Social worker

Social workers are practice-based professionals who promote social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. They interact with individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities in order to provide various forms of therapy and counselling, group work, and community work. Social workers guide people to use services to claim benefits, access community resources, find jobs and training, obtain legal advice or deal with other local authority departments.

Includes people performing social policy formulation, analysis, advocacy and political interventions activities.

The following job titles also refer to social worker:

community counsellor
social services worker
community rehabilitation worker
cultural mediator
social outreach worker
community service worker
community liaison worker
social and community services worker
social services worker
welfare worker
community centre worker
assistant, social services
community worker
community and social services worker
child and youth worker
community services officer
social services assistant
community development worker

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as social worker. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

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.

Social worker is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to social worker.

benefits advice worker
child care social worker
clinical social worker
community care case worker
community development social worker

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of social worker. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of social worker with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of social worker.

Social work theory
Legal requirements in the social sector
Social sciences
Social justice
Company policies

These skills are necessary for the role of social worker.

Apply anti-oppressive practices
Provide social counselling
Involve service users and carers in care planning
Work within communities
Meet standards of practice in social services
Empower social service users
Apply quality standards in social services
Apply case management
Apply problem solving in social service
Apply crisis intervention
Protect vulnerable social service users
Contribute to protecting individuals from harm
Develop professional identity in social work
Work in partnership with social services users
Deliver social services in diverse cultural communities
Conduct interview in social service
Demonstrate leadership in social service cases
Communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields
Follow health and safety precautions in social care practices
Plan social service process
Promote social change
Advocate for social service users
Prevent social problems
Make legislation transparent for users of social services
Negotiate with social service users
Promote service users’ rights
Apply person-centred care
Assess social service users’ situation
Handle conflicts
Relate empathetically
Listen actively
Manage social crisis
Manage ethical issues within social services
Review social service plan
Apply decision making within social work
Adhere to organisational guidelines
Apply holistic approach within social services
Delegate activities
Work in a multicultural environment in health care
Address problems critically
Apply socially just working principles
Promote inclusion
Maintain records of work with service users
Develop professional network
Reflect on practice
Negotiate with social service stakeholders
Report on social development
Undertake continuous professional development in social work
Have computer literacy
Tolerate stress
Apply organisational techniques
Refer social service users
Organise social work packages
Communicate with social service users
Consider social impact of actions on service users
Cooperate at inter-professional level
Accept own accountability
Manage stress in organisation
Build helping relationship with social service users

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of social worker. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Counselling methods
Learning needs analysis
Communication
Crime victims’ rights
Psychological effects of war
Restorative justice
Social mediation
Diagnosis of mental health issues
Social entreprise
Assessment processes
Funding methods
Job market offers
Family law
Client-centred counselling
Supervision of persons
Community education
Government social security programmes
Consultation
Psychological counselling methods
Personal development
Geriatrics
Disability care
Education law
Social pedagogy
Adult education
School psychology
Older adults’ needs
Personality development theories
Disability types
Learning difficulties
Primary school procedures
Humanitarian aid actors
Immigration law
Legal compensation for victims of crime
Developmental psychology
Rehabilitation
Criminal law
Crisis intervention
Behavioural disorders
Therapy in health care
Employment law
Illegal substances
Health care system
Adolescent psychological development
Pedagogy
Teamwork principles
Migration
Social security law
Palliative care
University procedures
Stages of bereavement
Crime victims’ needs
Court procedures
Scientific research methodology
Curriculum objectives
Special needs education
Strategies for handling cases of sexual assault
Child protection
Public housing legislation
Strategies for handling cases of elder abuse
Dependency on drugs

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of social worker. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Perform street interventions in social work
Cooperate with education professionals
Assist in the organisation of school events
Support social service users at the end of life
Provide domestic care
Use clinical assessment techniques
Guarantee students’ safety
Provide information on school services
Promote social security programmes
Consult student’s support system
Support victims of human rights violations
Supervise educational staff
Monitor student’s behaviour
Serve on academic committee
Manage a social work unit
Address public health issues
Prepare lesson content
Facilitate teamwork between students
Manage volunteers
Monitor developments in field of expertise
Assess the development of youth
Build community relations
Use computer telephony integration
Compile course material
Establish collaborative relations
Communicate on the youth’s well-being
Liaise with educational support staff
Analyse call performance trends
Show consideration for student’s situation
Promote youth work in the local community
Empower individuals, families and groups
Provide victim assistance
Provide testimony in court hearings
Conduct scholarly research
Support the positiveness of youths
Perform fundraising activities
Help clients cope with grief
Discuss research proposals
Apply teaching strategies
Provide immigration advice
Monitor educational developments
Perform educational testing
Work with patterns of psychological behaviour
Assess clients’ drug and alcohol addictions
Promote human rights
Prepare youths for adulthood
Support social service users to manage their financial affairs
Handle humanitarian response programs
Participate in scientific colloquia
Support children who have experienced trauma
Assess students
Maintain privacy of service users
Assist students with equipment
Assist families in crisis situations
Apply foreign languages in social services
Apply scientific methods
Identify mental health issues
Raise awareness on issues important for the local community
Develop curriculum
Assist with funeral planning
Maintain records of phone calls
Plan learning curriculum
Assess social work students
Conduct quantitative research
Advise on social enterprise
Manage resources for educational purposes
Support juvenile victims
Act discreetly
Engage with offenders
Implement scientific decision making in healthcare
Advise on training courses
Work on the effects of abuse
Advise on conflict management
Advise on mental health
Write work-related reports
Support social service users to live at home
Assist students with their dissertation
Supervise staff
Publish academic research
Promote the safeguarding of young people
Assess offenders’ risk behaviour
Comply with legislation related to health care
Apply knowledge of human behaviour
Support children’s wellbeing
Keep records of attendance
Supervise students in social services
Perform playground surveillance
Adapt teaching to target group
Demonstrate when teaching
Maintain telephony system
Evaluate older adults’ ability to take care of themselves
Communicate with youth
Work with virtual learning environments
Give constructive feedback
Assist the homeless
Conduct field work
Assist children with special needs in education settings
Identify skills gaps
Arrange in-home services for patients
Promote mental health
Provide technical expertise
Teach principles of social work
Communicate by use of interpretation in social services
Perform classroom management
Carry out social work research
Secondary school procedures
Present reports
Provide lesson materials
Assist students in their learning
Develop social security programmes
Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship
Work with healthcare users’ social network
Communicate by telephone
Apply intercultural teaching strategies
Inform on the risks of substance and alcohol abuse
Oversee extra-curricular activities
Supervise doctoral students
Counsel on end-of-life care
Support individuals to adjust to physical disability
Work in multidisciplinary health teams
Liaise with educational staff
Advocate for healthcare users’ needs
Support volunteers
Provide social guidance over the phone
Develop course outline
Advise on social security benefits
Work with social service users in a group
Support migrants to integrate in the receiving country
Counsel students
Conduct qualitative research
Provide community development services
Provide career counselling
Tackle issues that block academic progress

2635 – Social work and counselling professionals

 

 

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References

ESCO

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics