In my undergraduate thesis, I addressed the challenges faced by social workers during the Covid 19 pandemic. I looked at the challenges faced by social workers themselves, but also in the context of their work environment. I examined how staff and how management responded to the challenges that arose. In comparing the first and second waves of the Covid 19 pandemic, I was also interested in who provided help and support to social workers and how their work was carried out. I also looked at possible good practices in the workplace and what needs to be done differently in similar future situations. In the theoretical part of my thesis I define social workers as a profession and focus on the basic qualities of a social worker. I introduce the components of a working relationship used when dealing with service users. Next, I introduce the centres for social work and emphasize the occurrence of stress in the workplace. In the third chapter I focus specifically on social work in exceptional circumstances and how it relates to the new Covid 19 virus. In the final part of my theoretical findings, I describe Covid-19 and social work. I was particularly interested in the consequences of the pandemic, how these consequences are reflected in individuals and in groups, and what tasks social workers must undertake in the exceptional circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the empirical section of the paper, I present my findings. My research was qualitative and conducted with a non-probability convenience sampling. Data was collected from nine social workers employed at centres for social work. I found that social workers were most likely to face challenges such as communicating with service users by telephone and email and how to provide effective help without direct contact with service users. Also important was the relationship between social worker satisfaction and the ability to combine working from home with working in the setting. I found that social workers who had the opportunity to work from home were more satisfied with the organization of work than those who were not offered the opportunity to work from home. Social workers were also satisfied with service users being able to make appointments in advance. The findings of my research also highlight the inadequacy of management's response to the situation as their response was not considerate of staff and did not take into account their opinions and needs. I found that during the exceptional circumstances, social workers did not contact the services that were additionally activated during the pandemic, but only worked with those they were already in contact with before the pandemic. When comparing the first and second waves of the pandemic, the most striking differences were in improved work organization, reduced feelings of anxiety and an increase in caseloads and reported social distress in the second wave of the Covid 19 pandemic. Notwithstanding the differences in individual social workers' experiences of the pandemic, they emphasize coordination of work from home and work in the facility, as well as making appointments with service providers in advance, as examples of good workplace practices. I myself see the possible improvements in work organization for similar future situations in the management giving more support to their staff, in joint meetings between staff and management and in organizing the work according to the needs and suggestions of the staff.
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