Social Work Education Competencies Martin B Tracy Ph

Social Work Education & Competencies Martin B. Tracy, Ph. D. 4 -7 November 2008 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Community Development & Social Care Competencies § Material adapted from Community Care: http: //www. communitycare. hu/disscw/D 1 p 1 p 19_social_workers_education_be. pdf § And from Combined European Bureau for Social Development (CEBSD): http: //www. cebsd. org/

Application to Turkmenistan § Competencies are relevant to training social care workers without a social work degree § Both educational degree programs and vocational degree programs are best served when competency based

Social Work Certificates & Diplomas § Vocational training for a social work certificate or diploma rather than a baccalaureate degree § For example: Social Care in the UK, Fachschule (vocational training)

Competencies 1. Interpersonal relations & communication 2. Generalist perspective 3. Pragmatic application of knowledge 4. Ethical practice 5. Interaction with society & government 6. Partnerships 7. Professional development

1. Interpersonal Relations & Communication § § § Interpersonal skills Intercultural skills Seeks feedback Establishes trust Motivates and supports others

2. Generalist Perspective § Sees the larger (holistic) picture of the person’s situation (social, cultural, economic) § Conducts research (basic data) and analysis § Prepares understandable reports

3. Pragmatic Application § Deals with problems through needs assessment, setting objectives & strategies, & evaluation § Understands basic theoretical concepts & can apply them to problem § Understands strengths and weaknesses of actions

4. Ethical Practice § § § Knows ethical implications of actions Respects values of others Assesses actions based on ethics of profession (i. e. , social justice, selfdetermination, empowerment, honesty)

5. Interaction with Society & Government § Understands agency in the context of legislation and profession § Relates actions to complement formal & informal networks § Takes initiatives with administrators & policy makers to improve services (sharing information, ideas, etc)

6. Participate in Teams & Partnerships § Commitment to improving organization § Works with others in organization as a team member

7. Professional Development § Critical self-assessment of practices § Actively seeks on-going education and training § Has a strategy to stay informed and use information in providing services § Attends seminars and conferences

The Open University - UK § Faculty of Health & Social Care The Open University Walton Hall Milton Keynes MK 7 6 AA Email: HSC-Faculty-Enquiries@open. ac. uk

Social Care Curriculum in the UK § § An introduction to health and social care Foundations for social work practice Care, welfare, and community Managing health and social care

Website § http: //www. open. ac. uk/hsc/courses-andqualifications/courses/subjectareas/social-care. php

European Social Work § Excellent overview of social work in Europe published in 2004 § http: //www. eusw. unipr. it/documenti/europ ean_social_work. pdf

Home Care Services in Czech Republic § An excellent article on home care services for the elderly in the Czech Republic § http: //www. eusw. unipr. it/documenti/social _work_in_restructured_european_welfar e_systems. pdf

Social Work Education in Europe § Franz Hamburger, Günther Sander & Manfred Wöbcke § http: //www. certseurope. com/SITE_ANGLAIS/papers/swe d-eur. pdf