Since 2012, specialist palliative care social workers interest groups across Australia identified the need for a consistent framework to guide practice. Australian research identified the need for social workers in generalist roles to develop competence in psychosocial care in palliative care and social workers in specialist palliative care services expressed a desire to have a framework to articulate what they do, provide guidance to advance practice and pathways for leadership and research skills in palliative care.

In 2018, twenty-two (22) social workers from different States and Territories came together to develop the <Palliative & End of Life Care Social Work Standards, 2020. These practice standards combined practice based competencies with evidence drawn from the literature about the role of social work in palliative and end of life care. The Palliative and End of Life Care Social Work Standards were developed to suit Australian contexts to guide safe, best practice, high quality and competent care in palliative and end of life care and bereavement.