The purpose of social work is to enable children, adults, families, groups and communities to function, participate and develop in society. Social workers practise in a society of complexity, change and diversity, and the majority of people to whom they provide services, are among the most vunerable and disadvantaged in that society. Social workers are employed by a range of statutory, voluntary and private organisations, and work in collaboration with collegues from allied professions and departments, as part of a network of welfare, health ,housing, education and criminal justice provision.
Social work and criminal justice agencies are given specific responibilities and powers through statute, and social workers and probation officers have to practise within legislative frameworks and organisational policies and procedures. They have to balance the needs, rights, responsibilities and resources of people with those of those of the wider community, and provide appropriate levels of support, advocacy, care, protection and control.
Therefore to qualify for the award of the DipSW, students must at the point of final assessment provide evidence of their competence to:
| Communicate and Engage | Communicate and engage with organisations and people within communities to promote opportunities for children, adults, families and groups at risk or in need to function, participate and develop in society. |
| Promote and Enable | Promote opportunities for people to use their own strengths and expertise to enable them to meet responsibilities, secure rights and achieve change. |
| Assess and Plan | Work in partnership to assess and review peoples cicumstances and plan responses to need and risk. |
| Intervene and Provide Services | Intervene and provide services to achieve change, through provision or purchase of appropriate levels of support, care, protection and control. |
| Work in Organisations | Contribute to the work of organisations. |
| Develop Professional Competence | Manage and evaluate own capacity to develop professional competence. |