customer service
Processes and principles related to the customer, client, service user and to personal services; these may include procedures to evaluate customer's or service user's satisfaction.
Social services managers have the responsibility for strategic and operational leadership and management of staff teams and resources within and or across social services. They are responsible for the implementation of legislation and policies relating to, for example, decisions about vulnerable people. They promote social work and social care values and ethics, equality and diversity, and relevant codes guiding practice. They are responsible for liaising with other professionals in criminal justice, education and health. They can be responsible for contributing to local and national policy development.
Competences and skills
169 ESCO relationsEssential knowledge 6 competences
Occupation specific
0 competencesNo competences in this bucket.
Sector-specific
1 competenceCross-sector
5 competencesbusiness management principles
Principles governing business management methods such as strategy planning, methods of efficient production, people and resources coordination.
legal requirements in the social sector
The prescribed legislative and regulatory requirements in the social sector.
psychology
The human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation.
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.
social sciences
The development and characteristics of sociological, anthropological, psychological, political, and social policy theories.
Essential skills and competences 55 competences
Occupation specific
0 competencesNo competences in this bucket.
Sector-specific
19 competencesaccept own accountability
Accept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.
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 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.
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.
apply quality standards in social services
Apply quality standards in social services while upholding social work values and principles.
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.
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.
carry out social work research
Initiate and design research to assess social problems and evaluate social work interventions. Use statistical sources to connect the individual data with more aggregated categories and interpret data relating to the social context.
- Scope note
- It includes web-based documentation.
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.
cooperate at inter-professional level
Cooperate with people in other sectors in relation to social service work.
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.
demonstrate leadership in social service cases
Take the lead in the practical handling of social work cases and activities.
evaluate social work program's impact
Gather data to allow the assessment of the impact of a program on a community.
evaluate staff performance in social work
Evaluate the work of staff and volunteers to ensure that programs are of appropriate quality and that resources are used effectively.
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.
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.
- Scope note
- It includes digitally recorded notes.
manage budgets for social services programs
Plan and administer budgets in social services, covering programmes, equipment and support services.
prevent social problems
Prevent social problems from developing, defining and implementing actions that can prevent social problems, striving for the enhancement of the quality of life for all citizens.
review social service plan
Review social service plans, taking your service users' views and preferences into account. Follow up on the plan, assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.
Cross-sector
36 competencesaddress 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.
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.
advocate for others
Deliver arguments in favour of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy, to benefit another person.
analyse community needs
Identify and respond to specific social problems in a community, delineating the extent of the problem and outline the level of resources required to address it and identifying the existing community assets and resources that are available to address the problem.
apply socially just working principles
Work in accordance with management and organisational principles and values focusing on human rights and social justice.
build business relationships
Establish a positive, long-term relationship between organisations and interested third parties such as suppliers, distributors, shareholders and other stakeholders in order to inform them of the organisation and its objectives.
communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields
Communicate professionally and cooperate with members of the other professions in the health and social services sector.
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.
comply with legislation in social services
Act according to policy and legal requirements in providing social services.
consider economic criteria in decision making
Develop proposals and take appropriate decisions taking into account economic criteria.
establish daily priorities
Establish daily priorities for staff personnel; effectively deal with multi-task workload.
implement marketing strategies
Implement strategies which aim to promote a specific product or service, using the developed marketing strategies.
influence policy makers on social service issues
Inform and advise policy makers by explaining and interpreting the needs of the citizens to enhance social service programs and policies.
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.
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.
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.
manage fundraising activities
Initiate fundraising activities managing the place, teams involved, causes and budgets.
manage government funding
Monitor the budget received through government funding, and ensure there are enough resources to cover the costs and expenses of the organisation or project.
manage social crisis
Identify, respond and motivate individuals in social crisis situations, in a timely manner, making use of all resources.
manage staff
Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
manage stress in the work place
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.
monitor regulations in social services
Monitor and analyse regulations, policies and changes in these regulations in order to assess how they impact social work and services.
perform public relations
Perform public relations (PR) by managing the spread of information between an individual or an organisation and the public.
perform risk analysis
Identify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation's functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.
promote inclusion
Promote and respect diversity, and advocate for equal treatment of genders, ethnicities and minority groups in organisations in order to prevent discrimination and ensure inclusion and a positive environment.
promote social awareness
Promote the understanding of dynamics of social relationships between individuals, groups, and communities. Promote the importance of human rights, and positive social interaction, and the inclusion of social awareness in education.
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.
provide safeguarding to individuals
Help vulnerable individuals assess risks and make informed choices by proving information on indicators of abuse, measures to avoid abuse and steps to take in the case of suspected abuse.
relate empathetically
Recognise, understand and share emotions and insights experienced by another.
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.
set organisational policies
Participate in setting organisational policies that cover issues such as participant eligibility, program requirements, and program benefits for the service users.
show intercultural awareness
Show sensibility towards cultural differences by taking actions which facilitate positive interaction between international organisations, between groups or individuals of different cultures, and to promote integration in a 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.
use person-centred planning
Use person-centred planning (PCP) and implement the delivery of social services in order to determine what the service users and their caregivers want, and how the services can support this.
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.
work within communities
Establish social projects aimed at community development and active citizen participation.
Optional knowledge 29 competences
Occupation specific
0 competencesNo competences in this bucket.
Sector-specific
11 competencesbudgetary principles
Principles of estimating and planning of forecasts for business activity, compile regular budget and reports.
clinical social work
The branch of social work that deals with assessing, making diagnoses, treating and preventing bio-psychological problems and other behavioural disturbances.
company policies
The set of rules that govern the activity of a company.
corporate social responsibility
The handling or managing of business processes in a responsible and ethical manner considering the economic responsibility towards shareholders as equally important as the responsibility towards environmental and social stakeholders.
green
disability care
The specific methods and practices used in providing care to people with physical, intellectual and learning disabilities.
first response
The procedures of pre-hospital care for medical emergencies, such as first aid, resuscitation techniques, legal and ethical issues, patient assessment, trauma emergencies.
organisational policies
The policies to achieve set of goals and targets regarding the development and maintenance of an organisation.
palliative care
The methods of pain relief and quality of life improvement for the patients with serious illnesses.
pollution legislation
Be familiar with European and National legislation regarding the risk of pollution.
green
project management
The discipline of project management, the activities which comprise this area and the variables implied in it, such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.
strategies for handling cases of elder abuse
The range of strategies and approaches utilised in the identification, termination, and prevention of instances of elder abuse. This incudes understanding of the methods and procedures used to recognise instances of elder abuse, the legal implications of abusive behaviour; and possible intervention and rehabilitation activities.
Cross-sector
18 competencesaccounting techniques
The techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.
adolescent psychological development
The developments needs of children and young persons, their behaviour and the attachment relationships and the possible signs of developmental delay.
child protection
Framework of legislation and practice meant to prevent and protect children from abuse and harm
communication principles
The set of commonly shared principles in regards with communication such as active listening, establish rapport, adjusting the register, and respecting the intervention of others.
financial management
The field of finance that concerns the practical process analysis and tools for designating financial resources. It encompasses the structure of businesses, the investment sources, and the value increase of corporations due to managerial decision-making.
flood remediation equipment
The operation of the necessary tools and equipment used in flood damage and remediation activities, such as pumping flooded properties.
geriatrics
Geriatrics is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
government policy implementation
The procedures related to the application of government policies at all levels of public administration.
government social security programmes
The different areas of social security provided by the government, the different rights which citizens have, which benefits are available, the rules which regulate social security and the different situations in which they apply.
health care system
The structure and function of health care services.
impact of social contexts on health
The social and cultural contexts of individuals` behaviours, and the impact on their health within their social and cultural context.
law enforcement
The different organisations involved in law enforcement, as well as the laws and regulations in law enforcement procedures.
older adults' needs
The physical, mental, and social needs of frail, older adults.
pedagogy
The discipline that concerns the theory and practice of education including the various instructional methods for educating individuals or groups.
personnel management
The methodologies and procedures involved in the hiring and development of employees in order to ensure value for the organisation, as well as personnel needs, benefits, conflict resolution and ensuring a positive corporate climate.
pollution prevention
The processes used to prevent pollution: precautions to pollution of the environment, procedures to counter pollution and associated equipment, and possible measures to protect the environment.
green
public housing legislation
The regulations and legislation concerning the construction, maintenance and allocation of public housing facilities.
social security law
Legislation concerning the protection of individuals and the provision of aid and benefits, such as health insurance benefits, unemployment benefits, welfare programs and other government-provided social security.
Optional skills and competences 79 competences
Occupation specific
0 competencesNo competences in this bucket.
Sector-specific
20 competencesapply 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.
apply problem solving in social service
Systematically apply a step-by-step problem-solving process in providing social services.
assess the development of youth
Evaluate the different aspects of development needs of children and young people.
communicate by use of interpretation services
Communicate through the help of an interpreter to facilitate verbal communication and cultural mediation.
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.
contribute to the safeguarding of children
Understand, apply and follow safeguarding principles, engage professionally with children and work within the boundaries of personal responsibilities.
coordinate care
Coordinate care for patient groups, being able to manage a number of patients within a given amount of time and provide optimum health services.
develop contingency plans for emergencies
Compose procedures outlining specific actions to be taken in the event of an emergency, taking into account all the risks and dangers that could be involved, ensuring that the plans comply with safety legislation and represent the safest course of action.
ensure public safety and security
Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.
maintain logbooks
Maintain the required logbooks according to practice and in established formats.
maintain relations with local representatives
Maintain good relations with representatives of the local scientific, economic and civil society.
manage administrative systems
Ensure administrative systems, processes and databases are efficient and well managed and give the sound basis to work together with the administrative officer/staff/professional.
manage health and safety
Manage the overall health, safety and sustainability policies and their application on an organisation wide scale.
meet standards of practice in social services
Practice social care and social work in a lawful, safe and effective way according to standards.
organise facility activities
Design and promote activities to meet customer demand and generate revenue.
organise operations of residential care services
Plan and monitor the implementation of establishment procedures by operations staff, ensuring the proper and efficient operation of the facility for elderly care in relation to cleaning and laundry services, cooking and meals services and any other medical and nursing services required.
- Scope note
- It includes hiring and deploying activities for the operational staff.
plan allocation of space
Plan best allocation and utilisation of space and resources, or re-organise current premises.
prepare exercise session
Prepare equipment and facilities for the session ensuring compliance with industry and national guidelines for normal operating procedures and plan timings and sequences for the session.
report pollution incidents
When an incident causes pollution, examine the extent of the damage and what the consequences could be and report it relevant institution following pollution reporting procedures.
green
tend to elderly people
Help elderly people in their physical, mental, and social needs.
Cross-sector
59 competencesadvise on safety improvements
Provide relevant recommendations following the conclusion of an investigation; ensure that recommendations are duly considered and where appropriate acted upon.
advise on social security benefits
Advise citizens on government-regulated benefits they are eligible for, such as unemployment benefits, family benefits, and other social security benefits.
analyse goal progress
Analyse the steps which have been taken in order to reach the organisation's goals in order to assess the progress which has been made, the feasibility of the goals, and to ensure the goals can be met according to deadlines.
apply change management
Manage development within an organisation by anticipating changes and making managerial decisions to ensure that the members involved are as less disturbed as possible.
apply conflict management
Take ownership of the handling of all complaints and disputes showing empathy and understanding to achieve resolution. Be fully aware of all Social Responsibility protocols and procedures, and be able to deal with a problematic gambling situation in a professional manner with maturity and empathy.
apply foreign languages in social services
Communicate with social service users and social services providers in foreign languages, according to their needs.
apply organisational techniques
Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the set goals set such as detailed planning of personnel's schedules. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.
apply strategic thinking
Apply generation and effective application of business insights and possible opportunities, in order to achieve competitive business advantage on a long-term basis.
assist social service users with physical disabilities
Help service users with mobility problems and other physical disabilities such as incontinence, assisting in the use and care of aids and personal equipment.
build community relations
Establish affectionate and long-lasting relationships with local communities, e.g. by organising special programms for kindergarden, schools and for dissabled and older people, raising awareness and receiving community appreciation in return.
communicate about youth's well-being
Communicate about youth's behaviour and welfare with parents, schools and other people in charge of the youth's upbringing and education.
communicate with others who are significant to service users
Actively involve others who are significant to service users, communicating with them appropriately and taking their roles into account.
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.
coordinate rescue missions
Coordinate rescue missions during the event of a disaster or during an accident, ensure that all possible methods are being used to ensure the safety of the people being rescued, and that the search is as efficient and thorough as possible.
coordinate with other emergency services
Coordinate the firefighters' work with the activities of the emergency medical services and of the police.
create solutions to problems
Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
develop a pedagogical concept
Develop a specific concept that describes the educational principles on which the organisation is based, and the values and behaviour patterns it advocates.
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.
- Scope note
- This includes the development of social relationships with patients and customers.
develop social security programmes
Develop programmes and policies which aim to protect citizens and grant them rights in order to aid them, such as providing unemployment and family benefits, as well as to prevent misuse of government-provided aid.
educate on emergency management
Educate communities, organisations, or individuals on risk management and emergency response, such as how to develop and implement prevention and reaction strategies, and educate on emergency policies specific to the risks applicable to that area or organisation.
ensure compliance with policies
To ensure compliance with legislation and company procedures in respect of Health and Safety in the workplace and public areas, at all times. To ensure awareness of and compliance with all Company Policies in relation to Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities in the workplace. To carry out any other duties which may reasonably be required.
ensure cross-department cooperation
Guarantee communication and cooperation with all the entities and teams in a given organisation, according to the company strategy.
ensure equipment availability
Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.
ensure information transparency
Ensure that required or requested information is provided clearly and completely, in a manner which does not explicitly withhold information, to the public or requesting parties.
ensure law application
Ensure the laws are followed, and where they are broken, that the correct measures are taken to ensure compliance to the law and law enforcement.
establish collaborative relations
Establish a connection between organisations or individuals which may benefit from communicating with one another in order to facilitate an enduring positive collaborative relationship between both parties.
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.
handle children's problems
Promote the prevention, early detection, and management of children`s problems, focusing on developmental delays and disorders, behavioural problems, functional disabilities, social stresses, mental disorders including depression, and anxiety disorders.
identify security threats
Identify security threats during investigations, inspections, or patrols, and perform the necessary actions to minimise or neutralise the threat.
implement care programmes for children
Perform activities with children according to their physical, emotional, intellectual and social needs by using appropriate tools and equipment that facilitate interaction and learning activities.
investigate social security applications
Investigate the eligibility of citizens applying for social security benefits by examining documents, interviewing the citizen, and researching the related legislation.
liaise with colleagues
Liaise with fellow colleagues to ensure common understanding on work related affairs and agree on the necessary compromises the parties might need to face. Negotiate compromises between parties as to ensure that work in general run efficiently towards the achievement of the objectives.
liaise with local authorities
Maintain the liaison and exchange of information with regional or local authorities.
maintain relations with children's parents
Inform children`s parents of the activities planned, program`s expectations and children`s individual progress.
maintain relationships with government agencies
Establish and maintain cordial working relationships with peers in different governmental agencies.
maintain the trust of service users
Establish and maintain the trust and confidence of the client, communicating in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way and being honest and reliable.
manage accounts
Manage the accounts and financial activities of an organisation, supervising that all the documents are correctly maintained, that all the information and calculations are correct, and that proper decisions are being made.
manage budgets
Plan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.
manage emergency procedures
React quickly in case of emergency and set planned emergency procedures in motion.
manage government policy implementation
Manage the operations of the implementation of new government policies or changes in existing policies on a national or regional level as well as the staff involved in the implementation procedure..
manage health and safety standards
Oversee all personnel and processes to comply with health, safety and hygiene standards. Communicate and support alignment of these requirements with the company's health and safety programmes.
manage staff
Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
oversee quality control
Monitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.
perform project management
Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
research
plan shifts of employees
Plans shifts of employees to ensure completion of all customer orders and satisfactory completion of the production plan.
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.
present reports
Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
promote the safeguarding of young people
Understand safeguarding and what should be done in cases of actual or potential harm or abuse.
protect client interests
Protect the interests and needs of a client by taking necessary actions, and researching all possibilities, to ensure that the client obtains their favoured outcome.
provide improvement strategies
Identify root causes of problems and submit proposals for effective and long-term solutions.
recruit employees
Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
- Scope note
- It may include recruiting volunteers.
recruit personnel
Carry out assessment and recruitment of personnel for the production.
represent the organisation
Act as representative of the institution, company or organisation to the outside world.
respond to enquiries
Respond to enquiries and requests for information from other organisations and members of the public.
supervise children
Keep the children under supervision for a certain period of time, ensuring their safety at all times.
support children's wellbeing
Provide an environment that supports and values children and helps them to manage their own feelings and relationships with others.
support social service users in skills management
Provide support to individuals in determining the skills they need in they everyday lives and help them in their skills development.
test safety strategies
Test policies and strategies related to risk and safety management and procedures, such as testing evacuation plans, safety equipment, and carrying out drills.
train employees
Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.