This master’s thesis examines the various forms of support and assistance available to employees in social work centres. In the theoretical section, I trace the historical development of support mechanisms for social workers and assess their current availability. I also review relevant legislation and analyse the determinants of work-related stress, the impact of employee relationships, and various self-help and self-care techniques. My research investigates the support options that employees perceive as beneficial and identifies the factors that trigger the need for additional assistance, including the challenges and obstacles they encounter in their roles. I further explore the incidence and causes of stress within this context.
The empirical section presents findings from qualitative research conducted through semi-structured, open-ended interviews with a sample of eight conveniently selected male and female participants. The findings reflect the strategies individuals undertake in addition to consulting organized forms of support. The interview guide included questions about their work environment, specific challenges, existing support mechanisms, teamwork dynamics, stressors, self-help strategies, and potential improvements to current support systems. I also inquired about the roles of supervision and intervision as forms of support for social workers.
The results reveal that social workers struggle to balance their personal and professional lives, face overwork, and experience pressures from clients and the broader community. The nature of their work emerges as the primary source of stress, significantly impacting their well-being. Many participants expressed feelings of inadequate knowledge. Supervision was identified as the most critical form of organized support, while intervision remained predominantly informal.
Additionally, strong support from colleagues and teamwork proved essential. The findings highlight the importance of both intra-professional cooperation and multidisciplinary collaboration. A diverse array of self-care techniques was reported, emphasizing the need for social workers to develop self-care skills during their academic training.
The results and recommendations from this research can be valuable not only for employees of social work centres but also for their managers and other professionals capable of implementing systemic changes to enhance the working conditions for social workers.
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