About qualification recognition and registration requirements

• 1. Who is the subject of the law of the "Social Worker Professional Qualification System"?
• A: Those who are interested in obtaining professional qualifications for social workers and registering social workers for social work.
• 2. What is the social worker's professional qualification recognition (hereinafter referred to as “social worker recognition”?
• A: If you have a social work professional qualification, whether you are a current social worker (including public or private entities), you can choose freely and apply for social worker approval.
• 3. What is social worker registration?
• A: If you are a social worker, if you are interested in social work, you must first register with the Social Work Bureau (hereinafter referred to as the “Social Work Bureau” before you can use the professional title of social workers.
• 4. What are the requirements for applying for social worker approval?
• A: Applicants must also meet: Macao residents, Bachelor degree or above in social work, and qualified examinations (except for exemption within three years from the date of entry into force). After the exam is passed, the Society will issue a professional qualification certificate to the applicant.
• 5. On April 2, 2020, people who are performing their duties as social workers are responsible for social worker recognition and registration.
• A: Within one year from April 2, 2020, people who perform social work duties in private entities must apply for social work approval from the Social Welfare Association and, within 3 months from the date of issuance of the professional qualification certificate, to the social worker. The bureau applies for registration. Before the registration process is completed, the above-mentioned persons can continue to work in the social work profession and use the title of "social worker".
• 6. Since April 2, 2020, do people who are not working in social work positions have to complete social worker registration before they can practise?
• A: Yes! Since April 2, 2020, non-current social security workers must first be recognized and registered as social workers, and complete social worker registration before they can use the professional title of social workers.
• 7. Do people who need to perform social work in public entities need to obtain social worker recognition and registration?
• A: Public administrators who have performed social work in public entities and have obtained social worker approval in accordance with the provisions of this Law may use the term “social worker” but may not register.

About social work education

• 8. What should I do if the applicant's social work or related courses in the field do not meet the social worker accreditation criteria set by the Social Welfare Association, or if the number of study subjects and internships is insufficient?
• A: Applicants must submit detailed information such as the study outline, transcripts and internship certificates to the Social Welfare Association. The Social Welfare Association will conduct an overall review to determine whether the application has professional qualifications. If the Society considers that the subject content or the hours of academic qualifications in the academic qualifications are insufficient, and the shortcomings are correctable, the Social Welfare Association will notify the applicants that they need to take the supplementary training courses and pass the grades before they can be recognized by the social workers.
• 9. If the applicant only holds a master's degree in social work and does not have a bachelor's degree in social work, is it eligible for social worker recognition?
• A: Applicants who hold a degree in social work such as undergraduate, master's or doctoral degrees will be judged in accordance with the relevant qualification criteria.
• 10. How is the three-year exemption period for accredited exams calculated?
• A: The law will come into effect on April 2, 2020. From that date, until April 1, 2023, all applicants who meet the social worker's accreditation requirements can be exempted from the exam. From April 2, 2023, applicants must pass the academic qualifications and take the exam.
• 11. Once the professional qualifications have been written off (whether the parties themselves have filed or are cancelled), should the parties return the professional qualification certificate to the Social Welfare Association?
• A: Based on the fact that the recognition has been cancelled, the relevant person must return the certificate. If it is not returned, a statement should be made.
• 12. If the applicant does not have a degree in social work, but is currently working as a “student counselor”, is it necessary to apply for accreditation and practice registration?
• A: No. If it is not working as a “social worker”, and does not have a degree in social work.
• 13. The law states that in the first year of the law's entry into force, the Society believes that an appropriate bachelor's degree or above with a social work occupation can also apply. What is the appropriate qualification?
• A: In the first year from the effective date of the law, the Social Welfare Association will handle the transitional period of social worker recognition and registration in accordance with the law, and establish appropriate assessment criteria and mechanisms to assess the social education education qualifications that applicants have obtained in the past to assess their Whether it has the appropriate qualifications and is engaged in social work.

Grandfather

• 14. What is the "grandfather system"?
• A: According to the general provisions of the law, a person applying for social worker approval must have a bachelor's degree or above. However, the law also makes a transitional arrangement, that is, in the first year of the law (from April 2, 2020 to April 1, 2021), for a diploma of secondary school or a two-year social work course in Macau, and For those who have performed their duties in Macao for a period of not less than ten years, the Social Welfare Association can accept their professional qualifications. This is commonly known as the "grandfather system."
• 15 How to apply for the “grandfather system” approval procedure?
• A: Those who meet the requirements of the "grandfather system" may apply to the Social Welfare Association for a temporary registration of social worker approval within one year from the effective date of the law. The Social Welfare Association will issue temporary registration certificates and temporary registration certificates to eligible persons. After the issue, the applicant must complete the supplementary course designated by the Social Welfare Association within 3 years from the effective date of the bill, and submit a certificate to the Social Welfare Association within 30 days after the completion of the course, so as to convert the temporary registration into a confirmed registration. Proof of eligibility.
• 16. How do grandparents register?
• A: Those who have obtained the temporary registration certificate can make a temporary registration with the Social Work Bureau and apply to the Social Work Bureau for registration within 3 months after the issuance of the professional qualification certificate. If the applicant does not complete the registration, he cannot practise as a social worker.

About social work practice

• 19. Can social workers practice in private? What is the procedure for applying for practice?
• A: There is no provision in the law as to whether a social worker can practise in a private name. However, a social worker occupation must be registered. If you practise in a private name, the social worker can make inquiries to the Finance Bureau or the public entity with relevant authority regarding the handling of private business procedures.
• 20. Is it illegal to work as a social worker without registration? What are the legal consequences?
• A: This situation may constitute the “exceeding of the position” as stipulated in the current Criminal Code. Violators may be sentenced to a maximum of 2 years in prison or a maximum of 240 days.
• 21. Can an organization employ a person who is in the process of accreditation and registration to perform social work duties?
• A: No one can work as a social worker without a registered status. If an organization wants to employ a person who is undergoing accreditation and registration to perform a social work position, it must verify that the hiring person has a registered social worker status at the time of entry.
• 22. Can non-current social workers apply for accreditation and practising registration?
• A: Regardless of the current position or not, you can apply for social work qualification approval as long as you have the legal requirements, and you can apply for practice registration after you have obtained the approval.
• 23. Is there a time limit for renewal of registration?
• A: Article 17, paragraph 3 of the law stipulates that the renewal of registration shall be submitted to the Social Work Bureau within 60 days before the expiration of the period of validity of the registration. For this reason, if the social worker intends to continue to engage in the social work occupation after the expiration of the validity period of the registration, it must comply with the above provisions. Refers to the application for renewal during the period.
• 24. If a social worker fails to register for renewal within the specified time limit, what are the consequences, can he renew the renewal?
• A: If the social worker has not renewed the registration within the specified time limit, after the expiration of the registration period, he will not be able to work as a social worker. If you want to continue to work in a social work profession, you must apply for registration again. Otherwise, you may be guilty of a job.
• 25. Should the Social Welfare Bureau be notified when switching employer entities or jobs? When should I be notified?
• A: According to Article 22 of the Law, if the identity information of the social worker or the employer entity (including the job or the employment agency) changes, the social worker must notify the social work bureau within 30 days.
• 26. What is recovery registration? What is re-registration? What is renewal?
• A: For the situation, please refer to the following table:

About querying online social worker list

• 27. What information does the Social Work Bureau publish on the list of registered social workers? Can the public further check the information of social workers with the Social Welfare Bureau?
• A: The law requires the Social Welfare Bureau to publish a list of registered social workers every month. The list includes the name, registration number, effective date of registration, and registration status of the registered social worker. The personal data of registered social workers is protected according to law.