Table 1Transition record

social counsellortosocial work assistant

A social counsellor already meets 45% of what the social work assistant role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.

From social counsellor

45%

Overlap1

To social work assistant

21 Skills carried over

12 Required, not held

62.7 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 62.7

This move: 62.7 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the social work assistant role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the social counsellor profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 21 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A social work assistant role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a social counsellor background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held assess clients' drug and alcohol addictions communication, collaboration and creativity
already held empower individuals, families and groups communication, collaboration and creativity
already held client-centred counselling health and welfare
already held identify mental health issues information skills
already held counselling methods health and welfare
already held adolescent psychological development social sciences, journalism and information

All 21 carried skills, including the 12 the social work assistant role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 31 missing skills fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 assisting and caring 7 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held apply person-centred care required
required, not held contribute to protecting individuals from harm required
required, not held meet standards of practice in social services required
required, not held prevent social problems required
required, not held protect vulnerable social service users required
required, not held manage ethical issues within social services required
required, not held provide support to social services users required

optional, not held assist families in crisis situations optional
optional, not held engage with offenders optional
optional, not held comply with legislation related to health care optional

02 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 required, 7 supplementary

required, not held apply problem solving in social service required
required, not held promote service users' rights required
required, not held work in a multicultural environment in health care required

optional, not held apply crisis intervention optional
optional, not held conduct interview in social service optional
optional, not held develop professional identity in social work optional
optional, not held empower social service users optional
optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
optional, not held give constructive feedback optional
optional, not held use foreign languages in patient care optional

03 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held review social service plan required

optional, not held apply holistic approach within social services optional

04 management skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held plan social service process required

optional, not held plan schedule optional

05 health and welfare 2 supplementary

optional, not held crisis intervention optional
optional, not held social work theory optional

06 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held consultation optional

4 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a social work assistant role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 21 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply quality standards in social services skill
already held assess social service users' situation skill
already held build helping relationship with social service users skill
already held communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields skill
already held communicate with social service users skill
already held deliver social services in diverse cultural communities skill
already held follow health and safety precautions in social care practices skill
already held listen actively skill
already held maintain records of work with service users skill
already held manage social crisis skill
already held provide social counselling skill
already held relate empathetically skill
already held adolescent psychological development knowledge
already held assess clients' drug and alcohol addictions skill
already held client-centred counselling knowledge
already held counselling methods knowledge
already held empower individuals, families and groups skill
already held identify mental health issues skill
already held legal requirements in the social sector knowledge
already held promote inclusion skill
already held social sciences knowledge

The 4 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 education 1 supplementary

optional, not held community education optional

08 generic programmes and qualifications 1 supplementary

optional, not held communication optional

09 services 1 supplementary

optional, not held health care system optional

10 social sciences, journalism and information 1 supplementary

optional, not held developmental psychology optional

19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held apply crisis intervention optional
optional, not held apply holistic approach within social services optional
optional, not held assist families in crisis situations optional
optional, not held conduct interview in social service optional
optional, not held develop professional identity in social work optional
optional, not held empower social service users optional
optional, not held engage with offenders optional
optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
optional, not held communication optional
optional, not held community education optional
optional, not held comply with legislation related to health care optional
optional, not held consultation optional
optional, not held crisis intervention optional
optional, not held developmental psychology optional
optional, not held give constructive feedback optional
optional, not held health care system optional
optional, not held plan schedule optional
optional, not held social work theory optional
optional, not held use foreign languages in patient care optional

74 held skills the social work assistant role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role accept own accountability skill
not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role address gender-related issues in family planning counselling skill
not needed by the target role administer appointments skill
not needed by the target role advise on family planning skill
not needed by the target role advise on mental health skill
not needed by the target role advise on pregnancy skill
not needed by the target role anger management knowledge
not needed by the target role apply foreign languages in social services skill
not needed by the target role apply socially just working principles skill
not needed by the target role assess the development of youth skill
not needed by the target role behavioural therapy knowledge
not needed by the target role carry out psychiatric assessment of child skill
not needed by the target role clinical social work knowledge
not needed by the target role cognitive behavioural therapy knowledge
not needed by the target role communicate by use of interpretation services skill
not needed by the target role communicate with youth skill
not needed by the target role cooperate at inter-professional level skill
not needed by the target role cooperate with professionals skill
not needed by the target role counsel patient on family concerns skill
not needed by the target role demonstrate leadership in social service cases skill
not needed by the target role dependency on drugs knowledge
not needed by the target role determine child welfare skill
not needed by the target role develop patient treatment strategies skill
not needed by the target role encourage counselled clients to examine themselves skill
not needed by the target role facilitate the healing process related to sexual assault skill
not needed by the target role family therapy knowledge
not needed by the target role have emotional intelligence skill
not needed by the target role help clients cope with grief skill
not needed by the target role help clients make decisions during counselling sessions skill
not needed by the target role human psychological development knowledge
not needed by the target role inform on the risks of substance and alcohol abuse skill
not needed by the target role maintain a non-emotional involvement skill
not needed by the target role maintain the trust of service users skill
not needed by the target role manage stress in the work place skill
not needed by the target role movement techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role organise relapse prevention skill
not needed by the target role peer group methods knowledge
not needed by the target role perform therapy sessions skill
not needed by the target role pharmacology knowledge

34 further entries not listed here

7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held communication optional
optional, not held community education optional
optional, not held consultation optional
optional, not held crisis intervention optional
optional, not held developmental psychology optional
optional, not held health care system optional
optional, not held social work theory optional

Index

Other moves recorded from social counsellor

Full index of moves from social counsellor

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.