Social work is a dynamic and demanding profession that requires a variety of skills and qualities. Whether these skills are innate or acquired, success in the field requires Support Workers to continually develop them throughout their career.
We’ve put together a list of the top 10 characteristics and skills of successful Support Workers - while this list is not exhaustive, the following skills are vital for all Support Workers to have;
1. Empathy
Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand another person’s experience and point of view. Stepping into someone else’s shoes and recognising that experiences, perceptions and world views are unique to each individual enables Support Workers to better understand and build stronger relationships with clients. It is a vital skill that helps Support Workers to determine a client’s needs based on his or her unique experiences in order to efficiently provide services.
2. Communication
Communication – both verbal and non-verbal – is a vital skill for Support Workers. The ability to communicate clearly with a wide range of people is essential. It is the duty of Support Workers to advocate for their clients – in order to do this, Support Workers must understand the client’s needs. In addition to being aware of body language and other non-verbal cues, this means communicating appropriately and effectively with clients regardless of cultural background, age, gender, literacy skill level or disability. Support Workers must also communicate with care providers, colleagues, and agencies, and must document and report information in a clear manner.
3. Organisation
Support Workers have busy schedules and a wide range of responsibilities in addition to managing and supporting multiple clients, including documentation, reporting, billing and collaboration. This requires Support Workers to be very organised and able to prioritise clients’ needs in order to effectively manage cases. Disorganisation and poor time management could cause Support Workers to overlook a client’s needs and result in negative outcomes.
4. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to analyse information gathered from unbiased observation and communication. Support Workers must be able to objectively evaluate each case by collecting information through observation, interviews and research. Thinking critically and without prejudice enables Support Workers to make informed decisions, identify the best resources and formulate the best plan to help clients.
5. Active Listening
Active listening is necessary for Support Workers to understand and identify a client’s needs. Listening carefully, concentrating, asking the right questions, and utilising techniques such as paraphrasing and summarising also helps Support Workers to engage and establish trust with clients.
6. Self-care
Social work can be demanding and emotionally stressful, so it is important to engage in activities that help you to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Self-care refers to practices that help to reduce stress and improve health and well-being – engaging in these practices helps to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue and is crucial to having a sustainable career. By taking the time to care for themselves, Support Workers are better able to provide the best services for their clients.
7. Cultural Competence
Working effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds requires Support Workers to be respectful and responsive to cultural beliefs and practices. Support Workers must be knowledgeable and respectful of their clients’ cultural backgrounds. By possessing a non-judgmental attitude and an appreciation for diversity and the value of individual differences enables Support Workers to provide clients with what they need.
8. Patience
Support Workers encounter an array of circumstances and individuals in their work. It is important to have patience to work through complex cases and with clients who need longer periods of time to make progress. This empowers Support Workers to understand the client’s situation and avoid hasty decision-making and frustration that can lead to costly errors and poor outcomes for the client.
9. Professional Commitment
Being successful in social work requires lifelong learning. Support Workers must have a professional commitment to social work values and ethics, and to continuously developing professional competence. This commitment is necessary for fulfilling the mission of Support Workers.
10. Advocacy
Support Workers promote social justice and empower clients and communities through advocacy. Advocacy skills enable Support Workers to represent and argue for their clients and to connect them with needed resources and opportunities, especially when clients are vulnerable or unable to advocate for themselves.
Caring Services take pride in recruiting and matching the correct Support Worker with Service Users and will ensure that suitable, specific training is supplied. With an excellent administration and support team, Caring Services are different because as our name states “we do care” and continually strive to be ahead and set the standards in our sector.
If you would like a new career as a Support Worker, or would like to discuss your options, then please make contact with our friendly team today and send us your CV here.