Overview

The South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) is the regulatory body entrusted to set and maintain standards of education and practice of the social service professionals (social work and child and youth care work) in the Republic of South Africa.  It is an autonomous, financially independent, statutory body, established in terms of section 2 of Social Service Professions Act 110 of 1978. It is also the recognised statutory professional body for the social service professions of social work and child and youth care work in terms of section 29 of  National Qualifications Framework Act 67 of 2008 (NQF Act).

In order to safeguard the public as well as the integrity of the professions, no one may practice social work or child and youth care work (at professional and auxiliary levels) without being registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professions as stipulated in the Social Service Professions Act 110 of 1978. Thus, registration is mandatory for social workers, social auxiliary workers, students in social worker and social auxiliary, child and youth care workers (professional category), child and youth care workers (auxiliary category) and students child and youth care work (professional and auxiliary categories).

The mandate of the SACSSP is fulfilled by Council, Professional Board for Social Work and Professional Board for Child and Youth Care Work under its auspices, supported by its Secretariat (administration).