Professional Practice Support

The Professional Practice Department contributes to the ongoing development of practice resources and oversees the Continuing Competence Program (CCP). Professional Practice staff also responds to practice inquiries from registrants, employers, the public and other stakeholders and presents across Ontario on a variety of topics.


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Consultations

As a registrant of the College, you can consult with the Professional Practice Department about an ethical or practice dilemma that you are facing. The Professional Practice staff will help you to identify the Standards of Practice that are relevant in a particular scenario and that will guide your decisions. They can also direct you to other College resources, such as Practice Guidelines, and help you to identify the pertinent issues in a particular situation. You may also be encouraged to consult more widely – with your colleagues, your manager or a lawyer, for example. Your professional judgement is key in the many challenging situations which you face in your practice; practice consultations can help you make sound and ethical decisions.

Important note: Professional practice consultations are treated with discretion. Any information shared in professional practice consultations is subject to the College’s public protection mandate and should not be regarded as confidential.

Registrants and other stakeholders should be aware that Professional Practice inquiries/consultations will be documented by Professional Practice staff. Documentation from these contacts will be stored securely in the College database.


Presentations

The Professional Practice Department delivers in-person and remote presentations across Ontario. Presentations to students focus on regulation and how to become a registrant of the College. Presentations to registrants focus on relevant practice issues, the role of the standards of practice and ethical decision-making. Additionally the Department participates in panel discussions and consultations with government and other stakeholders on topics relevant to the College mandate and to our registrants.

The presentation below is for students in social work or social service work programs, and new graduates who are considering whether to apply to the College.


Resources

College registrants can access practice resources in the College’s Resource Room.

Related FAQs
  • The Professional Practice Department offers a number of free services to registrants, employers, the public and other stakeholders across the province. This includes:

    • Consultations: Registrants can consult with Professional Practice staff about an ethical or practice dilemma they are facing. Employers and the public can consult with Professional Practice staff regarding our registrants’ practice.
    • Presentations: Professional Practice staff delivers free in-person and remote presentations across Ontario on topics including the role of the College, practice issues, the application of the Standards of Practice and ethical decision-making.
  • Some registrants call the Professional Practice Department for practice consultations with the expectation that they are going to be told exactly how to manage their practice dilemma. In the course of a practice call, Professional Practice staff cannot become completely familiar with the full context and details of a specific practice scenario. Using your professional judgment and knowledge base is part of being a regulated professional, and key in managing the many challenging situations which you face in your practice. The Professional Practice Department can help guide you with useful information and resources to aid in your decision-making process.

  • The Professional Practice Department is not in a position to provide crisis consultations to registrants. Urgent inquiries may be better addressed by consulting with colleagues, your supervisor or manager, or by seeking a legal opinion. At times, Professional Practice staff is able to respond quickly to practice inquiries; however, due to the volume of inquiries received, there are times when they cannot. You may wish to review the various practice resources, which can be found in the online Resource Room. These resources have been developed to assist registrants in understanding and applying the Standards of Practice to particular practice dilemmas.

  • Yes. One advantage of having professional liability insurance is that it provides access to free legal advice, over the phone. The Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998 does not require registrants to obtain professional liability insurance, and the College does not offer it. The College nevertheless strongly advises registrants to discuss professional liability insurance provisions with their employer, and to obtain further coverage if necessary. The College does not recommend or require a specific amount of coverage.

  • Professional practice consultations are treated with discretion. Any information shared in professional practice consultations is subject to the College’s public protection mandate and should not be regarded as confidential.

    Registrants and other stakeholders should be aware that Professional Practice inquiries/consultations will be documented by Professional Practice staff. Documentation from these contacts will be stored securely in the College database.