Qualities of a Social Worker
As a social worker you should anticipate to encounter all sorts of problems such as dealing with a feuding family, an abused child, molestation in children, physical injury or abuse to child etc.
As a social worker you will be working in the division of child and family welfare department in your state. As a social worker, you will be dealing with various issues such as investigating abuse in a home, “fixing broken homes “and dealing with other complex welfare related issues faced by most families.
Social workers have a great responsibility of ensuring that feuding families come to an agreement and fix whichever problem the family might be facing at the moment. A social worker could also be looked at as the “savior” who assists families to solve their problems. Every social worker should have the following qualities which are mentioned below.
A good listener
A social worker should be a very good listener given the fact that most of their work revolves around gathering and analyzing information. It is therefore important for a social worker to employ their listening skills before coming to a conclusion about a matter. Listening to the needs, concerns or complaints being aired out by the family will help the social worker to come up with an informed and quick decision.
Kindand empathetic
As a social worker you should be kind hearted and be empathetic in this profession. You should also be ready to offer voluntary services as a social worker. Your service to the community should be your number one priority as a social worker.
Good interrogation skills
As a social worker it is essential for you to have excellent interrogation skills. This is mainly due to the fact that the biggest part of your role as a social worker involves investigating any alleged crime and being able to come up with a viable judgment.
Fair
A social worker must be able to put aside their personal prejudices when dealing with other people especially in the line of duty. Your decisions and judgment should be logical, clinical and in a helpful manner. Dealing fairly with other is important in this profession. You should learn the art of putting aside your weaknesses, highlight your potential and deal with others without any prejudice.
Wear a tough skin
As a social worker you will come into contact with all sorts of people and it is therefore important that you learn how to be assertive and yet remain professional and fair. You will be dealing with all sorts of family problems such as abandoned children, broken homes, and abuse in the home, child molestation or assaulted children.
This can be quite disheartening however, you should always remember that as a social worker your job is to try and fix such problems. This kind of profession is not for the faint hearted which is why you should learn how to wear a tough skin as a social worker.
Mature
Given the nature of your job as a social worker you should be able to exhibit maturity in your decision making and learn how to solve problems objectively. This also demands that you learn how to separate your emotions from your personal life and your work life.
Good communication and interpersonal skills
Being able to communicate effectively with everyone should be your number one goal as a social worker. It is crucial for you to have good communication skills which will make your work much easier especially given that fact that you will be dealing with people with different personalities.
Must have good critical thinking skills
Being able to think critically through a problem is an essential part of becoming an effective social worker. You should employ your judgment and think through the problem thoroughly before you draw a conclusion.
Excellent assessment skills
As a social worker you should be able to perform an assessment and identify the most urgent problem which needs immediate attention from problems which are not necessarily urgent. You should have several techniques to prioritize the needs in your community in terms of social welfare.
Patient
It is essential for you to exercise patience when working as a social worker. This is mainly due to the fact that you will encounter various complex or difficult cases which will require you to be patient without “losing your cool”.
Conclusion
A social worker must have the community at heart and be ready to sacrifice for the sake of the community. Social worker can be a very rewarding career when you are able to restore broken relationships in families among others.
