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: p1p19_social_workers_education_be.pdf  And from Combined European Bureau for Social Development (CEBSD):  And from Combined European Bureau for Social Development (CEBSD):

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, self- determination, 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 MK7 6AA

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  qualifications/courses/subject- areas/social-care.php qualifications/courses/subject- areas/social-care.php qualifications/courses/subject- areas/social-care.php

European Social Work  Excellent overview of social work in Europe published in 2004  ean_social_work.pdf

Home Care Services in Czech Republic  An excellent article on home care services for the elderly in the Czech Republic  _work_in_restructured_european_welfar e_systems.pdf

Social Work Education in Europe   Franz Hamburger, Günther Sander & Manfred Wöbcke  europe.com/SITE_ANGLAIS/papers/swe d-eur.pdf