Competence and importance of social workers in the school environment in Slovakia
Introduction
Social work in the school environment is a functional and established scientific field abroad. Long-term international experience and scientific studies confirm the effectiveness of social work in the school environment (Alvarez et al., 2013; Newsome, et al., 2008; Rumberger 2011; Tan et al 2015). The main areas examined in relation to the practice of school social work ("School Social Work Services") are poverty, the impact of the community and social environment (Alvarez et al 2013; Tan et al 2015), where statistically significant relationships were confirmed between the number of school social workers and the number of successfully graduating students from at-risk environments. Tan et al (2015) confirmed a statistically significant relationship between achieved positive outcomes at school and the presence of school social workers. The effectiveness of school social work was also confirmed in reducing risk factors related to absences and truancy (Newsome et al 2008).
Several authors (Emmerová 2012; Zemančíková 2014; Molentová, Čermák 2014; Redayová 2015; Stehlíková and Pašková 2018) dealing with the issue of prevention and intervention of problem behavior of students in the school environment point out that educators are not competent to fully address prevention and intervention within the defined issue and call for the need for systematic and multidisciplinary cooperation in the prevention and intervention of problem behavior of students with the involvement of the school and family environment. The biggest problem in implementing social work in the school environment is the lack of a clear definition of the competencies of professional staff in the school environment. Professional school staff are defined by Act No. 245/2008 Coll. on Education and Training (School Act), where the social worker as a professional employee is completely absent.
Currently, Act No. 219/2014 Coll. on Social Work and Conditions for the Performance of Certain Professional Activities in the Area of Social Affairs and Family and on Amendments to Certain Acts is in effect in Slovakia, which regulates the conditions for the practice of social work, as well as the status of the Slovak Chamber of Social Workers and Social Work Assistants and the conditions for performing certain professional activities in the area of social affairs and family. However, it does not specifically address the place of practice of social work, and therefore not the implementation of social work in schools either. The absence of legislative anchoring of social work in the school environment in this context primarily concerns two laws:
- Act No. 245/2008 Coll. on Education and Training (School Act).
- Act No. 317/2009 Coll. on Pedagogical and Professional Employees.
Based on this, the aim of the contribution is to point out the importance and scope for the development of social work in the school environment, as well as the competencies of social workers that would distinguish them from other professionals working in the school environment.
Competencies of Professional School Staff vs. Competencies of Social Workers
The competencies of professional school staff in Slovakia are regulated by Act No. 317/2009 Coll. on Pedagogical Employees and Professional Employees and on Amendments to Certain Acts. This act, among other things, primarily regulates the qualification requirements, rights and obligations of pedagogical and professional school staff, as well as the job description of individual pedagogical and professional employees. In this sense, the law defines educational activities as well as the professional competencies of pedagogical and professional staff of primary and secondary schools in Slovakia. For the purposes of this act, a pedagogical employee is characterized as a natural person whose main job is pedagogical activity, defined as a set of activities performed through educational work.
A professional employee is defined under the aforementioned act as a natural person who, in the environment of a primary or secondary school, performs professional activities through psychological, special pedagogical or speech therapy care, educational and social counseling and prevention. The emphasis of professional activity is placed on the process of education and training in the school environment. The scope of professional activity also includes cooperation with other professional employees and representatives of facilities in ensuring the rights of students, performing specialized activities and management activities in creative activities related to the professional activity of the employee.
Professional school staff can be divided into five basic categories under the aforementioned Act No. 317/2009 Coll. on Pedagogical Employees and Professional Employees. The purpose of these categories is the division of individual competencies in the performance of professional activities.
1. Psychologist/School Psychologist – competencies:
- psychological diagnostics of students,
- individual, group and mass psychological counseling for students in the area of education and training, as well as in the area of family and social relationships,
- psychotherapy for students,
- implementation of prevention and intervention among students with an emphasis on the educational process,
- psychological counseling and consultations with legal representatives of students and pedagogical staff of schools.
2. School Speech Therapist – competencies:
- speech therapy diagnostics of students,
- counseling and intervention for students with impaired communication ability,
- counseling and consultation for legal representatives and pedagogical staff in the area of communication skills.
3. Special Educator, School Special Educator and Field Special Educator – competencies:
- special educational diagnostics,
- individual, mass or group counseling and intervention for students with mental/hearing/visual or physical disabilities, or students with impaired communication ability/autism or students with other pervasive developmental disorders,
- professional activities related to the re-education of behavioral disorders,
- special educational counseling and consultation for legal representatives of students and pedagogical staff of schools.
4. Therapeutic Educator – competencies:
- therapeutic-educational assistance to students with developmental disorders or behavioral disorders who, due to their disadvantage and its consequences, are unable to lead an adequate lifestyle, or to students whose psychological, emotional or social development is at risk,
- counseling for legal representatives of students and pedagogical staff regarding the re-education of behavioral disorders.
5. Social Educator
– social work and social pedagogy represent two areas of helping people and both are equally classified among the helping professions. Due to a similar subject of interest, these disciplines partially overlap (Kaplánek 2013). A social educator is an expert in socio-educational activities aimed at improving the quality of life of pupils and students through social prevention and social counseling (Bakošová 2012). The basic difference between a social educator and a social worker is generally in the target group. A social educator focuses on the target group of children and youth, while social work is oriented towards a wide range of target groups. In the school environment, however, experts from both disciplines can be involved in social prevention and intervention (Kaplánek 2013). The competencies of a social educator include:
- prevention and intervention of socio-pathological phenomena,
- socio-educational counseling for students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds or otherwise disadvantaged students,
- socio-educational counseling for legal representatives and pedagogical staff,
- activities focused on re-education of behavior and social education with an emphasis on promoting prosocial and ethical behavior, socio-educational diagnostics, expert and awareness-raising activities.
The completeness of the multidisciplinary school professional teams requires both primary social prevention and intervention at the level of basic social counseling, as well as work with at-risk families, Roma families, students with disabilities, students with problem behavior, children at risk of CAN syndrome, and so on. All these social problems, however, require competencies for performing social prevention at all its levels, and thus also for performing intervention and specialized social counseling and the associated practice at the level of case social work, social work with groups and social work with the family.
Competencies of Social Workers
The competencies of social workers can be defined as a functional manifestation of a recognized professional role of a social worker, which includes both professional knowledge and the ability to assess the client's problem situation and appropriately apply chosen work methods that reflect the values of social work (Havrdová 1999, in: Truhlářová 2013). Levická (2015) points out the complexity of grasping the concept of social worker competencies and accordingly distinguishes competencies related to scientific work, competencies needed for self-reflection, professional competencies, and so on.
Mlčák (2005, in: Elichová et al. 2017) distinguishes three large groups of competencies within social worker competencies, which he divides according to work areas: a) competencies in relation to clients, b) competencies in relation to the work organization and work team, c) competencies in relation to the social services system.
The competencies of social workers in the school environment are defined in the standards of various associations and organizations that oversee the activity of social workers in the school environment, such as the School Social Work Association of America, the International Network for School Social Work and the National Association of Social Workers, which has issued standards for the practice of social work in the school environment. The basic goal of these standards is to define expectations for school social workers and their services, their code of ethics, and procedures for advocating for clients' rights (Raines 2013).
Social Worker in the School Environment in Slovakia
A social worker in the school environment should possess a knowledge base within which they should be familiar with:
- child development, the specifics of individual developmental stages, their deviations and norms, as well as specific developmental learning disorders, peculiarities in children's development and their reactions to unusual life events such as death in the family, divorce, illness, loss of a pet, a parent's new partner, etc.,
- the family life cycle and manifestations of transient family crisis (Vyhnálková 2012). The methods and techniques that a social worker can apply in their practice at school are derived from this knowledge base.
Despite the absence of explicit legislative anchoring of social work in the school environment, there is a possibility to implement social work in schools through cooperation between schools and the third sector, since the target group of social workers in the non-profit sector also includes children and youth with problem behavior and behavioral disorders, or children at risk of socio-pathological phenomena and risky behavior (Mydlíková 2010), and thus if:
- another legal entity obtains accreditation to provide specialized social counseling (including in field form) under Act No. 448/2008 Coll. on Social Services and on Amendments to Certain Acts,
- and/or another legal entity obtains accreditation for the performance of various preventive activities under Act No. 305/2005 Coll. on Social and Legal Protection of Children and on Social Guardianship and on Amendments to Certain Acts.
In the practice of social work in the school environment, emphasis should be placed on the student's social environment and the resulting social support and social acceptance, as well as on increasing social competencies with the aim of effectively managing school stress and the demands placed on the student, as illustrated by the following author's Concept of Social Work in the School Environment. This Concept was developed based on the competencies of social workers defined above and the possibilities of current legislation and would also be usable in the school environment in Slovakia.
Figure 1: Concept of Social Work in the School Environment in Slovakia
The aim of the Concept of Social Work in the School Environment in Slovakia is to point out that during the educational process, the student is influenced by various intrapersonal (such as coping or failing to cope with school stress) and interpersonal aspects (for example, family and school environment, relationships among classmates, leisure time activities, and currently, virtual environments and social networks can also be included here). Individual intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects can thus cause social, emotional, academic, behavioral, economic, cultural and educational problems and predict the emergence and development of problem behavior in children.
Conclusion
The role of social workers in the school environment within social prevention and intervention could be to help students by increasing competencies and social skills associated with the development of adaptive strategies for coping with school stress. At the same time, based on their competencies, they could also focus their attention on the child's family environment – perceived social support in the family, relationships with parents, social acceptance with a connection to the family and school environment, as well as on peer, friendship and school environment relationships. The aim of the contribution was to point out the competencies of social workers and, based on that, the possibilities of using their potential in the school environment when working with at-risk children and youth.
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