Ensuring the quality of social services as a task of training social workers

Abstract

The article discusses the need to reform the social services system and train social workers in Ukraine in the context of European integration. The main emphasis is placed on the importance of implementing European quality standards, in particular the European Quality Framework for Social Services. The study compares approaches to quality assurance with the European Framework, with particular emphasis on inclusivity, collaboration, and safety. An analysis of the implementation of the European framework for the quality of social services was carried out on the example of Ireland, emphasizing the voluntary nature of its use in EU member states and the individual approach of each country to the assessment of the quality of social services. The main focus is devoted to the study of the professional training of future social workers and their ability to provide high-quality social services. The need for future social work professionals to develop key competencies such as communication, empathy, management skills, and cultural competence has been identified. The integration of European standards into social work education remains a problem, so the authors emphasize the importance of adapting educational programs for training specialists using various approaches, such as project-oriented learning, case-based learning, supervision, problem-oriented learning, practical training in field conditions, simulation, and role-playing games, research projects, digital platforms, and interdisciplinary courses. These approaches contribute to the formation of a wide range of competencies that meet modern challenges and requirements of European standards. The importance of a systematic approach to the integration of European standards into educational programs for improving the quality of social services in Ukraine is emphasized.