Under the Health Professions Act, the first role of a regulatory college is to “carry out its activities and govern its regulated members in a manner that protects and serves the public interest”. The ACSW fulfills this role in a number of ways.

1. We have a Code of Ethics that all social workers are expected to follow. Social work is an ethics based profession and the majority of social workers are very conscientious in their practice.
2. The ACSW has developed Standards of Practice that define specific minimum requirements for social workers in all types of practice. These are reviewed and updated to recognize current best practices.
3. The ACSW has a Continuing Competence program that all social workers are expected to follow. There are minimum requirements with regard to maintaining current practice knowledge and skills.
4. With the mandatory registration requirements in the Health Professions Act, all social workers practicing in Alberta must be registered which means their practice is subject to regulation by the professional body. This means that if a social worker is acting in an unprofessional manner the ACSW can investigate to determine whether further action is required.

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