Mistrust and insecurity: the strategies and tools of social service

Social workers are professionals who can bridge the gap between citizens and institutions through the promotion of contacts among different systems. Social workers provide exper- tise and resources to effectively address specific problems. Social workers apply their competences directly to the users and they participate, at different levels, in the construction of goals and practices among diverse services for the production of well-being. Furthermore, social workers employ their skills in the process of assessment of the effectiveness, the suitability, the outcomes and the quality of the provided services, helping also to shape citizens’ satisfaction towards specific services. Starting from a reflection on the work placement of social workers, on the challenges posed by insecurity and on the lack of confidence they have to face regarding their daily professional activities, the authors identify the integration of social and health provisions as a tool to co-construct the trust between users and institutions. At the same time, this paper stresses the significance of continued professional education for social workers as a possibility to actively participate in the processes of integration between policies and service provision, emphasizing the value-oriented character of the profession.

Keywords: Social worker, professional skills, multiprofessional integration

Cristiana Pregno, Barbara Rosina, Tra sfiducia e insicurezza: strategie e strumenti del servizio sociale in "RIVISTA TRIMESTRALE DI SCIENZA DELL’AMMINISTRAZIONE" 4/2012, pp 49-66, DOI: 10.3280/SA2012-004003