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Social Workers Act

Divesting

What were the changes to the Social Workers Act, and why should Saskatchewan social workers be concerned?

In Spring 2023 the Social Workers Act was amended to change several pieces of the legislation that governs our profession and our professional association, Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers (SASW). While several aspects of the Act were amended in 2023, this group focuses the change to the objects (purpose and functions) of SASW, specifically the change to eliminate SASW's ability to engage in collective advocacy as a professional organization.

A secondary concern is SASW's lack of engagement and communication with members regarding the impact of this change. Following an initial community-led meeting in July 2024 regarding the changes, SASW did host a lunch and learn session on the topic in September 2024.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of amendments to the Act (note that this was compiled by a volunteer independent of SASW).

What do these changes mean for our daily practice?

This legislation change has resulted in SASW/social workers having limited-to-no ability to collectively advocate on social issues under the SASW name, including at branch level. Examples of this include: attending community rallies, marches, and events as a branch (with the SASW banner or other indication of SASW affiliation); organizing community or advocacy events as a SASW branch or with SASW affiliation; SASW making public statements on social issues.

To be clear: individual social workers can still do micro-level advocacy and join with community groups. Individual advocacy is still needed and permitted, but we all know that micro-level advocacy is limited in terms of impact and we are better when we can stand together on social and system issues. We are still members of CASW and are, of course, to follow the CASW Code of Ethics and Guiding Principles. (Note that Value 2 is to promote social justice!)

How - and why - did this happen? Has it happened in other provinces or territories?

For background, what has happened in Saskatchewan is not unique - the shift to divest (separate) regulatory functions (registration, professional conduct, discipline, competency/standards, etc.) from what are often called "association" functions (promoting the profession, supporting and celebrating members, advocacy, etc.) has been happening across Canada. The impetus for this change appears to primarily be to address the potential conflict of interest between promoting a profession and its members and protecting the public through regulatory processes and standards.

A concise comparison of Canada's divestment landscape was graciously completed for FSKSW by a student. See it here.

In Alberta, for example, an amendment to the Health Professions Act was passed in 2020, which included requirements and timelines for divestment. As a result, the province has the Alberta College of Social Workers (regulatory) and the Alberta Association of Social Workers (association). One part of this change in Alberta was that the College committed to supporting the creation of the Association through $225,000 in start-up funds. There was also a clear communications plan to ensure members were aware of the implications of the changes, including FAQ/explainer documents on websites, webinars, and membership meetings. To be fair, the social work landscape in Alberta is quite different than in Saskatchewan - registration is mandatory, for example, so all social workers in the province were directly impacted by the change.

Nova Scotia had experienced legislative changes similar to those in Saskatchewan, including an impact on the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers' (NSCSW) mandate to engage speak out on social issues and engage in collective advocacy. However, they responded to this challenge in a unique way: by creating a framework to support the safe and ethical delivery of social work services, while framing social justice work (such as public statements on social issues and collective advocacy) as issues of public safety and prioritizing Nova Scotia’s most structurally vulnerable populations. The SAFE(r) social work framework specifically identifies "advocating for policies that address systemic inequities and uphold social justice principles" and focusing on "the development of robust social safety net to provide necessary resources and support" (NSCSW, n.d.) as essential aspects of the regulatory obligation to support the safe and ethical delivery of social work services. ***Note that as of March 2026, NSCSW is undergoing changes to their legislation and responded quickly, decisively, and clearly to both their government and their members.

In Saskatchewan, the amendments to the Social Workers Act did not require total divestment. This means that SASW was not forced to completely separate from its association functions.

Who is in charge of this intiative?

No one person is fronting this group, formally called Future of Saskatchewan Social Work. This is a collective- and volunteer-organized initiative.

While there have been individuals who have initiated actions (ex: organize our first meetings, do presentations), all of this has and will continue to be voluntary. If you're wanting to contribute in action, please do! We'd encourage you to attend a meeting and let the group know what it is you're able to take on. We can all get stuck in social loafing, so initiative and energy are welcome!

Communication is monitored and disseminated by a handful of volunteers, and patience is appreciated as this all continues to unfold!

Will my involvement with this project compromise my registration?

To the best of our knowledge, SASW is unable to penalize individuals who have taken an interest or engaged with this project, provided you continue to follow practice expectations and other requirements for registration. Keep in mind that it is part of our Standards of Practice to advocate for policy change that improves social conditions (C.2.b.iv) and act in a manner to increase public trust of the profession (G.1.b). Social action can come with a sense of real and perceived risk, so it's understandable if being a part of this initiative brings nervousness.

Some folks have opted to use an alias to stay connected to this project. If you're having any trouble doing this for yourself, feel free to contact us to help.

SASW is aware that some of their members are concerned about the change in the Social Workers Act. They have publicly addressed this to their members through webinar on September 12, 2024 and an email on July 29, 2025, and individually contacted involved parties in the past.

To date, no one has been penalized for their involvement in this work.

A consideration of dual roles: if choosing to participate in this initiative, you may have to excuse yourself from other roles that intersect with/are held within SASW if something to do with the group came up.