Please read through the information below before you begin the application process. You will take approximately 25 minutes to complete the application form if you have all the information required at hand.
Categories and Criteria for Accreditation

To be accredited within the respective categories, Social Workers i.e. practitioners with recognised Social Work qualifications acceptable to the Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board (SWAAB) must meet the following criteria:

New Graduate/Entrant
[to qualify to be accredited as Registered Social Worker-Provisional (RSW-P)]

Entry Requirements

  • Social Work qualifications recognised by SWAAB;
  • Must be employed in a social work position by an agency or institution in Singapore at the point of application;
  • Less than 1 year of post-qualification full-time social work experience locally; and
  • 2 character references from peers and/or employers (known for no less than 3 years)

Practising Social Worker
[to qualify to be accredited as Registered Social Worker (RSW)]

Entry Requirements

  • At least a recognised Bachelor Degree or Graduate Diploma in Social Work;
  • 1 year of post-qualification full-time practice in a social work position in Singapore;
  • 80 hours of relevant in-employment training[1];
  • 1,000 hours of supervised practice[2] during study and/or post-study employment; if you have completed your first degree or graduate diploma in Social Work in year 2010 and thereafter, your hours of supervised practice during employment must be obtained from a supervisor with a recognised social work qualification and at least 4 years of post-social work qualification experience, of which 1 year must be in Singapore[3]. A supervisor who is a RSW would be considered as having a recognised social work qualification.  If the supervisor is not a RSW, his/her social work qualification must be recognised by SWAAB on the same basis as for accreditation; and
  • 2 character references from peers and/or employers (known for no less than 3 years)
[1] "Relevant in-employment training" refers to all in-house and externally conducted training in a social work or social work related area which would enhance the professional delivery of services by the social worker in his / her area of work; documents showing proof of courses / workshops / conferences attended or in-house training endorsed by the social worker's employer would be acceptable as proof of having received the relevant training hours stipulated.

[2] "Supervised Practice hours" may be obtained from either field placements during the social work degree course and/or during post-social work degree employment from a supervisor with a social work qualification and at least 4 years of post-social work qualification work experience. One field placement is equivalent to 400 supervised practice hours.  The remaining hours can be obtained during employment where the social worker is supervised by his/her supervisor on a regular basis throughout the period. Examples of supervised practice include formal and informal discussions, case conferences, professional meetings and open appraisals as well as indirect contacts such as emails, appraisal reports, etc.

A social worker who does not have a workplace supervisor or who graduated in 2010 and thereafter but does not have a qualified supervisor at the workplace may obtain the supervised practice hours from an external supervisor under the SASW Supervision Service. For details and registration, please click here.

[3] "Social work experience" is defined as experience obtained after the attainment of a recognised social work qualification. This definition applies throughout the website wherever the term appears.

How do I send in an application?

  • Applications can be submitted electronically through the on-line application form here. Please upload certificate(s) and relevant supporting documents for the degree or graduate diploma in social work declared. Other supporting documents requiring original signatures are to be uploaded and sent on-line together with the application form.
  • Please retain the original signed copies of endorsements as you may be asked to produce them at any time during the application process.

What is the information I need to provide as part of the application process?

  • Personal Particulars
  • Contact details
  • 1 recent passport-sized photograph
  • Details of the Degree or Graduate Diploma in Social Work including institution name, country of institution and date of qualification
  • Details of relevant work experience
  • Current and/or Past Employer’s Declaration Forms must show that you have been practising as a Social Worker after you have obtained the Social Work Qualification.
  • Relevant Training, where applicable
  • Supervised Practice during study, where applicable
  • Supervised Practice during Employment to be endorsed by Employer, where applicable
  • Personal Declaration
  • Information needed for your Character Reference includes:
    • Name, Designation, Place of Work and Contact Phone Number of Character Referees
    • Type and Number of Years (no less than three years) of Relationship between Referees and Applicant.

What must be submitted together with the on-line application form?

The following must also be submitted on-line (to be uploaded during the application process):

  • Copies of certificates of the Degree or Graduate Diploma in Social Work
  • Copies of transcripts of examination results, where applicable
  • Copies of certificates of registration with overseas licensing authorities (if any)
  • 1 recent passport-sized photograph (Please ensure that the photograph is in JPEG format with file size not exceeding 2MB.)
  • Current and/or Past Employer’s Declaration Forms to show that you have been practising as a Social Worker after you have obtained the Social Work Qualification. If you have been employed in more than one organisation within the one year, please submit separate endorsement forms of each employer.
  • Supervised Practice during Employment to be endorsed by Employer, where applicable
  • Character References

What are the recognised Social Work qualifications?

The Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board has established a set of criteria and standards for the recognition of a Social Work qualification for accreditation. The guidelines are available here.  The Social Work qualifications that can be obtained for accreditation as a Registered Social Worker-Provisional (RSW-P) or a Registered Social Worker (RSW) are:

Singapore

National University of Singapore

  • Bachelor of Arts (Social Work)
  • Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Social Work
  • Graduate Diploma in Social Work
  • Master of Social Sciences (Social Work)
  • Master of Social Work

Singapore University of Social Sciences

  • Bachelor of Social Work
  • Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
  • Graduate Diploma in Social Work
  • Master of Social Work

Overseas

Social work qualifications that are obtained from overseas must be accredited by a recognised accrediting body in the country and year in which the qualifications were awarded.

Accrediting bodies which are recognised by SWAAB are as follows:

  • Australian Association of Social Workers
  • Canadian Association for Social Work Education
  • Hong Kong Social Workers Registration Board
  • Malaysian Association of Social Workers
  • New Zealand Social Workers Registration Board
  • Professional Regulation Commission, Philippines
  • Health & Care Professions Council, United Kingdom
  • Social Care Wales
  • Northern Ireland Social Care Council
  • Scottish Social Services Council
  • Council on Social Work Education, United States of America

Applicants who possess a social work qualification which is not available in the above universities or accredited by the above bodies will have to complete an application form in order for us to assess whether it meets the guidelines set by SWAAB. The form may be downloaded here.

Where can I seek help if I have further queries?

  • If you have further queries, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions.
    Alternatively, you may send an email to accreditation@sasw.org.sg or contact the Secretariat at 6778 7922.
  • The Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board reserves the right to verify the information submitted on your application form with the academic bodies, referee(s) or the employer(s) listed by you.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure that the information and documents submitted are accurate and complete. Any false or misleading information in or in connection with your application may be cause for your application being rejected.
  • Your application will be processed within 6 weeks provided that the application submitted is complete and in order. Any missing or misleading information and/or documents will result in a delay and may cause your application to be rejected. You are advised to keep a copy of your application form for reference.
  • The decision of the Board is final and binding.
  • If accredited, you will have to abide by the Code of Professional Ethics of Social Workers adopted from the Singapore Association of Social Workers by the Social Work Accreditation and Advisory Board and available here.

Apply On-line Now
(The on-line form will take approximately 25 minutes to complete if you have all the information required at hand.)