Video 5: What Are My Next Steps in Becoming a Candidate for Election to the Council?

Eligibility to Stand for Election

A member of the College is eligible to stand for election as a member of Council if, on the date of nomination, the member:

1. holds a general certificate of registration for social work or social service work; a member is only eligible for nomination in the membership category in which the member holds a general certificate of registration;
2. is nominated in the electoral district where they practise either social work or social service work OR if the member is not practising or is not practising in Ontario, the member must reside in the electoral district in which the member is nominated;
3. is not in default of payment of any fees;
4. does not hold an inactive or retired certificate of registration;
5. has not had a finding of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity against them in the three years preceding the date of nomination;
6. is not the subject of a disciplinary or incapacity proceeding;
7. is not the subject of a complaint in the form prescribed by the bylaws, an investigation by the Registrar or a statutory or non-statutory committee of the Council (Committee of the Council), or an inquiry by the Registrar or a Committee of the Council unless the Chair of the Election Committee has otherwise determined the member is eligible for election;
8. holds a certificate of registration that has not been revoked or suspended in the six years before the date of nomination as a result of a professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity proceeding;
9. holds a certificate of registration that is not subject to a term, condition or limitation arising from a professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity matter;
10. is not an employee of the College and has not been an employee of the College in the twelve months prior to the date of nomination;
11. is not an employee of any professional association involving social work or social service work or an employee of any collective bargaining unit involving social work or social service work and has not been an employee of such professional association or collective bargaining unit in the twelve months prior to the date of nomination;
12. is not a candidate for a position on, nor a member of, the provincial governing body (including any local chapter) of any professional association involving social work or social service work and has not been a member of such provincial governing body (including any local chapter) in the twelve months prior to the date of nomination;
13. is not a candidate for a position on, nor a member of, the executive of any collective bargaining unit involving social work or social service work and has not been a member of such executive in the twelve months prior to the date of nomination;
14. has not served as a Council member for ten consecutive years, unless a period of three years has expired since the end of the Council member’s last term of office;
15. is a Council member and, if re-elected, the Council member would be able to serve for the full term of office without the maximum permitted number of consecutive years of service (that is, ten consecutive years) expiring during that term;
16. is not a Council member who has previously been disqualified from sitting on Council;
17. has not previously been disqualified from sitting on a Committee of the Council;
18. has not been exempted in 2020 from payment of any portion of the registration fee as provided in Section 3.06 of the Fees By-law ; and
19. has not been exempted in 2020 from payment of any portion of the annual fee as provided in Section 4.07 of the Fees By-law¹.

^1. Sections 3.06 and 4.07 of the Fees By-law provide an exemption from payment of a portion of the registration fee and a portion of the annual fee to a person who is a member of an out-of-province regulatory authority provided that, among other things, the person agrees to restrict their practice in Ontario exclusively to electronic social work practice to clients in Ontario delivered from outside Ontario.

Please note: Throughout the OCSWSSW’s website and documents, the term “member” and “registrant” are used interchangeably and synonymously as equivalent to the term “member” as used in the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998, and the Regulations.

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