Social counsellors provide support and guidance to individuals in the social work area, to help them solve specific problems in their personal life. It involves addressing personal and relationship issues, dealing with inner conflicts, crisis moments such as depression and addiction, in an attempt to empower individuals to achieve change and improve their life quality.
Excludes people performing counselling services in the medical therapeutic sense.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of social counsellor. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of social counsellor with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of social counsellor.
Counselling methods: Counselling techniques used in different settings and with various groups and individuals, especially concerning methods of supervision and mediation in the counselling process. Legal requirements in the social sector: The prescribed legislative and regulatory requirements in the social sector. Client-centred counselling: Practice that encourages clients to concentrate on how they feel at the present moment during the counseling session in order to search for the most appropriate solutions. Supervision of persons: The act of directing one individual or a group of individuals in a certain activity. Social sciences: The development and characteristics of sociological, anthropological, psychological, political, and social policy theories. Cognitive behavioural therapy: The solution-focused approach to treating mental disorders oriented towards solving problems by teaching new information-processing skills and coping mechanisms. Reflexion: The way to listen to individuals, to summarise the major points and clarify what they are feeling in order to help them reflect on their behaviour. Human psychological development: The human psychological development across the lifespan, theories of personality development, cultural and environmental influences, human behavior, including developmental crises, disability, exceptional behavior, and addictive behavior. Behavioural therapy: The characteristics and foundations of behavioural therapy, which focuses on changing patients` unwanted or negative behaviour. It involves studying the present behaviour and the means by which this can be un-learned. Social justice: The development and principles of human rights and social justice and the way they should be applied on a case by case basis.
These skills are necessary for the role of social counsellor.
Help clients make decisions during counselling sessions: Encourage clients to make their own decisions related to their problems or inner conflicts by reducing confusion and allowing clients to reach their own conclusions, with no bias whatsoever. Respond to individuals’ extreme emotions: React and help appropriately in case of extreme emotional reactions of individuals in a crisis situation, extreme distress or who are traumatised. Provide social counselling: Assist and guide social service users to resolve personal, social or psychological problems and difficulties. Apply quality standards in social services: Apply quality stardards in social services while upholding social work values and principles. Deliver social services in diverse cultural communities: Deliver services which are mindful of different cultural and language traditions, showing respect and validation for communities and being consistent with policies regarding human rights and equality and diversity. Demonstrate leadership in social service cases: Take the lead in the practical handling of social work cases and activities. Communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields: Communicate professionally and cooperate with members of the other professions in the health and social services sector. Follow health and safety precautions in social care practices: Ensure hygienic work practice, respecting the safety of the environment at day care, residential care settings and care at home. Promote social change: Promote changes in relationships between individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities by taking into consideration and coping with unpredictable changes, at the micro, macro and mezzo level. Promote human rights: Promote and respect human rights and diversity in light of the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of autonomous individuals, taking into account their opinions, beliefs and values, and the international and national codes of ethics, as well as the ethical implications of healthcare provision, ensuring their right to privacy and honouring for the confidentiality of healthcare information. Assess social service users’ situation: Assess the social situation of service users situation balancing curiosity and respect in the dialogue, considering their families, organisations and communities and the associated risks and identifying the needs and resources, in order to meet physical, emotional and social needs. Handle conflicts: Mediate in conflicts and tense situations by acting between parties, such as service users, important others like families, and institutions, striving to effect an agreement, reconciliate, and resolve problems. Relate empathetically: Recognise, understand and share emotions and insights experienced by another. Listen actively: Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly. Manage social crisis: Identify, respond and motivate individuals in social crisis situations, in a timely manner, making use of all resources. Perform therapy sessions: Work in sessions with individuals or groups to deliver therapy in a controlled environment. Apply socially just working principles: Work in accordance with management and organisational principles and values focusing on human rights and social justice. Promote inclusion: Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues. Maintain records of work with service users: Maintain accurate, concise, up-to-date and timely records of the work with service users while complying with legislation and policies related to privacy and security. Encourage counselled clients to examine themselves: Support and encourage the clients to analyse and be aware of some aspects in their life that may have been distressing or impossible to tackle so far. Report on social development: Report results and conclusions on society’s social development in an intelligible way, presenting these orally and in written form to a range of audiences from non-experts to experts. Organise relapse prevention: Help the patient or client identify and anticipate high risk situations or external and internal triggers. Support them in developing better coping strategies and back-up plans in case of future difficulties. Undertake continuous professional development in social work: Undertake continuous professional development (CPD) to continuously update and develop knowledge, skills and competences within one`s scope of practice in social work. Refer social service users: Make referrals to other professionals and other organisations, based on the social service users’ requirements and needs. Communicate with social service users: Use verbal, non-verbal, written, and electronic communication. Pay attention to the specific social service users’ needs, characteristics, abilities, preferences, age, developmental stage, and culture. Maintain a non-emotional involvement: Keep a broader perspective and stay non-attached to the emotions and feelings expressed by the client during counselling sessions. Maintain the trust of service users: Establish and maintain the trust and confidence of the client, communicating in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way and being honest and reliable. Have emotional intelligence: Recognize ones own and other people`s emotions, distinguish correctly between them and observing how they can influence one`s environment and social interaction and what can be done about it. Cooperate at inter-professional level: Cooperate with people in other sectors in relation to social service work. Accept own accountability: Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies. Manage stress in organisation: Cope with sources of stress and cross-pressure in one’s own professional life, such as occupational, managerial, institutional and personal stress, and help others do the same so as to promote the well-being of your colleagues and avoid burn-out. Build helping relationship with social service users: Develop a collaborative helping relationship, addressing any ruptures or strains in the relationship, fostering bonding and gaining service users` trust and cooperation through empathic listening, caring, warmth and authenticity.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of social counsellor. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Sophrology: The principles and techniques such as concentration, deep breathing, relaxation and visualisation designed to bring the consciousness in harmony with the body. Psychological counselling methods: The various psychological counselling, training and coaching methods for persons of all ages, groups and organizations considering medical aspects. Peer group methods: The techniques relevant for peer group education, where each member is encouraged to express or exchnage a particular type of behaviour or piece of information. Pharmacology: Pharmacology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC. Family therapy: The type of counseling that is applied to families and couples in order to improve their intimate relationships, communication and resolve conflicts. Accounting techniques: The techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results. Anger management: Techniques used to identify the reasons behind anger, possible emotional symptoms and various ways to manage anger within a given life situation. Reproductive health: The reproductive processes, functions and system at all stages of life under safe and legal conditions, childbearing, modern contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and female genital mutilation. Adolescent psychological development: Understand the developments and the development needs of children and young persons, observing the behaviour and the attachment relationships in order to detect developmental delay. Relaxation techniques: The various methods and techniques used to alleviate stress and bring peace and relaxation to the body and mind. This includes activities such as yoga, qigong or t`ai chi. Psychology: The human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation. Stages of bereavement: Stages of the bereavement such as the acceptance that the loss has occurred, the experience of pain, the adjustment to life without the person in question. Types of psychotherapy sessions: Types of psychotherapy for individuals, groups or families according to behavioural/cognitive, psychoanalytic/dynamic, systemic methods or other appropriate psychological therapies. Sex education: Provide information and advice related to human sexual reproduction, emotional relations between sexual partners, birth control and human sexuality in general. Psychological theories: The historical development of counselling and psychological theories, as well as the perspectives, applications, and interviewing and counselling strategies. Strategies for handling cases of sexual assault: The range of strategies and approaches utilised in the identification, termination, and prevention of instances of sexual assault. This incudes understanding of the methods and procedures used to recognise instances of sexual assault, the legal implications, and possible intervention and rehabilitation activities. Sexual assault includes all kinds of practice of forcing a person into sexual acts against their will or without their consent, as well as cases when children and minors are involved in sexual activities. Movement techniques: The various types of movement and physical postures undertaken for relaxation, body-mind integration, stress reduction, flexibility, core support and rehabilitation purposes, and that are required for or underpin occupational performance. Dependency on drugs: Dependency on substances such as alcohol, prescribed medication or cocaine and their impact on the brain and human body.
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of social counsellor. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Assess the development of youth: Evaluate the different aspects of development needs of children and young people. Advise on family planning: Provide advice on the use of birth control and methods of contraception available, on sexual education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted diseases, pre-conception counselling and fertility management. Empower individuals, families and groups: Empower individuals, families and groups towards healthy lifestyles and self-care. Support young persons affected by sexual assault: Work with children and adolescents in order to encourage them to speak about the traumatising sexual assault experience and find comfort in doing so. Advise on pregnancy: Counsel patients on normal changes occurring in pregnancy, providing advice on nutrition, drug effects and other lifestyle changes. Support the positiveness of youths: Help children and young people to assess their social, emotional and identity needs and to develop a positive self image, enhance their self esteem and improve their self reliance. Address gender-related issues in family planning counselling: Inform the client on gender-related topics related to family planning by encouraging them to decide on their own sexual and reproductive health choices or to bring partners into family planning counselling. Use motivational incentives in addiction counselling: Use questions to motivate the client to change his/her behaviour or undertake treatment or abstinence from substance or alcohol abuse. Help clients cope with grief: Provide support to clients having experienced the loss of close family or friends and help them to express their grief and recover. Practice gestalt therapy: Use gestalt therapy techniques such as the empty chair technique and the exaggeration exercise in individual or group settings in the shape of creative exercises and experiments, aiming to make the individual understand different aspects of a conflict, experience, or mental health issue. Assess clients’ drug and alcohol addictions: Interview clients and assess their addictions in order to establish an appropriate plan for action. Prepare youths for adulthood: Work with children and young people to identify the skills and abilities they will need to become effective citizens and adults and to prepare them for independence. Support children who have experienced trauma: Support children who have experienced trauma, identifying their needs and working in ways that promote their rights, inclusion and well being. Apply foreign languages in social services: Communicate with social service users and social services providers in foreign languages, according to their needs. Counsel patient on family concerns: Guide and advise patients on unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, and financial difficulties. Identify mental health issues: Recognise and critically evaluate any possible mental health/illness issues. Provide education on family life: Provide culturally sensitive health education and services, focusing on women, family and community and promoting healthy family life, and pregnancy planning. Work on the effects of abuse: Work with individuals on the effects of abuse and trauma such as sexual, physical, psychological, cultural and neglect. Advise on mental health: Advise persons of all ages and groups in terms of the health-promoting aspects of individual behaviour and institutions with regard to the personal, social and structural factors on physical and mental health. Provide termination of pregnancy counselling: Provide information and counselling services to young women facing the decision of undertaking abortion, discussing about the causes and consequences and helping them make an informed decision. Administer appointments: Accept, schedule and cancel appointments. Promote the safeguarding of young people: Understand safeguarding and what should be done in cases of actual or potential harm or abuse. Communicate with youth: Use verbal and non-verbal communication and communicate through writing, electronic means, or drawing. Adapt your communication to children and young people`s age, needs, characteristics, abilities, preferences, and culture. Communicate by use of interpretation in social services: Communicate through the help of an interpreter to facilitate verbal communication and cultural mediation. Provide anger management counselling: Help clients overcome anger issues by using anger management techniques such as keeping an anger journal or an anger plan. Inform on the risks of substance and alcohol abuse: Provide information in the community about the risks and dangers of substance and alcohol abuse. Facilitate the healing process related to sexual assault: Intervene to support and facilitate the healing and growth of individuals who have experienced sexual assault by allowing them to recognize their memories and pain, identifying their influence on behaviour and learning to integrate them in their lives. Develop patient treatment strategies: Consult with fellow doctors and scientists in order to find the appropriate and most effective treatment for each individual patient.
