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Social and community service workers

OaSIS code 42201.00

Social and community service workers administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services, and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems.

Overview

Also known as

  • Aboriginal outreach worker
  • Addictions worker
  • Child and youth worker
  • Community development worker
  • Community service worker
  • Crisis intervention worker
  • Developmental service worker
  • Drop-in centre worker
  • Family service worker
  • Group home worker
  • Income maintenance officer - social services
  • Life skills instructor
  • Mental health worker
  • Rehabilitation worker - social services
  • Social services worker
  • Veteran services officer
  • Welfare and compensation officer
  • Women's shelter supervisor
  • Youth worker

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Review client background information, interview clients to obtain case history and prepare intake reports
  • Assess clients' relevant skill strengths and needs
  • Assist clients to sort out options and develop plans of action while providing necessary support and assistance
  • Assess and investigate eligibility for social benefits
  • Refer clients to other social services or assist clients in locating and utilizing community resources including legal, medical and financial assistance, housing, employment, transportation, day care and other services
  • Counsel clients living in group homes and halfway houses, supervise their activities and assist in pre-release and release planning
  • Participate in the selection and admission of clients to appropriate programs
  • Implement life skills workshops, substance abuse treatment programs, behaviour management programs, youth services programs and other community and social service programs under the supervision of social services or health care professionals
  • Meet with clients to assess their progress, give support and discuss any difficulties or problems
  • Assist in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment programs by tracking clients' behavioural changes and responses to interventions
  • Advise and aid recipients of social assistance and pensions
  • Provide crisis intervention and emergency shelter services
  • Implement and organize the delivery of specific services within the community
  • Maintain contact with other social service agencies and health care providers involved with clients to provide information and obtain feedback on clients' overall progress
  • Mobilise and coordinate volunteer resources and activities for a range of organizations such as human service agencies, health care facilities, arts and sports, etc.
  • May maintain program statistics for purposes of evaluation and research
  • May supervise social service support workers and volunteers.

Additional information

  • Progression to professional occupations in social services, such as family and marriage counsellors, social workers, and probation and parole officers, is possible with additional training and experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Managers in social, community and correctional services (40030)
  • Educational counsellors (41320)
  • Social workers (41300)
  • Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (41301)
  • Instructors of persons with disabilities (42203)
  • Activities leader - seniors (in 54100.01 Program leaders and instructors in recreation and sport)

Skills match:

View occupations with similar skills and abilities requirements

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

4 – Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

42 – Front-line public protection services and paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community, education services

Sub-major group

422 – Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services

Minor group

4220 – Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services

Unit group

42201 – Social and community service workers

Occupational profile

42201.00 – Social and community service workers

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Assisting and Caring for Others
5 - Highest Level
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
4 - High Level
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
4 - High Level
Applying New Knowledge
3 - Moderate Level
Clerical Activities
3 - Moderate Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
3 - Moderate amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
2 - Between 35 to 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
4 - Close (at arm’s length)

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
3 - About half the time
Standing
Duration
2 - Less than half the time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
1 - Very little time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
5 - Every day, almost continuously
Duration
5 - All the time, or almost all the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
4 - Highly important
Frequency
4 - Every day, a few times per day

Workplaces/employers

  • Community organizations and establishments
  • Correctional facilities
  • Government agencies
  • Group homes
  • Mental health agencies
  • School boards
  • Shelters
  • Social service agencies
  • Substance abuse centres

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Multitasking
4 - High Level
Verbal Ability
4 - High Level
Auditory Attention
3 - Moderate Level
Categorization Flexibility
3 - Moderate Level
Deductive Reasoning
3 - Moderate Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Social Perceptiveness
5 - Highest Level
Negotiating
4 - High Level
Oral Communication: Active Listening
4 - High Level
Persuading
4 - High Level
Coordinating
3 - Moderate Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Collaboration
5 - Extremely important
Concern for Others
5 - Extremely important
Service Orientation
5 - Extremely important
Social Orientation
5 - Extremely important
Stress Tolerance
5 - Extremely important

Interests

The OaSIS uses the Holland Codes to describe the work-related interests. According to the Holland model, people work best in work environments that match their preferences, which means that people and work environments can be matched for a best fit. Occupational environments in Holland’s theory are described according to a combination of main interests and the activities they represent. There are six interests in the Holland typology: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. All occupations in OaSIS have up to three interests assigned to them.

Interests

Preferences for work environments and outcomes.

Interests profile: SCE

Social (S)

Social occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the interaction with others to inform, train, aid, develop, cure, or enlighten. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others, teaching, working or communicating with people.

Conventional (C)

Conventional occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail following sets of procedures and routines. These activities may include systematic manipulation of data, such as keeping records, filing materials, reproducing materials, organizing written and numerical data according to a prescribed plan, and operating business and data processing. They often require following a clear line of authority and usually involve working with data and details more than with ideas.

Enterprising (E)

Enterprising occupations are characterized by the dominance of action-oriented activities to attain organizational or self-interest goals. They frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects, influencing, leading or mobilizing people, making decisions, and sometimes require risk taking and dealing with business.

Employment requirements

Employment requirements includes the education, training, certifications and the knowledge required to work in each occupation. The Knowledge category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency, and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of Knowledge descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Education, certification and licensing

  • Completion of a college or university program in social work, child and youth care, psychology or other social science or health-related discipline is usually required.
  • Previous work experience in a social service environment as a volunteer or in a support capacity may replace formal education requirements for some occupations in this unit group.
  • Social service workers may be required to be a member of a provincial regulatory body in some provinces.

Knowledge

Knowledge level
Clerical
3 - Advanced Level
Training, Mentoring and Coaching
3 - Advanced Level
Business Management
2 - Intermediate Level
Client Service
2 - Intermediate Level
Hospitality
2 - Intermediate Level

Skills for success

 
Skills for Success Model
 
Skills for Success are skills that help you in a quickly changing world. Everyone benefits from having these skills. They can help you to get a job, progress at your current job or even change jobs. The skills also help you become an active member of your community and succeed in learning.
 
 
Linkages Between ESDC Skills Models and Frameworks
 
ESDC makes available a dictionary of over 300 terms (or descriptors) and definitions, known as the Skills and Competencies Taxonomy (SCT). Descriptor information from the Taxonomy is used in the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS).
 
While there is general commonality of meaning between the descriptors in the SCT and the Skills for Success model, there are some differences in their definitions due to their distinct purposes. The Skills for Success Model [9 broadly defined skills] identifies the skills that are universally applicable. The SCT displays specific skills and competency requirements for 900 occupations. Users of the Skills for Success Model and Essential Skills content may find competency information from the Taxonomy and the OaSIS to be complementary.
 
Stay tuned to this section for more information and updates regarding linkages between the Skills for Success model and the OaSIS.

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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