Diversity and inclusion
Every social worker belongs here, and so does every voice that makes social work better.
It's why we exist.
Our statement
Fair Go for Social Work exists to promote Australian social work and the professional social work profession. We stand with the International Federation of Social Workers and its Global Definition of Social Work, which sees social work as a profession grounded in social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversity.
Australia is a multicultural society, and so is its social work workforce. Many social workers here trained overseas and bring knowledge, languages and ways of practising from cultures around the world. That enriches Australian social work and the communities it serves, and we want to embrace it.
We want no qualified social worker left out of the profession's voice. That includes social workers who can't afford professional membership, whose overseas qualification isn't recognised for AASW membership, whose job title hides their qualification, or who work far from the city. We respect the AASW and its role, standards and policies. We're not a regulator, and we don't assess or accredit anyone. We're a place where every social worker can belong and speak up for the profession, whatever they can pay and wherever they trained.
Our values also call us to listen beyond the profession. So we welcome students, allies and people with lived experience of social work services to take part, influence our work and have a real voice. We welcome everyone regardless of race, culture, faith, language, disability, neurotype, age, gender, sexuality, relationship or circumstance. We build our campaigns, our groups and this website so that the welcome is real, not just stated.
Who is saying it
We're a grassroots, volunteer-run organisation in our founding year. No one takes a salary. Any money we ever receive goes solely to promoting the social work profession. We're not a regulator, a union or part of the AASW. Fair Go is led by qualified social workers. Our convener, steering group and any future committee are all qualified social workers, whether or not they're AASW members.
That matters to this statement. Social work stands for human rights and social justice, and the people social workers support include most of the groups Australian discrimination law exists to protect. Social workers themselves are just as diverse. A profession that speaks up for inclusion has to practise it too, starting here.
What this statement is for
It sets out how we'll run Fair Go so that difference is expected and welcomed, not merely accommodated. We haven't yet fully lived up to it. We're new, and we'll get some things wrong. Making it real is everyone's job here, not one person's.
We've written it to be checkable. Where a commitment rests on something you can see, such as a page we publish, a decision we log or a group you can join, we've said so.
Seven things you can hold us to.
Every qualified social worker belongs here, wherever they trained and whatever they can pay
For Fair Go, a qualified social worker is someone who holds a social work degree from an Australian university, or a recognised social work qualification from another country. We don't assess qualifications. We ask people to tell us about theirs honestly. You don't need to be an AASW member, eligible for AASW membership, registered, working under the title "social worker", or working in a particular field. If you're a qualified social worker, you can take part fully, including standing for our steering group and, once we incorporate, our committee. Joining Fair Go is free. Our sign-up form asks about AASW membership for insight only, and your answer never affects what you can do here.
We value what people know from living it
Expertise comes in more than one form. A person who has used social work services knows things no degree teaches. That's why people with lived experience, students and allies have a formal voice through our reference panels and advisory groups. They review our campaigns, shape our priorities and tell us when we've got it wrong. They can also join our working groups and take part in the supporter vote. Leadership roles are held by qualified social workers because we exist to promote the profession. Having a voice here doesn't depend on holding a qualification.
We respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' right to self-determination and cultural safety
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands across Australia where social workers live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. We also acknowledge social work's own history of harm, including its role in the Stolen Generations and forced adoptions. Acknowledgement is only the beginning. Our First Nations advisory group sets its own terms, reviews our campaigns, and can pause any content or campaign that affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We tell stories with communities, not about them
Our story library shows the whole profession: every field, region, culture and background, including social workers who trained overseas. We ask contributors to use the language people choose for themselves. We don't let anyone speak for a community they're not part of. Our community guidelines don't allow racist, ableist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic or otherwise discriminatory content.
We adjust, rather than ask people to cope
Reasonable adjustments are ordinary here, for supporters, storytellers and volunteers alike. You don't need a diagnosis, a letter or a reason to ask. You can share a story in writing, and we'll help you share it by audio or video if that suits you better. You can stay anonymous. You can ask us to help write your story down, and you can volunteer in whatever way and at whatever pace works for you.
We meet people in the format that works
This website aims to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility, and our accessibility page will list known issues honestly. Images have descriptions, any videos we publish will be captioned, and we're building Easy Read versions of key pages. If you need something in another format or language, ask us and we'll do our best to provide it. We're a volunteer group, so we'll also tell you honestly if something is beyond us right now.
Our leadership reflects the profession, not just part of it
Our steering group is made up of qualified social workers, AASW members and non-members alike. They are selected against published criteria for a range of fields, regions, cultures and career stages, including social workers who trained overseas, and include at least one Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander social worker. Discrimination and harassment aren't tolerated here, from anyone, in any direction.
What we're working towards.
We'd rather tell you what we're still building, so you can watch us build it.
- In progressA diverse first steering group of qualified social workersWe're forming it now, and we'll publish who's on it and how they were chosen.
- In progressOur first reference panels, including a lived-experience panelSo allies and people who've used social work services have a formal voice from the start.
- In progressEasy Read across everything we publishWe're starting with the pages people need most. If something you need isn't there yet, ask.
- Once we have enough supportersKnowing who we're reachingWe'll publish a simple, anonymous picture of who's taking part, so we can see who's missing. We'll only ever use voluntary questions, and we'll never collect more sensitive information than we need.
- Once we incorporateFormal inclusion commitmentsWe'll write the First Nations advisory group's authority, the reference panels and the principles in this statement into our constitution.
Tell us, and tell us plainly.
If something we said, wrote, built or did made you feel unwelcome, we want to know. Use the contact form and choose "Feedback", or tell any volunteer. You won't be treated differently for raising it, and you don't need to soften it. We'll reply within 10 working days, and we'll publish what we changed as a result.
Tell usYou can also go outside us entirely
- Australian Human Rights Commission1300 656 419
- Your state or territory anti-discrimination or equal opportunity body
- Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, for privacy concerns1300 363 992
You don't need to raise anything with us first.