17 March 2025
Tēnā koe John Luke
Official Information Act request
Thank you for your email to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
dated 12 January 2025. On 17 February 2025, the Minister for Social Development
and Employment’s office transferred your request in full to the Ministry of Social
Development (the Ministry).
You have requested information about applications for the Social Workers
Registration Board (SWRB), including advertisement, number of applications and
shortlists.
I have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982.
The SWRB is a Crown Agent established under section 97 of the Social Workers
Registration Act 2003 (the Act).
The SWRB includes seven members appointed by the responsible Minister as
prescribed by section 106 of the Act:
• four social workers (not being social workers whose registration or practising
certificate is suspended), and;
• three ‘other people’ (laypersons).
Your request relates to the appointment of the following three social worker
members:
• Mr Mike Munnelly (also appointed as Chairperson)
• Ms Paula Grooby
• Ms Ruth Jones.
These appointments were made in order to replace three outgoing social worker
member roles. As part of this appointment process, and to bring the role to the
attention of social workers, an advertisement was placed in the newsletter for the
SWRB and the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers and on SWRB’s
website. The SWRB also promoted the role by email to social workers on its
register. The Ministry did not seek applications from nominating agencies.
Although the application period has now ended, the advertisement is still publicly
available on the SWRB's website:
swrb.govt.nz/social-workers-complaints-and-
disciplinary-tribunal-and-social-workers-registration-board/.
The Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington
– Telephone 04-916 3300 – Facsimile 04-918 0099
In response to the advertisement, 52 applications were received. The Ministry then
shortlisted six candidates who were each interviewed. Three of the interviewed
candidates were subsequently appointed by the Minister in September 2024.
Appointment letters for these positions are attached as an
Appendix. We have
withheld personal information as out of scope, noting the comment in your request
that you were happy for personal information to be redacted. Please let me know
if this was not what you intended.
I will be publishing this decision letter, with your personal details deleted, on the
Ministry’s website in due course.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[email address]. If you are not satisfied with my decision on your request, you have the right to
seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to
make a complaint is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
pp.
Anna Graham
General Manager
Ministerial and Executive Services
