The functions of social work are diverse. Most often, poor people turn to its specialists for material support, the sick and infirm - for physical, if there is no way to get it from loved ones. But wealthy citizens, who cannot cope with everyday problems, ask for psychological help and get it.
What is the state social protection of the population
Each state implements a policy that guarantees the population a decent lifestyle, economic, legal, and social protection. This serves to prevent discontent, human protests and explosions.
Social protection of the population consists of funds for material support and services. They are composed and distributed from national income, mandatory contributions from local budgets, from private contributions and donations.
The main functions of social work are carried out in a variety of public spheres, where there are problems relating not only to certain groups of the population, but also to individuals. The well-being of the country consists of the well-being of each and every of its citizens.
Social security system
Any country has its own sources from which funds (tangible and intangible) are taken to support citizens who are not able to take care of themselves (old people, people with disabilities, poor). An exception can be called perhaps such an African country as Somalia, where there is no state power and anarchy reigns.
In Russia, methods of providing assistance to this category of population have long been worked out, combined into one whole and are expressed in the form of economic, legal or political relations with the state. Elements of this structure and their strength may vary depending on some factors, such as the political system, the economic situation of the region with its cultural characteristics.
An important component is the replenishment of state budget and extra-budgetary funds, from which funds are taken for the functioning of various social institutions. The main sources are:
- taxes
- compulsory social insurance;
- direct budgetary allocations;
- charitable foundations and philanthropy.
The state in various ways motivates owners of private enterprises to participate in social support of the population. For example, tax breaks are introduced for those who accept disabled working groups.
Supervision over the distribution of funds and the provision of social institutions is carried out by the Government of the Russian Federation through special competence bodies (employment centers, the Ministry of Health, the pension fund, etc.).
Social services to the population
The constituent components of social work as activities are:
- the objects of activity are clients, almost all people and individuals who inhabit the state and need its help, as well as their life and work spheres (family, place of work, studies, boarding schools, hospitals, etc.);
- subjects - the state itself, various services, institutions and their employees performing the functions of social work;
- content - implemented through functions;
- goals - providing comprehensive assistance to customers, interaction with state and public institutions to identify, prevent social disadvantage of the population;
- funds - financial, material, technical, organizational;
- management - carried out by state and municipal bodies of social services.
The functions and structure of local social work are specified taking into account the national composition and customs, the needs of the population, and the economic situation in the region.
The functions of social services
The main purpose of the management bodies is the material, financial, methodological, staffing of social services institutions in accordance with the law.
The tasks and functions of social work in municipalities are implemented in the following directions:
- Identification and registration of individual citizens, families who need state assistance.
- Assistance to the able-bodied population in achieving and maintaining their material wealth (employment, development of farming, small business, home-based labor).
- Home-based services for sick and single citizens.
- Identification and determination of orphans, children from dysfunctional families for state and family education (guardianship, guardianship, adoption).
- Advising specialists working with the population in other services (medical workers, teachers, lawyers), foster parents, young people (in employment, psychology and pedagogy of raising children, in career guidance).
- Rehabilitation - social, medical, psychological - of disabled people, orphans, children from asocial families, street children. Correctional psychological and pedagogical work with families and minors with deviant behavior.
- Information of the population, customers about the possibilities and conditions for obtaining public services, propaganda of knowledge on various aspects of public, family, personal life.
Thus, the functions of social work in society are diverse, as are the life problems that people face.
One of the most humane professions
The state system of social assistance to the population prevents destabilization of society due to poverty, child and senility homelessness, unemployment, trauma, professional illness, a person’s insecurity in receiving support in other disadvantaged periods of life.
A social worker is a kind of mediator between the state and citizens who are not able to independently solve their problems. His humane activity in satisfying people's urgent needs, thus, simultaneously solves the state tasks of maintaining economic welfare and psychological peace, smoothing out manifestations of social inequality.
Professional qualities of a social worker
Any of the professions makes specific demands on the personal qualities of its owner. Implementers of the functions of social work are persons who have received special education and possess such professional qualities:
- responsibility and exactingness to oneself, self-criticism;
- responsiveness and disinterestedness, sincerity;
- sociability, ability to listen and competently, accessible to explain;
- patience, courtesy, tolerance towards the client;
- legal, psychological and pedagogical competence.
A social worker must objectively evaluate his successes in the field of work and mistakes, consciously learn from high-class professionals. The poor quality of his work is the abandonment of a person in trouble, and the formation of a negative idea of the state aid system among the population.
Social Worker's Responsibilities
A variety of functions of social work oblige the ministers of this sphere:
- To know and skillfully implement methods for identifying and diagnosing the causes and manifestations of the ill-being of the population, individual citizens, to form a database of them.
- Objectively assess the types and degree of social disadvantage.
- Determine the content and nature of the necessary services to the client.
- Organize, if necessary, the provision of assistance from other organizations and specialists.
In addition, a social worker, performing an educational function, often acts as a consultant, lecturer on the organization of socio-pedagogical, preventive, and rehabilitation work with people.
He advertises the content and possibilities of working with the population of specialists of the institution in which he works. Organizes household assistance to single elderly citizens and people with disabilities who do not have kindred support (purchase of goods and products, cooking, home help).
Principles of Social Work
Bodies of social assistance to the population in their work adhere to the following mandatory rules - principles:
- legality of actions at all levels of public life, compliance with state social policy;
- taking into account the features of the life of the client (individual, group), the right to choose the type and amount of services offered to him;
- professionalism, personnel responsibility;
- complexity, individuality, focus in solving customer problems;
- unity of social rights for all clients, without taking into account their social status, political, religious and other views and beliefs;
- stimulation of competent actors to search for their own opportunities for self-help;
- confidentiality;
- search for local resources to assist the client in case of a lack of state resources.
The principles of the implementation of the functions of social work guarantee the fulfillment and protection of the rights of citizens guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation to receive comprehensive professional assistance.