Introduction

Social work is an essential carer in the society, that is concerned with individuals, families, groups an communities, to improve the social functioning and well being of the society. Social work is therefore involved with installing and driving life in any social setting. The society entrusts the social workers with their problems, with the hope that they will help in offering effective solutions, that will make their lives better (Amadeo, 2011). Therefore one would argue that due to the dekecasy and the role this role plays in the society, there is nee to ensure competency in work.Although this is undisputable, the question is, is competency just enough to ensure the quality of services and improvement of quality I the social work?

Constant competency is good but not enough. It allows only one to grasp theoretical concepts,assess the real issue and intervene with accuracy. Competency helps to get the job done. However, social more needs more than just getting the work done. This is because social work is more than a job. Unlike another professional who has one central commitment and objective of the profession, social work involves a diversified approach to individual needs. Social workers are educators, innovators, change agents,encouragers, etc .therefore the role of being a social work demand that individuals must go beyond just meeting the criteria. The implication of this is that constant competency is not adequate. A social worker must, therefore, by all means, push for personal and professional excellence (Vera & Speight, 2003). This can be achieved by advocating for professional improvement. Therefore although competency is fundamental for effective delivery of the services in the professional social workers should ensure that they maintain consistency in the improvement of their competency levels.

Competency includes rage factors including the skills, positive latitude that leads to empowerment and knowledge of crucial aspects of a specific field. Since social workers are concerned with not only solving individuals problems in life but also fostering and establishing a foundation for personal development, it’s difficult to ensure this if the professional worker is not ready for personal and professional development. A social worker should be prepared to appreciate and learn new skills, values, and behaviors among individuals that occur as a result of a change in human life. The world is revolving, with innovation and creativity bringing a new lifestyle, problems and solutions to challenges and complexities in life (Eraut, 2012). This means that a social work competency that is stagnant and does not embrace elevation to understand and accommodate these changes will not be able to provide a solution to clients problems tomorrow effectively.

In conclusion, Social workers should not only ensure they are competent in their work but also that the competencies are continuously improved throughout one’s professional life. Elevating competency alleviates the value for a professional social worker. For a social worker to impact the lives of others, there is a need to accept diversity and constant change in peoples life. Hence social workers should be ready to acquire incremental knowledge through research, reflection and expanding education.

References

Amadeo, K. (2011, April 26). 8 Ways a Dodd-Frank Repeal Hurts You. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/dodd-frank-wall-street-reform-act-3305688

Eraut, M. (2012). Developing professional knowledge and competence. Routledge.

Vera, E. M., & Speight, S. L. (2003). Multicultural competence, social justice, and counseling psychology: Expanding our roles. The Counseling Psychologist, 31(3), 253-272.