Delivering change: building the AASW members asked for
2 July 2026
Social workers have been clear about what they want from the AASW.
You want an Association that is affordable, transparent, locally connected, professionally credible, and strong in its public advocacy.
You want an AASW that listens to its members, protects social work standards, support Branches, stands with First Nations social workers and communities, and speaks with confidence about the value of social work across Australia.
We are at a crossroads. The landscape of Australian social work is shifting – regulatory pressures and public scrutiny are mounting; the workforce is exhausted… moral injury, burnout and attrition are high; the demand for our expertise and services has never been higher; and the complexity of the problems and situations we are facing is growing.
Since the 2025 election the AASW Board has been focused on stabilising the AASW, rebuilding trust, strengthening governance, and putting members back at the centre of decision-making.
Change and transformation is now underway across the organisation. This is not a small task, and it will not be completed within a few months. We are simply not implementing a series of small ‘tweaks’. The change we are undertaking is a fundamental ‘strategic pivot’ for the AASW, but real progress has already and continues to be made.
By making the AASW a member-centric organisation we are ensuring that it is guided and driven by the real-world knowledge and expertise of social workers on the ground across Australia.
The AASW stands beside you, advocating for the profession and strengthening the voice of social work across Australia.
We want to update you on what has changed, what is currently underway, and where the next phase of transformation is heading. This is some of what we’ve done so far:
Membership fees will remain frozen for 2026/2027
At a time when cost-of-living pressures are hitting hard, we have chosen to support our members when it matters most. While costs are rising across the economy, we are focused on ensuring that the AASW delivers real value – without adding to your cost burden.
As requested, monthly membership payment options will re-commence from October 2026; fees for membership category adjustments have been abolished; and annual certificates of insurance for members have been reinstated.
In 2027 the Board will undertake a review of our membership framework to provide a fees structure that takes into account the different needs and aspirations of social workers over their professional life.
In 2026 the AASW achieved a 4.1% increase in membership numbers reversing the decreasing growth rates of previous years (2023-24 0.7%; 2024-25 0.1%; 2025-26 4.1%). We aim to keep fees steady while increasing the quality and range of services we offer to our members.
As promised, we have done a ‘root and branch’ analysis of the AASW budget and have identified inefficiencies and cost savings that have allowed us to strengthen our financial position and achieve a budget surplus in 2025-26 rather than the previously projected deficit. In the forthcoming 2026-27 Budget, we have redirected the resources to align with the strategic outcomes that you have asked for.
A stronger, more stable organisation
The AASW is now operating with greater stability, clearer governance, and stronger professional leadership. We have laid a solid foundation for reform.
We have appointed a new Chief Executive Officer (Kerryn Pennell) and Company Secretary/General Counsel (Will Rosewarne) who have brought both focus and direction to our operations.
We have clarified and ‘right sized’ the boundaries between strategic and operational leadership in the AASW, thereby strengthening accountability and transparency.
We have completed the first phase of organisational restructuring by focusing on the AASW’s key functions and creating the new divisions of ‘Social Work Advancement’ and ‘Professional Standards and Regulation’.
We are currently recruiting social work leaders with deep expertise to head these new pillars of the organisation.
We have reviewed the roles of all AASW staff positions and commenced restructuring to refresh and modernise the organisation’s skill set while strengthening professional social work capability by designating key positions as requiring social work qualifications and experience. We are building internal channels to ensure professional knowledge exchange and strengthen the Association’s social work capability.
We have developed a Strategic Priorities Plan for 2026-27 and aligned the 2026-27 Budget to this.
In 2027 we will develop a multi-year Strategic Plan and restructure the AASW’s budget to a three year ‘forward estimate’ framework.
Delivering for members
We have expanded operating hours to make it easier for members to contact the AASW at times that better reflect busy working lives, with further expansion planned over the coming months.
A new Complaints and Feedback Policy have been introduced to provide a clear process for members to raise concerns, provide feedback and understand how matters will be managed and responded to.
We are reviewing key policies, including the English Language Policy.
We published the full results of the AASW Stakeholder Research Report undertaken by Belinda Moore in 2025. It is now available on the AASW website and identifies two key aspirations of social workers across Australia as being the promotion of the profession and increasing the advocacy role and ‘public voice’ of the Association. The findings of this report are informing decision-making and shaping organisational priorities.
The Board has committed resources in the 2026-27 Budget to fund a First Nation’s led program to engage the voice and cultural skills of the AASW’s 380+ First Nations social work members.
We are making the AASW’s leadership more visible and accessible to members across the country by holding Board meetings outside Melbourne and engaging with members at local events including state forums and networking events.
We have reversed a pre-existing directive that AASW staff must be based in Melbourne and introduced a merit-based ‘appointment regardless of location policy’.
We remain committed to strengthening truth, respect, and reconciliation across all areas of the AASW’s work.
Putting members at the centre
We have recognised that our members are not just ‘customers’, our members are our Association.
We have been focusing on rebuilding and re-energising the state/territory Branches.
With the reactivation of the ACT Branch from national administration in February 2026, Australia once again has Branches in all states and territories and has reclaimed its position as a truly national organisation.
We are revitalising Branches with resources to provide stronger local leadership and engagement.
In partnership with Branches, we are exploring and acknowledging the different contexts of social work practice across Australia to ensure that social workers in the Kimberley or North Queensland or elsewhere feel just as supported and engaged as social workers in Melbourne or Sydney.
We are removing administrative barriers that have limited or restricted Branch activity.
We have established three new national collaborations between the national Board and the state/territory Branches. The first is building the advocacy voice of social workers, the second is developing a shared view on the scope and context of social work practice across Australia; and the third is working with our First Nations social workers to develop social work/community collaborations on country.
We are looking to identify thought leaders and establish national practice networks in emerging fields such as climate social work, disaster management, and the implications of AI for social work.
Rebuilding influence and partnerships
We are restoring the AASW’s presence and credibility by re-establishing and strengthening partnerships with the Australian Council of Heads of Social Work Education (ACHSWE) and the National Field Educators Network (NFEN) to review current standards and practices and strengthen the future of social work education across Australia.
We are rebuilding connections with federal, state and territory governments, professional stakeholders across the health, human services and social care sectors, and international peers through the International Federation of Social Workers and its regional council in the Asia/Pacific area.
We are renewing collaboration and engagement across research, education and professional leadership and continue to work closely with the National Research Committee and the Australian Social Work Editorial Board. These relationships strengthen the standing and influence of our profession.
This is just the beginning
The profession faces rising demand, increasing complexity, and growing inequality.
The reform and transformation of the AASW is not a project with a start and end date it is a new way of operating. It is a commitment to being an organisation that is as brave, as principled, and as strategic as the people it represents.
Elizabeth (Liz) Little
National President