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Originally Posted by Come and take it
On the other hand if the visit involves something administrative such as whether your house is up to some kind of safety code than you can not refuse them entry.
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Of course you can still refuse them entry, unless they have a warrant. Looking for an alleged code violation is a search, and if you have a violation you are exposed to certain potential punishments -- meaning possible "incrimination." Further, social workers are not experts in building and fire codes. They have no special knowledge that allows them to check for code violations, because that's not their job,
I worked as a building inspector for a number of years. In fact, I was working as one during the time we were adopting, as I discussed a few posts above. That's why I knew that the "adoption social worker" was wrong when she told me the house had to have a carbon monoxide detector. My house was built in 1950, and the most recent alteration was the conversion of the attic to a bedroom in 1955. My state didn't even have a building code in 1955. Carbon monoxide detectors in homes didn't enter the building code until the late 1990s or early 2000s, and even today the requirement is not retroactive. They are required in new houses and substantial renovations, but they are NOT required in existing house.
But ... that didn't even slow down Ms. Adoption Social Worker. Initially, she claimed the detectors were required by "the code." When I informed her that "the code" was my work and that they are NOT required, that was when she came back with "Well, we require them."
If a social worker starts claiming expertise in building and fire codes, that's a danger signal. It's also a boundary violation -- he/she is engaging in a specialized field for which he/she is not educated or licensed to practice.