ABSTRACT
This chapter examines regulation in field education. The professional requirements of national social work professional bodies that provide guidelines and standards for how social work field education operates are examined. The lack of international social work field education standards is highlighted and the consequences of failing to address this as a profession are outlined. The discussion makes links between accreditation standards and universities assessing the impact on industry.
The current context of Australian higher education policy and the accreditation policies of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) are examined while identifying the implications of these on field education. International examples of responses to national professional social work standards for field education are discussed. The potential value of collaboration across stakeholders as a strategy for developing a robust regulatory framework is debated. This chapter examines risk, within the university and professional association policy environment, to better understand and identify potential opportunities for change to the position of field education in this space.
