Key words
SOCIAL ASSISTANT IN PRACTICE - Theoretical and practical building blocks 1
Objectives
Social assistants practise their profession in various sectors of society.
Job differentiation is one of the consequences thereof.
To prove how the vocational profile of the social assistant is based, firstly, on core values and a common root but, secondly, how it takes on a specific cachet depending on the sphere of action concerned, this training module is aimed at all job groups and the corresponding core skills of a social assistant in general.
After which the focus, in this module, is on the social assistant in his (or her) role as a social worker (SW).
In the ‘Social Assistant: theoretical and practical building blocks 2’ training module, the focus is on the social assistant as a HR worker, as a social adviser and as a socio-cultural worker.
It goes without saying that the training module incorporates the social sciences frameworks from the other
modules (lying on standard educational route 1) in order to contextualize professional competence and, vice
versa, in order to clearly communicate theoretical concepts.
Furthermore, this module lays the foundations for modules lying on standard educational routes 2 and
3, especially for modules such as ‘Fields of Social Work’, ‘Work placement and supervision 1’, ‘Methodologies in Social Work’ (standard educational route 2) and various systematic modules: ‘Work placement and supervision 2’ and final year thesis, notably within the specialization: Social Work (on standard educational route 3).
The purpose of this training module is to shape these objectives by fostering and developing the following core skills from the training profile:
Job-specific core skills:
1. SW-ers’ vision in all they undertake is based on a broad-based insight into societal
reality
- Sub-competencies:
* base their actions on relevant judgments;
* are driven by a personal vision in which the emancipation of the client and of the client group are their prime concerns.
- Behavioural indicators found among students that point to this competence:
* they look, from social sciences perspectives, at social
problems and societal trends affecting their specialist field;
* understand the different views that exist on the problem of cultural diversity and can formulate their own opinion;
* develop their own image of people and society;
* develop their own stance on social work which can be the primary driver of their actions and which give priority to the emancipation of the client and of the client group.
2. SW-ers help develop, focus and promote their professional identity
- Sub-competencies:
* systematically reflect on professional competence and how to display it;
* demonstrate a clear grasp of their professional identity and of their professional boundaries;
* they participate in the societal debate on social problems and their solutions. The singularity of their profession and the set of values of social work bring fresh insights to the debate.
- Behavioural indicators found among students that point to this competence:
* they systematically make their professional conduct a subject of discussion;
* s(he) takes an active interest in social affairs;
* they’re able to define the singularity of social work and pinpoint the relevance of SW to a specific problem.
3. SW-ers operate at a crossroads of people and their human environment, working from a fundamental ethical attitude
- Behavioural indicators found among students that point to this competence:
* the student has a coherent set of social standards and values that guides his (or her) behaviour;
* can name and discuss their own social and ethical norms;
* can relate human behaviour to social standards and values drawn from various frames of reference;
* respect cultural diversity in social norms and values;
* take a constructive attitude towards disputes about social norms and values;
* make their professional competence a subject of discussion, based on a deep respect for the personal and cultural identity of others;
* assess other views and opinions; use these to develop a well-reasoned standpoint of their own.
. SW-ers communicate purposefully in a context of great diversity:
- Sub-competencies:
* good interpersonal skills with people and groups from different backgrounds;
* can communicate purposefully in informal and formal groups.
- Behavioural indicators found among students that point to this competence:
* have a command of theoretical models on communication and can use these as a background for analyzing specific, real-life situations;
* can reflect critically on how well they communicate;
* are proficient in several essential speaking (& listening) skills;
* look upon cultural diversity as a positive challenge in the dialogue with, and the support and supervision of, people and groups.
General core skills:
5. Working in a team
- Sub-competencies:
* can function as a team player within a department;
* can adapt their attitude and role(s) to cater to different settings and types of social assistance;
* take initiatives to foster cooperation.
- Behavioural indicators found among students that point to this competence:
* they gain an insight into their own attitude, choices and roles in a task-based teamworking environment
* employ constructive communication techniques in support of task-based teamworking
* engender a teamworking culture within the scope of the task in hand;
* behave like a good colleague in a team environment.
6. A sense of social responsibility, which is closely connected with occupational practice
- Sub-competencies:
* they orient their behaviour based on a broad social commitment;
* develop their own view on social values in relation to their specialist field and profession;
* take initiatives to foster cooperation.
- Behavioural indicators found among students that point to this competence:
* several underlying principles and visions on social work are already familiar to them. From that input, they’re able to take up a standpoint of their own;
* show an interest in societal problems and societal trends and develop their own view on society.
General core skills:
7. The ability to reflect critically on oneself and to work thematically
- Sub-competencies:
* they question their own actions and feelings;
* are able to assess the relative merits of views and opinions;
* can develop a well-reasoned standpoint of their own.
- Behavioural indicators found among students that point to this competence:
* they have the capacity to objectively assess their own functional performance;
* develop their own objectively critical outlook on the value and limitations of social work;
* employ an objectively critical attitude as a constant touchstone.
. Creativity
- Sub-competencies:
* look at problems and challenging situations from several different perspectives;
* think up widely different solutions.
- Behavioural indicators found among students that point to this competence:
* they consider complex problems in an unbiased way and thematize these in different ways;
* can brainstorm and think creatively about several possible solution paths;
* are able to assess the relative merits of said solution paths.
Topics
The aim of this training module is twofold:
- firstly, to acquire knowledge;
- and, secondly, to acquire the core skills and attitudes necessary for those starting a work placement and supervision 1 (as described in standard educational route 2).
It focuses on different course components of this total package, which the student has to master:
1. Occupational practice:
The ‘occupational practice’ part consists of three main pillars:
- A theoretical (and practical) presentation of:
- the singularity of the profession
- the SW profile, a profile of the profession and enhancing its public image
- an emancipatory vision as a guiding principle
- the specialization ‘Social Work’: history, definition of the terms, structure, target groups and organizations, methodologies, task and role of the social worker...
- Topic taught via case studies linked to the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudinal aspects of the social assistant
- Development of a capacity to systematically reflect on your performance and why you chose this profession
. Speaking (& listening) skills:
- Definition of the terms, introduction to the different concepts and stages of the communication process and learn these by practice
- Tasks and exercises for self-reflection; the student is open to theoretical contextualization of his (or her) own functional performance within the communication process
- Analysis by observing the way you communicate with others
- Learning to concisely express their objective views (and those of classmates) on the communication process. This relates, in particular, to encrypting, decoding, all facets of active listening, asking questions, giving and receiving feedback,…
. Creative social & community work - in practice:
- Definition of the terms, theoretical contextualization and information about thinking creatively, creativity as a skill (to be acquired), and creativity as a desirable attitude
- Exploring and experimenting with the student’s non-verbal (body language) communication via specific tasks and exercises
- Observing and listing the effects of non-verbal behaviour
- Optimizing and adapting non-verbal (body language) communication to suit the specific needs of the profession
. Data acquisition and processing:
- Basic notions of information technology (IT)
- Importance and structure of written reporting in the Social Assistant (S.A.)’s day-to-day dealings.
Entry-level skills
Exit qualifications in secondary education
Exit-level skills
The core skills from the training profile listed in the ‘objectives’ section are fully underpinned by the following exit-level skills of the training module:
- At the level of knowledge and comprehension:
The students:
- cite the singularity of the profession (see under ‘Topics’)
- can clearly state the self-knowledge, skills and attitude needed in the context of social work
- correctly define the course components (see under ‘Topics’) of the specialization: Social Work
- know (and recognize) their own nascent views on man and society
- add a current knowledge of societal reality to the discussion (have an eye for national and international news)
- At the application level (skills):
The students:
- correctly apply their nascent (professional) communicative skills, such as: excellent powers of observation; empathy; the capacity to objectively assess one’s own functional performance; skills to impart to others and to foster feedback; verbal and non-verbal (body language) communication; written communication; participation and involvement; presenting and speaking to the group.
- employ effective organizational and administrative skills, e.g. making adequate use of information sources (including a person’s social security card); preparing and adhering to a work schedule; dealing flexibly with unforeseen events; orderly recording and well-structured, straight-to-the-point reports; good use of language (articulate) and applies the prevailing performance standards correctly.
- working in a team: the collaboration groups which are part and parcel of this training module help the student to become a better team player. Besides the specificity of the product, the student also gets usefully involved in the process through correct application of the theoretical frameworks of communication.
- At the level of integration (attitude/standpoint):
The students:
- show a committed attitude: show an attitude of commitment made concrete in the following aspects: regular attendance and punctuality, motivation, social attitude, eagerness for learning, taking initiatives and responsibility, developing perseverance and venturing an opinion.
- show a critical attitude: this is a position made concrete in the following aspects: a balanced view, a view on one’s own frame of reference, a view on one’s own capabilities and limitations, putting oneself and the course materials into question.
- show a respectful attitude: this is an attitude made concrete in the following aspects: correctness in agreements, being present, openness, sincerity, equality, empathy, discretion and a non-judging attitude.
Prerequisites
Final Objectives
Materials used
::Click here for additional information::
The booklet “Learning and working as a social assistant” is used (VVSH)
Syllabus (available from the courseware department)
Additional texts (available in the classroom or accessible via Dokeos)
Topical subject-matter
Study costs
The estimated cost price is ca. € 30 (photocopies, the booklet, exploration of the specialist field,...)
Study guidance
During the lessons, frequent attention is paid to feedback, corrections (pointing out mistakes,...), ... regarding assignments, exercises, conversations, ... and also with regard to the course materials.
Contact details can be obtained from the training staff members involved in that module.
Teaching Methods
The introduction to, and the assimilation of, the course content is supported and stimulated by :
- at the level of knowledge and comprehension: lectures, demonstration, a teaching group and supervised self-instruction
- at the application level (skills): tutorials, project and assignment-based work
- at the application level/level of integration: interactive tutorials, demonstration, tutorials and problem-oriented methods of working
Assessment
This training module is evaluated after the 1st 6-month term.
The overall evaluation of the student’s performance on the course is done in close consultation with all the staff members involved in that training module for that student.
In that regard, both the continuous assessment and the product evaluation occur simultaneously.
1) Continuous assessment (50% of the marks) depending on their knowledge, attitude and skills. A prerequisite for the process evaluation, is that all course components of this training module are attended by the student. The (growing) process of the students and their active participation during classes are key considerations here.
2) Product evaluation (50% of the marks): the students make several different products:
- a practice work book (with, among other things, student experiential reports, observation reports, in-course reflection reports,…)
- a folder on topical issues
- an out-of-school assignment
- an integration assignment
Regarding the product evaluation, the products of ALL components of the course content count towards the final mark.
Resits:
Regarding the product evaluation part, provision is made, in the resits, for an analogous assignment (50% of the
marks).
The marks gained in the continuous assessment part (50% of the marks) during the 1st examination period are carried over.
Lecturer(s)
Nicole Vanhoucke
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