Profession social work assistant

Social work assistants 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 assist in providing various forms of therapy and counseling, group work, and community work. Social work assistants assist guiding staff, helping clients to use services to claim benefits, access community resources, find jobs and training, obtain legal advice or deal with other local authority departments. They assist and work together with social workers.

Personality Type

• Conventional / Social

Skills

• Relate empathetically

  Recognise, understand and share emotions and insights experienced by another.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Work in partnership with social services users

  Help social service users identify and express their expectations and strengths, providing them with information and advice to make informed decisions about their circumstances. Work with individuals, families, groups, communities to achieve change and improve life opportunities.

• 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.

• Protect vulnerable social service users

  Intervene to provide physical, moral and psychological support to people in dangerous or difficult situations and to remove to a place of safety where appropriate.

• Prevent social problems

  Develop, define and implement actions that can prevent social problems, striving for the enhancement of the quality of life for all citizens.

• Apply quality standards in social services

  Apply quality stardards in social services while upholding social work values and principles.

• 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.

• Review social service plan

  Review social service plans, taking service users' views and preferences into account. Follow up on the plan, assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.

• Provide social counselling

  Assist and guide social service users to resolve personal, social or psychological problems and difficulties.

• Manage social crisis

  Identify, respond and motivate individuals in social crisis situations, in a timely manner, making use of all resources.

• 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.

• Manage ethical issues within social services

  Apply social work ethical principles to guide practice and manage complex ethical issues, dilemmas and conflicts in accordance to occupational conduct, the ontology and the code of ethics of the social services occupations, engaging in ethical decision making by applying standards of national and - as applicable - international codes of ethics or statements of principles.

• 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.

• Plan social service process

  Plan the social service process, defining the objective and considering the methods of implementation, identifying and accessing available resources, such as time, budget, personnel and defining indicators to evaluate the outcome.

• Meet standards of practice in social services

  Practice social care and social work in a lawful, safe and effective way according to standards.

• 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.

• Contribute to protecting individuals from harm

  Use established processes and procedures to challenge and report dangerous, abusive, discriminatory or exploitative behaviour and practice, bringing any such behaviour to the attention of the employer or the appropriate authority.

• Communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields

  Communicate professionally and cooperate with members of the other professions in the health and social services sector.

• 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.

• Apply problem solving in social service

  Systematically apply a step-by-step problem-solving process in providing social services.

• 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.

• Promote service users' rights

  Supporting client`s rights to control his or her life, making informed choices about the services they receive, respecting and, where appropriate, promoting the individual views and wishes of both the client and his or her caregivers.

• Apply person-centred care

  Treat individuals as partners in planning, developing and assessing care, to make sure it is appropriate for their needs. Put them and their caregivers at the heart of all decisions.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB