Kia ora Professor O’Donoghue,

 

I am just emailing to acknowledge that we received your request. Our
statutory timeframe to respond is 2 June 2026, but we will aim to respond
sooner if possible.

 

   Ngâ mihi,  

 

   Lucas Davies (he/him)

   Legal Services Manager | Kaiarataki Papaki

   Social Workers Registration Board | Kâhui
Whakamana Tauwhiro

   PO Box 3452, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
   [1]www.swrb.govt.nz  

   
   He ara pûkenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei
whakamana mâtâ waka
   

 
 
This email message is intended solely for the  
person or entity to which it is addressed. The
information it contains is confidential and
may be legally privileged. Any review,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of
this email may be unlawful.

If you are not the intended recipient, please
notify us immediately and destroy the email.
Thank you. The Social Workers Registration
Board accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission from their offices.

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Kieran O'Donoghue
<[2][FOI #34598 email]>

Sent: Monday, 4 May 2026 8:19 am

To: SWRB Office <[3][Social Workers Registration Board request email]>

Subject: Official Information request - TEC Plan Guidance For providers
submitting Investment Plans for funding from 1 January 2027, Appendix B,
page 70

 

[You don't often get email from
[4][FOI #34598 email]. Learn why this is
important at [5]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Tena Koe,

 

Please supply the following information under the Official Information Act
(OIA) regarding the TEC Plan Guidance For providers submitting Investment
Plans for funding from 1 January 2027.

The information I am interested in concerns social work qualifications and
the advice that was  given to or received, or informed the statement in
Appendix B, page 70 that states “For social work going forward, we will
prioritise funding for delivery of the three-year Bachelor of Social Work
recently accredited by the Social Worker Registration Board (SWRB) over
the four-year programme, consistent with our wider priorities for health
provision.”

Specifically, I am requesting:

1. What advice (formal or informal, including verbal advice conveyed in
meetings or briefings) was given from SWRB (secretariat and Board) to TEC
to inform or approve the statement in Appendix B, as noted above?

2. What other individuals or bodies, apart from the SWRB, provided the
advice (informal or formal) that informed this decision, and when?

3. Please supply all communications relating to this advice.

Including the following:

•       Advice and analysis:  any briefings, reports, Cabinet papers,
memos, internal analyses, or confirmation that no such documents exist
relating to this decision.

•       Any educational, workforce, or economic analysis used to support
this prioritisation.

•       Consultation and engagement:  records of consultation with the
TEC, NZQA, ministries, universities, professional bodies, or sector
groups.

•       Any feedback received from stakeholders regarding programme length
or structure.

•       Correspondence:  communications (emails, memos, meeting notes,
SWRB Board minutes) between SWRB and other agencies (including the TEC,
Ministry of Education, or other government bodies) relating to this
matter.

•       Decision-making rationale: any documents outlining the policy
rationale or internal position of the SWRB regarding the relative merits
of the three-year BSW over the four-year programme.

•       Any consideration of impacts on postgraduate qualifying SW
pathways and programme length: provide relevant communications, modelling
and analysis.

•       Impact and risk analysis: any assessments of the potential
implications for workforce supply, quality of training, or sector
capacity.

•       Any board papers, minutes or resolutions where these issues were
discussed.

 

If you need any more information from me, please let me know as soon as
possible.

I understand that a decision on a request for information under the OIA
should be made within 20 working days of receiving that request.

 

If you do not normally deal with official information requests, or you
need advice on dealing with this request, guidance is available from the
Ombudsman at
[6]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo....

 

Ngâ mihi

Kieran O’Donoghue

Professor of Social Work

Massey University

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[7][FOI #34598 email]

 

Is [8][Social Workers Registration Board request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Social Workers Registration Board? If so, please contact us
using this form:

[9]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[10]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.swrb.govt.nz/
2. mailto:[FOI #34598 email]
3. mailto:[Social Workers Registration Board request email]
4. mailto:[FOI #34598 email]
5. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
6. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
7. mailto:[FOI #34598 email]
8. mailto:[Social Workers Registration Board request email]
9. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
10. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Professor O’Donoghue,

 

Thank you for your patience. Please find attached our response to your
information request. I also attach an email chain (12 pages) between the
SWRB and TEC. The crux of the response is that the SWRB does not advise or
encourage the TEC to prioritise funding of some prescribed qualifications
over other prescribed qualifications.

 

Please let us know if you have any questions.

 

   Ngâ mihi,  

 

   Lucas Davies (he/him)

   Legal Services Manager | Kaiarataki Papaki

   Social Workers Registration Board | Kâhui
Whakamana Tauwhiro

   PO Box 3452, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
   [1]www.swrb.govt.nz  

   
   He ara pûkenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei
whakamana mâtâ waka
   

 
 
This email message is intended solely for the  
person or entity to which it is addressed. The
information it contains is confidential and
may be legally privileged. Any review,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of
this email may be unlawful.

If you are not the intended recipient, please
notify us immediately and destroy the email.
Thank you. The Social Workers Registration
Board accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission from their offices.

 

 

 

From: Lucas Davies
Sent: Wednesday, 20 May 2026 12:28 pm
To: '[FYI request #34598 email]'
<[FYI request #34598 email]>
Subject: [UNCLASSIFIED] RE: Official Information request - TEC Plan
Guidance For providers submitting Investment Plans for funding from 1
January 2027, Appendix B, page 70

 

Kia ora Professor O’Donoghue,

 

I am just emailing to acknowledge that we received your request. Our
statutory timeframe to respond is 2 June 2026, but we will aim to respond
sooner if possible.

 

   Ngâ mihi,  

 

   Lucas Davies (he/him)

   Legal Services Manager | Kaiarataki Papaki

   Social Workers Registration Board | Kâhui
Whakamana Tauwhiro

   PO Box 3452, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
   [2]www.swrb.govt.nz  

   
   He ara pûkenga, he ara tauwhiro, hei
whakamana mâtâ waka
   

 
 
This email message is intended solely for the  
person or entity to which it is addressed. The
information it contains is confidential and
may be legally privileged. Any review,
retransmission, dissemination or other use of
this email may be unlawful.

If you are not the intended recipient, please
notify us immediately and destroy the email.
Thank you. The Social Workers Registration
Board accepts no responsibility for changes
made to this email or to any attachments after
transmission from their offices.

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Kieran O'Donoghue
<[3][FYI request #34598 email]>

Sent: Monday, 4 May 2026 8:19 am

To: SWRB Office <[4][Social Workers Registration Board request email]>

Subject: Official Information request - TEC Plan Guidance For providers
submitting Investment Plans for funding from 1 January 2027, Appendix B,
page 70

 

[You don't often get email from
[5][FYI request #34598 email]. Learn why this is
important at [6]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Tena Koe,

 

Please supply the following information under the Official Information Act
(OIA) regarding the TEC Plan Guidance For providers submitting Investment
Plans for funding from 1 January 2027.

The information I am interested in concerns social work qualifications and
the advice that was  given to or received, or informed the statement in
Appendix B, page 70 that states “For social work going forward, we will
prioritise funding for delivery of the three-year Bachelor of Social Work
recently accredited by the Social Worker Registration Board (SWRB) over
the four-year programme, consistent with our wider priorities for health
provision.”

Specifically, I am requesting:

1. What advice (formal or informal, including verbal advice conveyed in
meetings or briefings) was given from SWRB (secretariat and Board) to TEC
to inform or approve the statement in Appendix B, as noted above?

2. What other individuals or bodies, apart from the SWRB, provided the
advice (informal or formal) that informed this decision, and when?

3. Please supply all communications relating to this advice.

Including the following:

•       Advice and analysis:  any briefings, reports, Cabinet papers,
memos, internal analyses, or confirmation that no such documents exist
relating to this decision.

•       Any educational, workforce, or economic analysis used to support
this prioritisation.

•       Consultation and engagement:  records of consultation with the
TEC, NZQA, ministries, universities, professional bodies, or sector
groups.

•       Any feedback received from stakeholders regarding programme length
or structure.

•       Correspondence:  communications (emails, memos, meeting notes,
SWRB Board minutes) between SWRB and other agencies (including the TEC,
Ministry of Education, or other government bodies) relating to this
matter.

•       Decision-making rationale: any documents outlining the policy
rationale or internal position of the SWRB regarding the relative merits
of the three-year BSW over the four-year programme.

•       Any consideration of impacts on postgraduate qualifying SW
pathways and programme length: provide relevant communications, modelling
and analysis.

•       Impact and risk analysis: any assessments of the potential
implications for workforce supply, quality of training, or sector
capacity.

•       Any board papers, minutes or resolutions where these issues were
discussed.

 

If you need any more information from me, please let me know as soon as
possible.

I understand that a decision on a request for information under the OIA
should be made within 20 working days of receiving that request.

 

If you do not normally deal with official information requests, or you
need advice on dealing with this request, guidance is available from the
Ombudsman at
[7]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo....

 

Ngâ mihi

Kieran O’Donoghue

Professor of Social Work

Massey University

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[8][FYI request #34598 email]

 

Is [9][Social Workers Registration Board request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Social Workers Registration Board? If so, please contact us
using this form:

[10]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[11]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

References

Visible links
1. http://www.swrb.govt.nz/
2. http://www.swrb.govt.nz/
3. mailto:[FYI request #34598 email]
4. mailto:[Social Workers Registration Board request email]
5. mailto:[FYI request #34598 email]
6. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
7. http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
8. mailto:[FYI request #34598 email]
9. mailto:[Social Workers Registration Board request email]
10. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
11. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections