Social Work Profession
Social work is a profession which originates from humanitarian, religious and democratic ideals and philosophies. It has universal application to meet human needs arising from personal-societal interactions, and to develop human potentials.

Professional social workers are dedicated to service for the welfare and self-fulfilment of human beings; to the development and disciplined use of scientific knowledge regarding human behaviour and society; to the development of resources to meet individual, group, national and international needs and aspirations; to the enhancement and improvement of the quality of life of people; and to the achievement of social justice.

Nowadays, social workers have to encounter more challenges in their work. They persistently provide assistance to those living in poverty and predicament. Besides, they care and show support to those living at the edge of the society and feeling hopeless and helpless. As a result, people who are in need can seek advice and solution from social worker in order to get rid of the dilemma.

Instead of providing supportive, preventive and potential service to our users, social workers also encourages users to review their growing process and confront the challenges in their real lives. Throughout the process of empowering them, the following objectives can be achieved:

1. Upgrade human resources: To increase individual competence, attitude and motivation, to cultivate positive individual and social values, to develop human resources in contributing to the society
2. Advocate for a more equitable social environment: To prevent the poor and the bounded community from social exclusion, to avoid suppression and discrimination, to advocate for a more equitable social environment, to help the users to be self-reliant
3. Condense family power: To consolidate and strengthen family function, to enhance family’s ability in fostering good care for the next generation, to establish a friendly attitude towards family
4. Promote community unity: To build up integrative and mutually accepted social environment, to encourage self-help and mutual support, to promote positive and trustworthy social relationship, social participation and harmonious society
5. Establish a fairer society: To advocate and promote rational division of social resources, to take part and supervise the formulation and implementation of policies, and to improve the present social system

Till now, there are more than 13,000 registered social workers in Hong Kong. Most of them work in the Social Welfare Department or NGOs. The scopes of service are mainly divided into family and children welfare, youth service, rehabilitation service, elderly service, correctional service, community development, medical social service, etc. As the welfare services should be operated in coordination with the economic and societal changes, the welfare sectors have to develop multi-party and multi-disciplinary cooperation among NGOs, the business sector, academics and the Government in setting up more services such as service for new arrivals, employees retraining programme, chronic illness support project, AIDS support project, urban renewal working team, etc. Hence, the scope of work by social workers should further extends to labour, employment, education, health, medical, housing, urban renewal, cultural and leisure, alleviating poverty and international rescue, etc.

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