Profession palliative care social worker

Palliative care social workers provide assistance and counselling to patients with a chronic or a terminal disease and their families with the practical arrangements. They arrange the required medical care for the patient and help the family to adjust to the diagnosis by providing support and attention to their emotional needs, helping them to understand their options.

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Personality Type

• Social / Artistic
• Social / Investigative
• Social / Enterprising

Knowledge

• Social sciences

  The development and characteristics of sociological, anthropological, psychological, political, and social policy theories.

• Palliative care

  The methods of pain relief and quality of life improvement for the patients with serious illnesses.

• Social justice

  The development and principles of human rights and social justice and the way they should be applied on a case by case basis.

• Legal requirements in the social sector

  The prescribed legislative and regulatory requirements in the social sector.

• Health care system

  The structure and function of health care services.

• Older adults' needs

  The physical, mental, and social needs of frail, older adults.

• Stages of bereavement

  Stages of the bereavement such as the acceptance that the loss has occurred, the experience of pain, the adjustment to life without the person in question.

• Company policies

  The set of rules that govern the activity of a company.

• Social work theory

  The development and characteristics of social work theories underpinned by social sciences and humanities.

Skills

• Develop professional identity in social work

  Strive to provide the appropriate services to social work clients while staying within a professional framework, understanding what the work means in relation to other professionals and taking into account the specific needs of your clients.

• Promote service users' rights

  Supporting client`s rights to control his or her life, making informed choices about the services they receive, respecting and, where appropriate, promoting the individual views and wishes of both the client and his or her caregivers.

• Support social service users at the end of life

  Support individuals to prepare for the end of life and to plan the care and support they wish to receive through the process of dying, providing care and support as death approaches and carrying out agreed actions immediately after death.

• Negotiate with social service stakeholders

  Negotiate with government institutions, other social workers, family and caregivers, employers, landlords, or landladies to obtain the most suitable result for your client.

• Evaluate older adults' ability to take care of themselves

  Assess the condition of an older patient and decide if he or she needs assistance in taking care of him- or herself to eat or to bathe and in meeting his/hers social and psychological needs.

• Build helping relationship with social service users

  Develop a collaborative helping relationship, addressing any ruptures or strains in the relationship, fostering bonding and gaining service users` trust and cooperation through empathic listening, caring, warmth and authenticity.

• Work in multidisciplinary health teams

  Participate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.

• Manage social crisis

  Identify, respond and motivate individuals in social crisis situations, in a timely manner, making use of all resources.

• Plan social service process

  Plan the social service process, defining the objective and considering the methods of implementation, identifying and accessing available resources, such as time, budget, personnel and defining indicators to evaluate the outcome.

• Manage stress in organisation

  Cope with sources of stress and cross-pressure in one's own professional life, such as occupational, managerial, institutional and personal stress, and help others do the same so as to promote the well-being of your colleagues and avoid burn-out.

• Report on social development

  Report results and conclusions on society's social development in an intelligible way, presenting these orally and in written form to a range of audiences from non-experts to experts.

• Involve service users and carers in care planning

  Evaluate the needs of individuals in relation to their care, involve families or carers in supporting the development and implementation of support plans. Ensure review and monitoring of these plans.

• Apply case management

  Assess, plan, facilitate, coordinate, and advocate for options and services on behalf of a person.

• Tolerate stress

  Maintain a temperate mental state and effective performance under pressure or adverse circumstances.

• Contribute to protecting individuals from harm

  Use established processes and procedures to challenge and report dangerous, abusive, discriminatory or exploitative behaviour and practice, bringing any such behaviour to the attention of the employer or the appropriate authority.

• Counsel on end-of-life care

  Advise elderly patients and their families on end-of-life care such as assisted ventilation, artificial feeding and other ethical issues.

• Accept own accountability

  Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.

• Apply decision making within social work

  Take decisions when called for, staying within the limits of granted authority and considering the input from the service user and other caregivers.

• Advocate for social service users

  Speak for and on behalf of service users, using communicative skills and knowledge of relevant fields to assist those less advantaged.

• Apply quality standards in social services

  Apply quality stardards in social services while upholding social work values and principles.

• Provide social counselling

  Assist and guide social service users to resolve personal, social or psychological problems and difficulties.

• Demonstrate leadership in social service cases

  Take the lead in the practical handling of social work cases and activities.

• Promote inclusion

  Promote inclusion in health care and social services and respect diversity of beliefs, culture, values and preferences, keeping in mind the importance of equality and diversity issues.

• Consider social impact of actions on service users

  Act according to the political, social and cultural contexts of social service users, considering the impact of certain actions on their social well being.

• Apply problem solving in social service

  Systematically apply a step-by-step problem-solving process in providing social services.

• Communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields

  Communicate professionally and cooperate with members of the other professions in the health and social services sector.

• Apply socially just working principles

  Work in accordance with management and organisational principles and values focusing on human rights and social justice.

• Follow health and safety precautions in social care practices

  Ensure hygienic work practice, respecting the safety of the environment at day care, residential care settings and care at home.

• Apply holistic approach within social services

  Consider the social service user in any situation, recognising the connections between micro-dimension, meso-dimension, and macro-dimension of social problems, social development and social policies.

• Communicate with social service users

  Use verbal, non-verbal, written, and electronic communication. Pay attention to the specific social service users' needs, characteristics, abilities, preferences, age, developmental stage, and culture.

• Work in a multicultural environment in health care

  Interact, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.

• Develop professional network

  Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.

• Refer social service users

  Make referrals to other professionals and other organisations, based on the social service users' requirements and needs.

• Manage ethical issues within social services

  Apply social work ethical principles to guide practice and manage complex ethical issues, dilemmas and conflicts in accordance to occupational conduct, the ontology and the code of ethics of the social services occupations, engaging in ethical decision making by applying standards of national and - as applicable - international codes of ethics or statements of principles.

• Meet standards of practice in social services

  Practice social care and social work in a lawful, safe and effective way according to standards.

• Prevent social problems

  Develop, define and implement actions that can prevent social problems, striving for the enhancement of the quality of life for all citizens.

• Protect vulnerable social service users

  Intervene to provide physical, moral and psychological support to people in dangerous or difficult situations and to remove to a place of safety where appropriate.

• Work within communities

  Establish social projects aimed at community development and active citizen participation.

• Comply with legislation related to health care

  Comply with the regional and national legislation that is relevant to one`s work and apply it in practice.

• Cooperate at inter-professional level

  Cooperate with people in other sectors in relation to social service work.

• Have computer literacy

  Utilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.

• Address problems critically

  Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various abstract, rational concepts, such as issues, opinions, and approaches related to a specific problematic situation in order to formulate solutions and alternative methods of tackling the situation.

• Organise social work packages

  Create a package of social support services according to the service user's needs and in line with specified standards, regulations and timescales.

• Apply organisational techniques

  Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

• Deliver social services in diverse cultural communities

  Deliver services which are mindful of different cultural and language traditions, showing respect and validation for communities and being consistent with policies regarding human rights and equality and diversity.

• Maintain records of work with service users

  Maintain accurate, concise, up-to-date and timely records of the work with service users while complying with legislation and policies related to privacy and security.

• Assess social service users' situation

  Assess the social situation of service users situation balancing curiosity and respect in the dialogue, considering their families, organisations and communities and the associated risks and identifying the needs and resources, in order to meet physical, emotional and social needs.

• Handle conflicts

  Mediate in conflicts and tense situations by acting between parties, such as service users, important others like families, and institutions, striving to effect an agreement, reconciliate, and resolve problems.

• Make legislation transparent for users of social services

  Inform and explain the legislation for users of social services, in order to help them understand the implications it has on them and how to use it for their interest.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

  Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship

  Develop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.

• Empower social service users

  Enable individuals, families, groups and communities to gain more control over their lives and environment, either by themselves or with the help of others.

• Promote social change

  Promote changes in relationships between individuals, families, groups, organisations and communities by taking into consideration and coping with unpredictable changes, at the micro, macro and mezzo level.

• Conduct interview in social service

  Induce clients, colleagues, executives, or public officials to talk fully, freely, and truthfully, so as to explore the interviewee`s experiences, attitudes, and opinions.

• Listen actively

  Give attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of customers, clients, passengers, service users or others, and provide solutions accordingly.

• Apply anti-oppressive practices

  Identify oppression in societies, economies, cultures, and groups, acting as a professional in an non-oppressive way, enabling service users to take action to improve their lives and enabling citizens to change their environment in accordance with their own interests.

• Relate empathetically

  Recognise, understand and share emotions and insights experienced by another.

• Negotiate with social service users

  Discuss with your client to establish fair conditions, building on a bond of trust, reminding the client that the work is in their favour and encouraging their cooperation.

• Apply crisis intervention

  Respond methodologically to a disruption or breakdown in the normal or usual function of a person, family, group or community.

• Undertake continuous professional development in social work

  Undertake continuous professional development (CPD) to continuously update and develop knowledge, skills and competences within one`s scope of practice in social work.

• Delegate activities

  Delegate activities and tasks to others according to the ability, level of preparation, competence and legal scope of practice. Make sure that people understand what they should do and when they should do it.

• Review social service plan

  Review social service plans, taking service users' views and preferences into account. Follow up on the plan, assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.

• Work in partnership with social services users

  Help social service users identify and express their expectations and strengths, providing them with information and advice to make informed decisions about their circumstances. Work with individuals, families, groups, communities to achieve change and improve life opportunities.

• Reflect on practice

  Routinely evaluate own practice, critically evaluating and monitoring the practice methods and outcomes in consistent, coherent and appropriate ways, being aware of relevant methodologies and utilising feedback from managers, supervisors, other professionals, and patients/clients, in order to adapt the practice accordingly.

• Apply person-centred care

  Treat individuals as partners in planning, developing and assessing care, to make sure it is appropriate for their needs. Put them and their caregivers at the heart of all decisions.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB