Employer Communiqués

Message from the Registrar and CEO: OCSWSSW Takes Steps to Address Increase in Sexual Misconduct-Related Complaints

What Employers Need to Know Over the past two years, the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers has witnessed a 107% increase in the number of complaints received related to sexual misconduct. This increase is deeply disturbing. It is also a call to action for employers of social workers and social service workers, who have an ethical obligation to address professional boundary violations if/when they become aware of them, and a legal…

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What Are Professional Boundaries?

The term “professional boundaries” is used to define the set of roles and expectations required of a College registrant in relation to their client. The College registrant has a professional obligation to maintain professional boundaries and ensure that the needs of the client are paramount at all times. In short, professional boundaries require a registrant to only have a professional relationship with their client.  When a registrant engages in conduct with a client that falls…

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What Employers Need to Know About Reporting Sexual Abuse to the College

As an employer you have a responsibility to report sexual abuse, or suspected sexual abuse, committed by your employees to the College. Employers are required to report the termination of a social worker or social service worker’s employment for reasons of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity – which includes sexual abuse. An employer must also file a report if it intended to terminate the registrant’s employment, but the registrant resigned before it could do so.…

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Names Registrants Must Use While Practising

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) has received a number of inquiries about registrants practising under a name that is different from the one they used to register with the College. The following information is intended to clarify what name a registrant must practise under, and how registrants can change or update their name(s) with the College. Requirement to practise using the name you used to register with the…

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Illegal Practitioner Criminally Charged

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) is advising Ontarians of an illegal social work practitioner who now faces criminal charges. Katayoon Masoumi Rad, also known as Kathy Masoumirad, Kathy Mehranian and Kathy M. Rad, has been practising illegally in Woodbridge, Ontario and fraudulently using the name and credentials of a former OCSWSSW registrant to provide social work services. The Durham Regional Police Services has charged Katayoon Masoumi Rad with fraud related…

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College Update: From “Member” to “Registrant”

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) is gradually moving towards using the term “registrant” – rather than “member” – when referring to individuals registered with the College. The decision to use the term “registrant” was made by the College Council as a result of the College’s governance review process and underscores the College’s role as a regulator rather than an association. The governance review process The College is committed…

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Before You Hire, Check the Online Register

Are you an employer who is in the process of hiring a social worker or social service worker? If you are, please remember to check the College’s Online Register! The College maintains an Online Register of social workers and social service workers as part of its public protection mandate. This easy-to-use tool contains information regarding a registrant’s registration status, discipline history – if any – and employer contact information. An employer’s role As an employer,…

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Online Applications Now Available to Additional Practitioners

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (the College) is pleased to announce that online applications are now available to additional practitioners, including those applying through the equivalency stream and those who were previously registered with the College. This will streamline the application process and allow for additional practitioners to register with the College more easily. The equivalency stream is available to those who do not have a degree in social work…

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Practice Notes: Termination – Managing Clients and Moving Forward

Download the PDF Practice Notes is an educational tool designed to help Ontario social workers, social service workers, employers and members of the public gain a better understanding of recurring issues dealt with by the Professional Practice Department and the Complaints Committee that may affect everyday practice. The notes offer general guidance only and College members with specific practice inquiries should consult the College, since the relevant standards and appropriate course of action will vary…

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Top 4 Highlights from the College’s Employer Outreach Campaign

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers is making strides with its employer outreach campaign. Launched in 2017, the employer outreach campaign informs employers of social workers and social service workers of the importance of College registration and the value of hiring registered members of the College. The campaign was and continues to be multi-faceted, involving digital advertising, virtual and in-person outreach, a quarterly publication and an interactive quiz, among other initiatives.…

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Did You Know? Unregulated Practitioners in Ontario

Is your employee registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers? Do they refer to themselves as a “social worker” or “social service worker”? In Ontario, only individuals registered with the College are permitted to use the protected titles “social worker,” “registered social worker,” “social service worker” and “registered social service worker,” their short forms or French equivalents. Those who use the protected titles illegally or misrepresent themselves as a social…

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Can Employers Post Jobs on the College Website?

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers regularly receives emails from employers asking about posting job advertisements and other promotions on the College website. As the provincial regulator of social workers and social service workers, the College ensures its communications to members – whether through its website, email list serv or social media – reflect its regulatory mandate and pertain to regulatory updates and information about College activities and initiatives. As such,…

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