Social workers are professionals who provide assistance and support to some vulnerable or completely unprotected sections of the population. These categories may include such citizens: pensioners, single old people, people with disabilities, refugees, children from dysfunctional families, orphans or refuseniks. In other words, the part of the population that experiences certain difficulties with finding a job, as well as people who have been injured by work. Social workers are people whose activities are aimed at some improvement of the material and living conditions of the citizens entrusted to them with the provision of their social and legal protection.
The main functional responsibilities of a social worker :
- Tracking and identifying people who need their help, as well as monitoring and counseling;
- holding receptions, consultations and discussions;
- the implementation of regular trips to the location of the ward, monitoring his life and living conditions in which he is located;
- determination of the nature and extent of their own intervention in case of problematic issues;
- coordinating and overseeing the activities of certain social structures (for example, contacting law enforcement agencies or medical institutions);
- the purchase of medicines, food and consumer goods;
- the provision of simple medical care.
In social protection committees,
social service centers, nursing homes, veteran councils and other similar institutions, such specialists directly carry out important work. At the same time, a social worker may be on the staff of the above organizations or work on a voluntary basis. Such organizations may include psychological assistance services and branches of the pension fund.
Social workers are people with certain professional skills, which can include:
- knowledge of the legal framework, provisions and acts that govern some social relations ;
- knowledge of a certain complex of sciences such as medicine, psychology, economics and sociology;
- the ability to assist in matters relating to employment and career guidance;
- skills in paperwork.
Social workers are specialists whose place of work and occupation directly depend on their education. For example, persons involved in legal issues must have a diploma of legal qualification, and consultants on the helpline must have a diploma in psychology. When caring for the sick and lonely, workers should have a medical education.
The profession “social worker” is marked by a corresponding decree of the President of the Russian Federation, according to which their professional day is celebrated on June 8.
It should be noted that today the need for social workers has increased significantly. This fact is confirmed by the emergence in educational institutions of such specialties as a social psychologist and social teacher.