Social workers work with people to support them through difficult times and ensure that vulnerable people, including children and adults are safeguarded from harm. Their role is to provide support to enable service users to help themselves. They maintain professional relationships with service users, acting as guides and advocates. They sometimes need to use their professional judgment to make tough decisions that might not always be well received by all service users.

Tasks:

1. Conducting interviews with service users and their families to assess and review their situation
2. Undertaking and writing up assessments (sometimes in collaboration with other professionals), which meet specified standards and timescales
3. Offering information and support to service users and their families
4. Organising and managing packages of support to enable service users to lead the fullest lives possible
5. Recommending and sometimes making decisions about the best course of action for a particular service user
6. Liaising with, and making referrals to, other agencies
7. Participating in multidisciplinary teams and meetings regarding, for example, child protection or mental health
8. Maintaining accurate records and preparing reports for legal action
9. Giving evidence in court
10. Participating in training, supervision and team meetings

Key skills for social worker:

• Commitment
• Patience
• Flexibility
• Ability to cope with traumatic situations
• Problem solving
• Analytical skills

Average salary (2014):

The United Kingdom: £26,345 per year
The United States of America: $40,758 per year
Australia: AU$54,373 per year

Qualifications and training required:

Either Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in social work.
Some experience/internship in the field of social work is always viewed as an advantage.