Profession social pedagogue

Social pedagogues provide care, support, and education to children and young persons with different backgrounds or capabilities. They develop educational processes for young persons to be in charge of their own experiences, using a multi-disciplinary approach set to the learning experience. Social pedagogues contribute to the individuals' learning, welfare, and societal inclusion, and put an emphasis on building self-reliance.

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Personality Type

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

Knowledge

• Social pedagogy

  Discipline combining the theory and practice of both education and care, seen from a holistic perspective.

• Legal requirements in the social sector

  The prescribed legislative and regulatory requirements in the social sector.

• Health education

  The factors affecting health and of the educational approach to assisting people to make healthy life choices.

• Pedagogy

  The discipline that concerns the theory and practice of education including the various instructional methods for educating individuals or groups.

• Psychological theories

  The historical development of counselling and psychological theories, as well as the perspectives, applications, and interviewing and counselling strategies.

• Supervision of persons

  The act of directing one individual or a group of individuals in a certain activity.

• Social sciences

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

• Counselling methods

  Counselling techniques used in different settings and with various groups and individuals, especially concerning methods of supervision and mediation in the counselling process.

• 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.

• Adolescent psychological development

  Understand the developments and the development needs of children and young persons, observing the behaviour and the attachment relationships in order to detect developmental delay.

• Psychology

  The human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation.

Skills

• 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.

• Promote the safeguarding of young people

  Understand safeguarding and what should be done in cases of actual or potential harm or abuse.

• 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.

• 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.

• Apply quality standards in social services

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

• 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.

• Accept own accountability

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

• Assess the development of youth

  Evaluate the different aspects of development needs of children and young people.

• Prepare youths for adulthood

  Work with children and young people to identify the skills and abilities they will need to become effective citizens and adults and to prepare them for independence.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Conduct educational activities

  Plan, perform and supervise educational activities for a variety of audiences, such as for school children, university students, specialist groups, or members of the public.

• Apply socially just working principles

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

• Support the positiveness of youths

  Help children and young people to assess their social, emotional and identity needs and to develop a positive self image, enhance their self esteem and improve their self reliance.

• 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 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.

• 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.

• Support social service users to live at home

  Support social service users to develop their own personal resources and work with them to access additional resources, services and facilities.

• Demonstrate leadership in social service cases

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

• Cooperate at inter-professional level

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

• Relate empathetically

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

• Support children who have experienced trauma

  Support children who have experienced trauma, identifying their needs and working in ways that promote their rights, inclusion and well being.

• 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.

• Support children's wellbeing

  Provide an environment that supports and values children and helps them to manage their own feelings and relationships with others.

• Communicate with youth

  Use verbal and non-verbal communication and communicate through writing, electronic means, or drawing. Adapt your communication to children and young people`s age, needs, characteristics, abilities, preferences, and culture.

• 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.

• Manage social crisis

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

• Empower individuals, families and groups

  Empower individuals, families and groups towards healthy lifestyles and self-care.

• Employ pedagogic strategies to facilitate creative engagement

  Communicate to others on devising and facilitating creative processes through the use of a range of tasks and activities appropriate to the target group.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB