SOCIAL WORK
Social work is a professional discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life. A person who
practices social work is called a social worker. Social workers work with people to support them
through difficult times including children and adults. Their role is to provide support to enable
service users to help themselves. Most often he or she is a professional who works with people and
helps them manage their daily lives, understand and adapt to illness and disability.
There are skills needed that can't be taught in school. Social workers must be sensitive, objective
and have good listening skills. They have to be able to understand directions and information,
whether spoken or read, as well as convey information effectively to others. A social worker must
be good at identifying, solving problems and making decisions.
Typical work activities
Many social workers work with young people and their families. They may also work with:
the elderly
people with learning disabilities
young offenders
people with mental health conditions
school non-attenders
drug and alcohol abusers
homeless people.
Gerda Pakalniškytė, Lithuania