Roles and Skills of Social Workers

This part of portfolio sets out to describe the roles and skills of social workers and how skills are developed through supervision and continuous professional development.

The international definition of social work according to the BASW code of ethics is the social work profession is there to promote social change, Solving problems that occur in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Using theories of human Behaviour and social structures, social work interferes at the points where people interact with their situations. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work. (BASW code of ethics)

Social work in its numerous forms reports the various, difficult relations between people and their environments. Its mission is to allow all people to produce their full potential, improve their lives, and avoid dysfunction. Professional social work is focused on problem solving and transformation. As such, social workers are there as to bring in society and in the lives of the characters, families and societies they serve. Social work is an organised system of values, practice and theory.

The role of social worker is unique and complex and it relies on whom they are working with, for e.g. the role of social worker when dealing with a child would be to act as expert advisors to non-social work associates who encounter a child protection concern. In this (primarily) advisory role they can be practical in preventing overreaction, differentiate between levels of family need and risk, which can then be properly met, in some cases, without going through a formal child protection assessment. They can also be reachable to families in the community at an early stage ...

... middle of paper ...

...interview is as a conversation with a purpose that is designed to meet a specific and usually predetermined purpose (barker 2003: 227)

Works Cited

1. http://cdn.basw.co.uk/upload/basw_112315-7.pdf
2. http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2010/09/20/what-is-the-role-of-social-workers/
3. http://www.tcsw.org.uk/policy/children-and-families/
4. http://www.scie.org.uk/news/files/roles.pdf
5. Parker, J. (2003) positive communication with people who have dementia. In T. Adams and J. manthorpe (eds), Dementia Care. London: Arnold, pp. 148-63
6. Parker, J. (2009) Effective Practice Learning in Social Work. London: Learning Matters Ltd.
7. Trevithick, P. (2012) Social work skills and knowledge: a practice handbook. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press.
8. Trevithick, P. (2011) Social Work Skills And Knowledge : A practice handbook . Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.