In this update:
- Reminder: 2023 Continuing Competence Program
- Read the latest Practice Notes on sexual abuse of clients
The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) is pleased to share the following updates to support social workers and social service workers in their practice:
Reminder: 2023 Continuing Competence Program
The College encourages registrants to get started on their 2023 Continuing Competence Program (CCP) if they haven’t done so already.
The CCP is a condition of College registration which ensures that registrants stay current in their practice. The CCP is mandatory for all College registrants, except those holding a retired class of certificate of registration.
In order to complete the CCP, College registrants are required to:
- Review the Standards of Practice every year.
- Complete a self-assessment based on those principles.
- Set goals and carry out learning activities based on their self-assessment.
For the 2023 CCP, College registrants are also required to review the following five practice resources:
- Practice Notes: Boundary Violations
- Practice Notes: Dual Relationships: Ensuring Clients Best Interests Are Paramount
- Perspective: College Sees Nearly 60% Increase in Sexual Abuse-Related Complaints in the Past Two Years
- Practice Notes: The Slippery Slope to Sexual Misconduct: Be Informed, Be Aware
- Practice Notes: Navigating Conflicts of Interest
For more information on the 2023 CCP, please visit the College website or contact the College’s Professional Practice Department at ccp@ocswssw.org.
Practice Notes on sexual abuse of clients
The College strongly encourages registrants to review its latest practice resource which addresses professional boundaries and the sexual abuse of clients by registrants. The new resource, “Practice Notes: Shattered Trust – The Sexual Abuse of Clients,” explores scenarios that registrants may encounter in their practice and provides advice on how to prevent sexual abuse.
Sexual abuse is one of the most egregious ways that registrants can breach their professional obligations and cause significant harm to clients. As part of its efforts to reduce the incidence of sexual misconduct, the College has embarked on a multi-faceted campaign to shed light on this issue, educate registrants about the importance of maintaining professional boundaries, and ensure that registrants, employers and others understand the serious harm that registrants’ boundary violations and sexual misconduct cause to clients.
For more information on professional boundaries and sexual misconduct, including answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the College website.
For all practice-related inquiries, please contact Professional Practice Department at practice@ocswssw.org.