Few activities are more gratifying than giving or spending some time with someone who needs a little company. Many times, investing a little in our relationships can lead to improvements in the people around us. These improvements might be minimal for some but for others they are crucial. Social workers do all this as their profession. Their job is to be agents of change, on an individual, community, societal and even global level where needed. Every day in their work, they meet people who are going through some social difficulties, intending to help them with the skills necessary for the practice of the profession. The professional help from social workers combines elements of emotional, psychological, and social support with the aim of improving a person’s situation, regardless of their difficulties.
As in other professions, social workers use the tools learnt in their studies, which are based on social and humanistic research, coupled with the experience they gain and the social, community and personal context of the people they help. They always endeavour to find solutions that make a significant difference to the quality of life of all people.
To achieve this, social workers take on different roles in their practice, sometimes as supportive listeners and counsellors, but also as teachers when needed. Being a strong voice for neglected people in our society is also a very important role, especially in times when rapid societal changes can cause some to fall behind the rest.
In this context, roles such as advocate, protector of the vulnerable and mediator with other services or forces in society are also crucial for us to move forward together as a society. As people with strong values, social workers stand up for the disadvantaged in society and one of their most important values is respect for all people. Everyone has the right to be accepted in society for who they are, without distinction of gender, ethnicity, country of origin, religious beliefs or other beliefs one may have about one thing or another. Everyone should be respected because everyone can contribute to a stronger society in their own way. For this reason, the social work profession has a non-judgmental attitude towards all people. This attitude helps social workers to recognise people’s strengths and build on them so that everyone can fulfil their potential in life.
The whole social sector our country is huge and constantly evolving to meet the changes in society and their impact on the communities around us and the people within them. This has meant that there are numerous opportunities in the profession for anyone who wants to become a social worker. There are opportunities in the social sector with both government agencies and numerous NGOs that do valuable work. Regardless of where they work, social workers strive to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
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