Last Updated on December 30, 2022 by Team TSW

The term skill refers to a conscious, disciplined use of one’s abilities which one can be acquired reliably through the disciplined professional training for social work. The roots of the social work skills is to understand the philosophical values and purpose of social work profession. Social work is a dynamic and demanding domain that requires a scores of skills and qualities. Whether these skills are innate or acquired, success in the field of social work depends how you continually develop and improve them throughout your career. While this list is not exhaustive, the following skills are essential for all social workers :-

Expected Social Work Skills

Like any other profession there are certain skills which are very important for successful social work career. let’s discuss some of the skills:-

LISTENING AND OBSERVATION

Careful listening to the narration of client’s problem brings an understanding of the problem for the worker. As the client talks about his/her relationships with family and society at large, worker is able to gain a required understanding about the client. Competent and professional listening requires not only paying attention to the words of the client but observing and analyzing the body gestures, eye contacts, physical signs of hesitation, emotions and facial expressions. Ability to comprehend non verbal communication can yield a lot of insight. Which can further help worker in guiding future direction in very relationship.

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is the ability to motivate individuals effortlessly towards fulfilment of goals. The capacity to motivate could derive from power that is both formal and informal.

Leadership is an important requirement for social development. True leaders can effectively guide individuals/groups/community towards attainment of objectives. However, research and experience suggests that good leaders are hard to come by, because of the qualities and abilities leadership demands.

There are two famous theories about leaderships one says that leaders are born and other says that individuals can be trained to become leader. According to behavioral scientists, Both the aspects of being a ‘born leader’ or a ‘trained leader’ is feasible. Some authors believe that individuals with substantial experience in a particular domain attain the required skillset to become a great leader, Thus, it is safe to say that leadership is an ability that grows with experience.

World has witnessed many charismatic leaders, especially in the political arena. While there are scores of leadership styles, it is generally agreed that leadership styles is in accordance with the circumstances. The following are a few important leader behaviors:

Directive

When the task to be accomplished is unclear or difficult to be achieved, the leader ensures its successful accomplishment through clear directions. His intervention is meaningful in such instances. However, this style may not be suitable where the tasks in question are well defined and easy to attain.

Supportive

There are situations where individual/group/community have directions and it seems that goal is within their reach but they need support in form of guidance. In these situations the leader shows high concern towards their needs. This style of leadership is suitable for well defined tasks. Members under the supportive leader are found to be happy and highly satisfied.

Participative

Here, the leader involves the group members in decision making and in all functions of the group. Discussions, consultations and group consensus are stressed upon. However, this calls for members who are responsible and who understand the importance of their contribution to the group’s success.

Charismatic

A charismatic leader has following traits:

(i) Ability to motivate everyone towards goals that appears improbable to the common man

(ii) Chart vision for the future and make them trust it..

(iii) Understanding needs and limitations of group.

Transformational

“This highlights on leaders who inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests and who are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on followers. Seven characteristics were found:

• Sincerity of the leader,
• Bonding – effort to develop the organization as a family by personalized relationships,
• Consultation and participation,
• Collectivization and teamwork,
• Empowerment and support,
• Serving as a role model,
• Bringing in changes continuously while maintaining continuity and being innovative” Robbins & Sanghi: 2005.

FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility is one of the most important social work skills. Open minded and flexible worker can modify the treatment goals in accordance with the client’s needs. Knowledge about client’s life situations and problems help further. Care should be taken while amending the rules in a way that changes are done only with approval of all the stake holders. Flexibility is to get best results, not to force any disruption. It is a skill, which is required in every method of social work in one or other way :-

Flexibility in life of Case Worker

The ability to adjust goals and methods based on requirement and need calls for mature judgement, objectivity and skill on the part of caseworker. Flexibility is a special way of individualizing the client. If worker observes that client is not responding well to the techniques employed, worker should be flexible enough to adopt new approach in order to bring best results and utmost satisfaction to client.

Flexibility in life of Group Worker

Flexibility and creativity are two essential attributes of planning undertaken for group formation. There are multiple type of groups, open-ended and close-ended are just two types to discuss here. Open-ended group is open for new members here worker and group members should be flexible enough to welcome new members. It’s the responsibility of worker to make old members at ease with new entries and at the same time help the new members to understand the group structure and rules of participation.

Flexibility in life of Community Worker

Community worker faces multiple challenges in their professional work. Worker in community setup can’t choose the participant as in case of groups. Worker has to make approach and goals to cater need of each and everyone in community. Even if one or two families think that there needs find no place in goals to achieve, they won’t participate in cause and this will only fail the very purpose. Flexibility is the key here, if worker sees that there is need to change, he should not hesitate to make amend in order to bring best.

OPEN AND UNBIASED ATTITUDE

It is essential for the worker to know personal biases and not to let them have an impact on worker-client relationship. For the skillful assessment of the client’s problem, worker should refrain from pre conceived notions and prejudices, if any. The prejudices can pertain to diverse categories or groups like low class or gender distinctions, destitute, drug abusers, alcoholics, criminals, sex workers, unwed mothers, people indulging in pre or extra marital relationships etc. A worker while handling cases must be honest and aware of personal feelings, needs and counter transference tendencies. Purpose is to meet goals and objectives like any other social work skills.

ANALYTICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC ATTITUDE

Desire or willingness to help those in need is just not enough. Social Worker must have the ability to gather information through observation, interviews and research, which they can then analyze. Worker should be in a relaxed frame of mind. Free from every preoccupations so that client gets full attention. Ensuring privacy during interviews. Comfortable furniture in the room are some of the important steps to make the client feel comfortable and open up. Under the described conditions, clients feel relaxed and are expected to reveal more. However, Social Worker must keep in mind that information collected should be free from any prejudice, this helps social workers to arrive at informed decisions and formulate best possible plans for the clients.

ACCEPTANCE

Acceptance is one of the commonly used term in social work profession. It is an important value in social work that guides social workers to accept people as they are. With their strengths and limitations, potentialities and weaknesses, positive and negative feelings. In social work, acceptance is related with quality of life, professional attitude, the central dynamic and a principle.

Thus, principle of acceptance as defined by Biestek (1957) is as follows: “Principle of acceptance is a principle where the worker perceives and deals with the client as he/ she really is, including strengths and weaknesses, congenial and uncongenial qualities, positive and negative feelings, constructive and deconstructive attitudes and behaviour, maintaining all the while a sense of the client’s innate dignity and personal worth”.

Let’s understand it with an example. A person committed a murder and worker is helping him in correctional settings. The worker would objectively study the client and assess the probable reasons that led the man to commit such a crime. Caseworker would accept the client as an individual possessing all his dignity and worth as an individual. However, the worker would disapprove of the murder committed by the client. The worker would not verbally praise or condemn the act and show empathic interest in getting to know the client and his life situations better.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Individuals, especially leaders, who engage in social interface, are expected to be emotionally intelligent. Leaders low in emotional intelligence are less capable of handling stress, problematic situations and people. What constitutes emotional intelligence?

The five components of Emotional Intelligence are :-

Self-awareness: exhibited by self-confidence, realistic self-assessment, and a self-depreciating sense of humour

Self-management: exhibited by trustworthiness and integrity, comfort with ambiguity, and openness to change

Self-motivation: exhibited by a strong drive to achieve, optimism, and high organizational commitment

Empathy: exhibited by expertise in building and retaining talent, cross-cultural sensitivity, and service to clients. Empathy is an essential trait of Social Workers. One should understand and identify with another person’s experience and emotional state to anticipate how best to extend help. One should step into another’s shoes to recognise their perceptions, views and unique experiences to build strong relationships with clients and determine their needs.

Social Skills: exhibited by the ability to lead change, persuasiveness and expertise in building and leading teams

KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Workers often have to deal with complex human behaviors, people with diverse personalities. It is imperative for the worker to have inter-disciplinary knowledge and understanding derived from psychology, sociology, psychiatry etc.

Read about disciplines related to social work in detail.

NON JUDGEMENTAL ATTITUDE

Social work is a helping process where judgment would imply blaming the client and making him/her responsible for problems in his/her life. Let us take an example of a woman who has approached a child guidance clinic to seek help for her daughter who is showing symptoms of depression. Being judgmental in this case would imply blaming the mother for her daughter’s condition. Similarly, passing a judgment on a HIV positive person would mean blaming the client for his/her physical condition and for contracting HIV.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Biestek (1957) has given its following definition of the principle of confidentiality: “Confidentiality is the preservation of secret information concerning the client which is disclosed in the professional relationship. Confidentiality is based upon a basic right of the client; it is an ethical obligation of the worker and is essential for effective social work service. The client’s right however, is not absolute. Moreover, the client’s secret is often shared with other professional persons within the agency; the obligation then binds all equally”.

COMMUNICATION

Another important skill to possess is communication (both verbal and non-verbal). It is important because social workers communicate with many different kinds of people on regular basis. Effective communication ensures that they can correctly comprehend and therefore advocate for their client’s needs.

The Communication Process

Aristotle, one of the earliest to bring a model of communication, identified these three elements. He calls them

i) speaker;

ii) the speech; and

iii) the audience.

A more widely accepted model of communication is that of Harold Lasswell and David Berlo. According to their model, communication requires at least four elements – the Source, the Message Channel, and Receiver ( SMCR).

The Source

The source may be an individual (speaking, writing, drawing, gesturing), or an organisation (a newspaper, publishing house, television station, or a motion picture studio). The source may use oral, written, graphic signs or symbols to convey the message. The communication skills helps understand the, reasons, objectives, the socio-cultural milieu etc. Ability to completely comprehend the message impact the effectiveness of communication.

Message

Messages are made of signs or symbols and codes that are signals, which represent something. It may be in the form of ink on paper, conversation, hand gesture, expressions, eye contact etc. Messages are encoded and receiver must decode them to decipher or understand the meaning of the message.

Channel

Channel refers to the means to transmit or receive message. It refers to the five senses: seeing, touch, hearing, smell and taste. A message may be seen through print or visual media. It can be heard through a sound, speech, musical instruments. Can be touched, smelt or tasted through models, exhibits, specimens and experiments.

We use signs and symbols to communicate. The deaf and mute are taught to follow the sign language. In order to communicate messages to a distance we use sound waves, to make them last we use writing. In order to complete the act of communication the message must be decoded.

Receiver

The receiver, also target audience, may be an individual or a group, a crowd, or a mob, reading, listening or watching. Source must know the abilities of the target audience because if receiver fails to interpret the message the very purpose of communication is defeated.

In simple words, communication is the transmission of a message from a source to a receiver in an understandable manner. Sender, receiver and a message are, therefore, three basic components of a communication event.

Types of Communication

Types of communication may be described along different dimensions:

a) Verbal (oral or written), non-verbal (gestures, signs, symbols or tonal) or manual (e.g. sign language used by the deaf) communication. Silence may also serve as a form of communication.

b) Intrapersonal, interpersonal, group and organizational communication

c) One way (self-action), two-way (interaction) or transaction communication

d) Communication in face-to-face interaction, telephone conversation, emails; or

e) Communications through mass media like radio, TV, print media etc.

f) Formal or informal communication

g) Overt (open and visible) or covert ( hidden, invisible) communication

h) Intentional and unintentional communication

ORGANIZATION

Life of Social Worker is not a easy, busy schedules and multiple responsibilities, helping multiple clients, maintain documentation, eye on billing, honestly reporting, collaboration, evaluating and taking regular feedback. This is the typical daily life routine of a social worker. Without good organisation skills, it would be really difficult to pursue a successful career and more often worker will end up with negative outcomes.

CULTURAL COMPETENCE

It is important for Social workers to understand and respect the different backgrounds, cultural practices, belief. There are certain tribes all over the world who practice polygamy. Social Worker may have negative point of view towards the practice but Worker should focus more on the task in hand and must accept the client as they are. Here acceptance doesn’t mean approval of their act. You just accept them to help them get out of trouble, what drags them to professional Social Worker. These kind of relationship would be smooth if Worker has some knowledge of a client’s society, background and have a non-judgemental attitude while interacting with them.

PATIENCE

Social Worker meets certain complex cases in his professional life that require a great deal of patience, especially with clients who are slow and take longer than usual to show signs of progress/improvement. Hasty decision-making without the involvement of client and frustration can harshly affect the outcome. Patience is key in client worker relation. Giving proper hearing and time is crucial in certain cases.

PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT

Social Workers have very busy profile and always engaged with an variety of challenges and difficult circumstances. Utmost importance should be given to commitments Social Workers have made to clients. If in case, Worker has given appointment to client for counselling, it’s compulsory for worker to make it happen and in case there are circumstances where interview is not possible, It’s duty of worker to inform the client in advance that due to unavoidable circumstances interview is not possible on promised date. Next date at the convenience of client should be promised with apology for postponing it. This generate the healthy relation between client and worker and also help in developing trust between two. This commitment is essential to ensure a sustained journey of enhancing the well-being of humans and helping them meet basic needs.

ADVOCACY

Advocacy is practical use of knowledge for purposes of social changes. These changes are aimed at government policies, laws, procedures, or sometimes to ourselves. Advocacy is therefore an act of backing an problem and persuading the decision makers for change. It is clear that advocacy is an effective process aimed at accomplishing some specific results.

Advocacy can help achieve some goals whatever they may be, including:

• improving public services such as transportation, information, etc.
• education,
• accessibility,
• development of community based services,
• public health,
• greater accountability of elected representatives of local and national authorities,
• decentralization of government decision-making process and public services,
• new laws that better protect the civil rights associations, including the legal recognition and other civil society organizations.

SELF CARE

Social work at times can be exhausting and emotionally stressful, so it is mindful to get involve in activities that help you to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Self-care is practice which aims to minimize stress and boost health and well-being. These practices helps to keep burnout and compassion fatigue at bay and is essential to having a sustainable career. By giving some quality time to themselves, social workers are better placed to provide the best services to their clients. Self care includes taking some time off and going for vacation with family, engage in sport of choice, doing Yoga and meditation, developing hobbies and any other activity which gives good time.

How to acquire social work skills

Some of the skills are innate and easy to acquire Let’s discuss how a social worker can attain skills :-

• Keenly observing democratic leadership styles.
• Reading relevant material from libraries, authenticated websites, journals, reports etc will keep you updated on the latest in the field.
• Maintaining a dairy of everyday gives a written documentation for reference.
• Interacting with social work fraternity and with co-workers in professional forums such as workshops, seminars, conferences, training programs etc. basically facilitates interchange of ideas and experiences.
• Gain hands on training.
• lending a hand to others to acquire social work skills, one can constantly check and reinvent oneself about the skills needed.