast of the latest development of social work training and to achieve its functions with foresight, the Board may review and update the contents of this document from time to time.  The Board also reserves the right to visit individual tertiary institutions (TIs) for the said purposes should it envisage such a need.

1      Guiding Principles for Professional Recognition

 

The Board's criteria and standards for professional recognition are set having regard to the following principles:-

 

(A) The rights, duties and academic autonomy of the TIs shall be respected.

 

(B) The uniqueness and variations of various local social work training programmes will be accommodated.  A standard of basic requirements and criteria is set for qualification recognition and quality assurance.

 

(C)   The Board will adopt a collaborative approach that emphasizes communication and mutual respect between the Board and TIs.

 

(D) Professional standard and comparability with international standards will be enhanced.  The Board will, in consultation with the TIs, make concerted efforts to continuously upgrade professional education.

 

 

2      Criteria and Standards for Qualification Recognition

 

2.1   The criteria and standards laid down in the following sections are only meant to be the baseline of programmes leading to recognized social work qualifications that would qualify their holders to be registered as RSWs with the Board.  TIs are encouraged to develop their programmes to standards higher than the requirements.

 

2.2   Curriculum Content and Structure

 

Programmes that lead to social work qualifications recognized by the Board for registration should facilitate their graduates to achieve a minimum standard of competency in practising social work in a local context and to be capable of meeting changing needs of the society and service users.  To help attain this objective, the Board sets out the following requirements for the curriculum content and structure of those social work programmes:-

 

(A)   Social Work Core

 

(a)                    Social Work Practice

 

Required Subject Areas	Basic Components/Contents
Social work theories and practice	(i)        Theory and practice with individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities (ii)                   Integrative social work practice (iii)                 Social work skills training (iv)                 Practice-related electives
Social welfare systems and social policies	(i)        Perspectives and concepts of social welfare (ii)      Social welfare systems – such as those in Hong Kong, Mainland China and international communities (iii)    Social policies and social services
Values and ethics	(i)         Personal and professional development (ii)       Social work values and ethics in contexts (iii)     Code of ethics

 

(b)    Others

 

Required Subject Areas	Basic Components/Contents
Human behaviour and social environment	(i)        Life span development (ii)      Human behaviour and diversity (iii)    Human behaviour and social environment
Social administration and management	(i)        Social planning and development (ii)      Agency management – models and processes (iii)    Programme planning, management and evaluation

 

 

(B)   Non-social Work Core

 

Required Subject Areas	Basic Components/Contents
Social sciences and liberal arts knowledge	(i)         Sociology (ii)       Psychology (iii)     Other subjects such as Economics, Political Science, Philosophy, History, etc.
Required Subject Areas	Basic Components/Contents
Research and social enquiries*	(i)        Basic knowledge and skills of research and social enquiries (ii)      Utilization and application of research
Legal knowledge*	Basic legal knowledge and perspectives related to social work practice
Communication skills	(i)        Self-understanding and interpersonal communication (ii)      Use of language for social work practice (iii)    Application of information technology

 

Notes

 

(a)    Those items marked with an asterisk (*) are required for a degree programme but optional for a sub-degree programme.

 

(b)   A TI that offers a conversion programme[1] should clearly specify the difference in the level of the curriculum content and structure between that programme and a sub-degree programme.

 

(C)   Field Practicum

 

(a)    Fieldwork Hours

 

(i)         Sub-degree Programme

 

The practicum of a sub-degree programme should consist of a minimum of 700 hours’ direct fieldwork placement plus 100 hours’ placement preparation or related activities such as training workshop, attachments, etc.

 

(ii)       Degree Programme

 

The practicum of a degree programme should consist of a minimum of 800 hours’ direct fieldwork placement plus 100 hours’ placement preparation or related activities such as training workshop, attachments, etc.

 

(iii)     Conversion Programme

 

The practicum of a degree conversion programme should consist of a minimum of 400 hours’ direct fieldwork placement.

 

(b)   Supervision Time

 

(i)         Concurrent placement: at least one and a half hours per week

(ii)       Block placement: at least two hours per week

 

(c)    Mode of Supervision

 

At least 50 percent of the total required supervision time should be on individual basis.

 

(d)   Location of Placement

 

Preferably at least one placement takes place in the local territory.

 

(e)    On-the-job (Attachment) Placement

 

A social work programme may allow its students an option for on-the-job (attachment) placements by using their work setting in their employing agencies as the required placements.  These on-the-job (attachment) placements should fulfil all of the following conditions:

 

(i)         There is no more than one on-the-job (attachment) placement throughout the studying period of each programme.

(ii)       Social work duties in the placement are distinctly designated and the period of time of such duties meets the requirement of fieldwork hours.

(iii)     The designated social work duties are commensurate with the level of the programme training.

(iv)     The requirement of supervision time is met.

(v)       A qualified fieldwork supervisor[2], who is external to the placement agency, is assigned by the TI for the placement.

 

2.3   Qualifications of Persons Providing Professional Training

 

2.3.1    In regard to recognition of social work qualifications for registration, the key requirements for qualifications of teaching staff providing professional training are mainly related to social work practice courses and field practicum.

 

2.3.2    Academic Staff[3]

 

(A)     Sub-degree Programme

 

(a)            Among the full-time academic staff of a programme concerned, 70 percent or three, whichever is the greater, should each hold a post-graduate degree in social work or a related discipline[4].

 

(b)           Those who teach social work practice subjects[5] should be an RSW or equivalent[6] and possess not less than five years’ post-degree experience[7] in social work.

 

(c)            The ratio of full-time academic staff and part-time academic staff, or equivalent, to student[8] of the programme should be no less than 1:25.

 

(B)     Degree Programme[9]

       

(a)            Among the full-time staff of a programme concerned, 70 percent or three, whichever is the greater, should each hold a post-graduate degree in social work or a related discipline[10].

 

(b)           Those who teach social work practice subjects should be an RSW or equivalent[11] and possess not less than five years’  post-degree experience[12] in social work practice.

 

(c)            Fifty percent of the staff who possess a post-graduate degree and teach social work practice subjects[13] each should hold a doctoral degree.  There is no restriction on the field of concentration of the doctoral degree.

 

(d)           The ratio of full-time academic staff and part-time academic staff, or equivalent, to student[14] of the programme should be no less than 1:15.

 

2.3.3    Teaching Staff of Field Practicum

 

(A)     The Registration Board recognises that field practicum is a crucial component of a quality social work programme.  Therefore, for the benefit of social work students, it has set stringent requirements for the qualifications of teaching staff of field practicum under separate paragraphs.

 

(B)      Teachers of field practicum must be RSWs, hold a degree in social work, and possess at least five years’ post-degree practice experience[15] in social work posts that include direct practice with service users or work related to social welfare policy and management.

 

(C)      The teachers of field practicum of a master degree programme in social work should also possess a post-graduate degree in social work or a related discipline[16] in addition to the requirements stipulated in 2.3.3(B).

 

(D)     For local social work programmes, non-local fieldwork placements should be supervised by teachers that possess a social work qualification recognized by the Board for registration.

 

(E)      To allow the TIs flexibility in maximizing the use of their human resources and to enrich social work students’ exposure to professional knowledge of other disciplines, the expertise and experience of other academics and professions could also be drawn on.  These include suitably qualified persons with appropriate and relevant training in a particular subject area such as counsellor, family therapist, play therapist, clinical/education psychologist and psychiatrist.

 

(F)       Not more than one fieldwork placement of each student should be supervised by teachers of field practicum who do not meet the criteria spelt out under 2.3.3(B) and (C) but fall within the stipulations of 2.3.3(E).

 

2.4   Academic Staff-to-student Ratio

 

2.4.1    The purpose of the Board to set a reasonable academic staff-to-student ratio is to ensure that ample individual attention is provided to students in nurturing them into professional social workers.

 

2.4.2    Academic staff in this context only refers to those stipulated under 2.3.2. TIs should not count those who do not fall within this category when calculating the academic staff-to-student ratio of an individual social work programme.

 

2.4.3    For a TI which is not on the Board’s current list of recognized social work qualifications, at least three full-time academic staff members (also RSWs) are required for the programme it offers for conferring a social work qualification to be recognized by the Board for registration.

 

2.4.4    Among the academic staff of a social work programme offered by a TI which has already been put on the Board’s current list of recognized social work qualifications, not less than 70 percent should be full-time staff.

 

2.4.5    It is understood that in general, the work time of an individual academic staff member may not be fully committed to a particular programme.  If this is the case, the fractional input of time of individual academic staff members in the programme should be put together in calculating the academic staff-to-student ratio of a social work programme.

 

2.4.6    For converting the number of students of a part-time programme to a full-time equivalent figure, thereby to work out the academic staff-to-student ratio of the programme, TIs should observe the following principles:

 

(A)     The full-time equivalent number of students of a part-time programme will be generated from a fraction derived from the duration of a full-time programme (as numerator) and that of the part-time programme (as denominator).  For example, if the duration of the full-time mode is two years and that of the part-time mode is three years, the fraction for reaching the full-time equivalent number of students will be two-thirds (2/3).

 

(B)      The fraction for reaching the full-time equivalent number of students of a part-time programme should be no less than one-half (1/2), regardless of the duration of the programme.

 

2.5   Academic Standard of Social Work School/Department

 

Apart from the internal programme validation carried out by the local TIs themselves, some TIs are at present subject to the assessment mechanism of the University Grants Committee (UGC).  The Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation (HKCAA) also conducts institutional reviews, external programme validation and revalidation.  The Board therefore will take into account of the TIs, the UGC and the HKCAA’s evaluation of the academic standard, the research output and teaching effectiveness of the various social work schools and departments.  However, the UGC’s assessment or the HKCAA’s accreditation of a certain programme will not necessarily be imposed on the Board’s decision as to whether to recognize the social work qualification concerned for registration.

 

2.6   Other Supporting Facilities

 

The Board expects that TIs will provide their students with sufficient supporting facilities including library, skills laboratory, IT facilities, etc.  Moreover, fieldwork placement settings should be reasonably acceptable.

 

 

3      System for Qualification Recognition

 

3.1   Recognition Assessment of New Social Work Qualification – Conferred by TI Not on the Board’s Current List of Social Work Qualifications Recognized for Registration

 

3.1.1        A qualification recognition assessment, by means of assessing the pertinent programme, will be conducted for a social work qualification to be conferred by a TI that is not yet on the Board’s current list of social work qualifications recognized for registration.

 

3.1.2        The TI concerned will be required to submit to the Board a formal application for qualification recognition together with supporting documents for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements set out in this document.

 

3.1.3        The accreditation of the pertinent programme granted by the HKCAA will be a pre-requisite for a formal application to be filed with the Board.  The TI, in its application, is required to submit to the Board the HKCAA’s approval documents, including the conditions, requirements or recommendations, if any, that the Council has imposed on or suggested to the TI.

 

3.1.4        Upon receiving an application for qualification recognition, the Committee on Qualification Assessment and Registration will recommend to the Board to assign members from the Assessment Panel[17] by rotation to form an Assessment Team to perform the assessment.  A list of Assessment Panel members is attached at Appendix A.

 

3.1.5        An overseas assessor may be enlisted to take part in the assessment.

 

3.1.6        In normal circumstances, the Board will commence an assessment process within six months after receiving a formal application.

 

3.1.7        The Assessment Team will conduct an assessment based on the guidelines as attached at Appendix B.  The Team’s task is to ensure that the quality and standard of the programme concerned meet the Board’s requirements set out in this document.  The Team may exercise its discretion in executing the prescribed procedures and launch dialogues with the TI concerned in the manner it considers appropriate.

 

3.1.8        The Assessment Team will, via the Committee, report the result of the assessment and its recommendation to the Board for consideration.  In making its final decision on the TI’s application, the Board will have regard to the Assessment Team’s report and recommendation as well as the Committee’s opinions.

 

3.1.9        Subject to the Board’s approval for the TI’s application, the qualification led by the programme will be recognized for registration.  The recognition of the qualification will be reviewed after three years.

 

3.1.10    TIs will be required to bear a standard cost of the qualification recognition assessment.

 

3.1.11    The mechanism and procedures for the qualification recognition assessment are set out in detail in the Manual for Recognition Assessment of Qualifications in Social Work for Registration at Appendix C.

 

3.2   Recognition Assessment of Social Work Qualification Led by New Programme Offered by TI on the Board’s Current List of Social Work Qualifications Recognized for Registration

 

3.2.1        Upon receiving an application, the Committee may decide whether it will conduct or recommend to the Board to assign an Assessment Team to conduct a qualification recognition assessment by means of assessing a programme leading to a social work qualification to be conferred by a TI that is already on the Board’s current list of social work qualifications recognized for registration.

 

3.2.2        If the Committee decides to conduct the qualification recognition assessment by itself, it will take up the role of an Assessment Team and follow the procedures stipulated under 3.1.1-3.1.3 and 3.1.6-3.1.10.

 

3.2.3        The procedures stipulated under 3.1.2-3.1.10 would be applicable to the recognition assessment of a new social work qualification under this category if an Assessment Team is formed to conduct the assessment.

 

3.2.4        A diagram illustrating the recognition assessment procedures for the qualifications under this category is attached at Appendix D.

 

3.3   Recognition Review of Qualifications on the Board’s Current List of Social Work Qualifications Recognized for Registration

 

3.3.1        The recognition of a qualification in social work, which has already been included in the Board’s current list of recognized social work qualifications, is subject to a review at intervals not more than six years.  For the purpose, a recognition review of the qualification in social work by means of an assessment of the pertinent programme will be carried out.

 

3.3.2        The Committee may decide whether it will conduct or recommend to the Board to assign an Assessment Team to conduct a qualification recognition review.

 

3.3.3        TIs will be required to bear a standard cost of the qualification recognition review.

 

3.3.4        The mechanism and procedures for the review are set out in detail in the Manual for Recognition Review of Qualifications in Social Work for Registration as attached at Appendix E.

 

 

4      Granting of Qualification Recognition

 

Normally, it takes at least twelve months for the Board to process an application for qualification recognition.  TIs are advised to observe the Board’s schedule and submit its application for the Board’s recognition of its academic qualification to be conferred well before the first student intake of the pertinent programme.  The Board will not grant retrospective recognition.  Rather, it will only consider recognizing the social work qualification to be awarded to the cohort admitted from the academic year during which the Board receives the TI’s application for recognition of that qualification.

 

 

5            Appeal Mechanism

 

5.1   In the case where a TI is aggrieved by the Board’s decision on the TI’s application for qualification recognition, it may appeal to the Board against such a decision.

 

5.2   In the case where a TI is aggrieved by the Board’s decision on a qualification recognition review, it may appeal to the Board against such a decision.

 

5.3   Details of the appeal mechanisms for qualification recognition assessments and reviews are set out in the relevant paragraphs of Appendices C and E respectively.

 

 

6            Compliance during Period of Programme Provision

 

6.1 TIs should make sure that their social work programmes comply with the requirements set out in this document at all times during the period of programme provision.  Any violation of the programmes from the criteria and standards as required may adversely affect the Board’s recognition of the social work qualification led by the programme and the registration of the prospective graduates.

 

6.2 TIs should report to the Board from time to time any changes in or matters related to their programmes that may significantly affect the recognized status of the social work qualifications led by those programmes.

 

 

7            Recognition of Overseas Social Work Qualifications

 

In view of the manpower and resource constraints, a comprehensive assessment of individual overseas social work training programme is beyond the present capability of the Board.  Therefore, the Board adopts the following benchmark approach in appraising the accreditation mechanisms of overseas accreditation and registration bodies:

 

(A)     For qualifications awarded by a country with a well-established accreditation body, the principles, criteria and standards for accreditation of that body would be scrutinized and compared with the Board’s own standards to ascertain whether the programmes accredited by that accreditation body would also lead to social work qualifications to be recognized for registration in Hong Kong.  Having satisfied that the qualification standards and accreditation parameters of an overseas accreditation body are comparable to or higher than those of an equivalent programme in Hong Kong, the Board would, in principle, recognize the qualification led by the social work programme accredited by that accreditation body.

 

(B)      For qualifications awarded by a country without a well-established accreditation and registration body, or whose accreditation principles are not accepted by the Board as comparable, a fair assessment of the qualification would be made by the Board by reference to the following:

 

(a)    the criteria and standards set out in this document;

 

(b)   a comparison of the course content, programme structure, and professional qualifications of teaching staff to establish whether the professional standards of the programme are equivalent to those of a comparable programme in Hong Kong;

 

(c)    an assessment to be conducted by external assessors, mainly prominent academics in social work who may come from the awarding country and/or have good knowledge of the awarding institution, to establish whether the features of the pertinent programme meet the requirements set out in this document; and

 

(d)   any other standards and criteria as the Board considers appropriate.

 

 

 

Appendix A

List of Assessment Panel Members

(for the Term from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2009)

 

 

(A) Local Academics (Social Work)

 

1.      Dr. CHAN Kam-tong

2.      Dr. CHIU Yu-lung, Marcus

3.      Dr. FOK Shiu-yeu

4.      Dr. FUNG Wai-wah

5.            Dr. KWOK Kin-fun, Joseph, J.P.

6.            Dr. KWONG Wai-man

7.            Professor LAM Mong-chow, Amy

8.            Professor MOK Bong-ho

9.            Professor NG Yat-nam, Petrus

10.