The primary task of community social work is building social networks by reinforcing people's resources and those of the different environmental and social contexts from three dimensions: personal development, social development and organisational development. The new information technologies today establish a relationship of communication with local communities and citizens that promotes proximity to social networks. Social intervention is supported by a set of methods from human geography that can be used as tools to create maps of the territory and the networks for planning, diagnosing and classifying the management of community network intervention. In this discussion we set out to analyse the contribution of the intervention in social networks as a means of achieving a new configuration of social networks at the local level. This information is obtained from semi-structured interviews with social workers and other professionals in the social sphere in municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants in the Madrid region (Spain). The research results show that intervention in social networks locally multiplies the opportunities to enhance the quality of people's social relationships, thus expanding their social support by strengthening their bonds, their personal network and support systems; secondly, it increases empowerment to facilitate a type of intervention to strengthen human potential and to gain autonomy and full citizenship.

Resumo Este artigo problematiza a adequação das respostas sociais dirigidas às pessoas idosas, como parte integrante das políticas de proteção social na velhice, em expansão, em Portugal desde o processo de democratização e modernização do pós-25 de abril de 1974. São analisadas as respostas sociais dirigidas à população idosa desde 1974. Conclui-se por descoincidências e ausências que implicam redefinição de políticas com efetiva sincronização entre diagnósticos sociais e serviço público.

The current study aimed to test the fit of the Portuguese version of the Hartford Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II – Assessment subscale (GSWCS-A) and explore its factor structure and psychometric properties in a sample of 534 social workers working in the gerontology field. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that all items presented good factor loadings and that the single-component model fit the data well. The GSWCS-A showed very good internal consistency. Despite the existence of different theoretical perspectives on Social Work, which frame the required competencies for professional practice, the GSWCS-A Portuguese version revealed similitudes with studies conducted in other countries. Nevertheless, the different factor structures (single-component vs. bi-factorial) may indicate that different competencies are being emphasised in terms of professional training. To sum, the GSWCS-A may be a short and useful self-report instrument for addressing social workers’ assessment competencies in the gerontology setting.

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo presentar los resultados sobre una subescala suministrada a trabajadores sociales, en Portugal, que intervienen con personas mayores y que evalúa las competencias de estos acerca de los «Valores, éticas y perspectivas teóricas». El estudio, además de analizar la estructura factorial y las propiedades psicométricas de la subescala, compara las puntuaciones medias con las de otros países. La investigación se hizo con las/los trabajadoras/es sociales que asumen funciones de liderazgo en las respuestas sociales dirigidas a personas mayores (n = 387). Los resultados indican una estructura bifactorial (competencias transversales versus competencias especializadas sobre la práctica profesional), y que explica aproximadamente el 64,72% de la varianza. La consistencia interna fue de 0,90 (α de Cronbach). Las diferencias de las medias encontradas, que son superiores en Portugal, especialmente en las competencias transversales que conducen a la integración de los valores y las éticas en la práctica profesional, nos llevan a considerar que, a pesar de la ausencia de un código de ética portugués, el proyecto educativo y profesional está basado en la centralidad de los valores y de la ética.

The main objective of this study is to determine whether mediation is regarded as an autonomous discipline from both academic and professional standpoints. To achieve this, the study initially conducted a review of the most recent literature on the subject, followed by gathering opinions from experts, professionals, and trainers across eight different countries through in‐depth interviews and discussion groups. Among the primary findings of the research, it becomes apparent that while mediation remains a relatively underexplored topic, existing literature suggests that it possesses elements to assert its status as a scientific discipline, evidenced by its own axioms, paradigms, models, and methodologies. However, the professionals and experts consulted contend that it falls short of being classified as such. They cite several challenges, including the scarcity of real cases for investigation, the disconnect between theory and professional application, and the need for enhanced quality in scientific research to surmount the stagnation it has encountered for years.

Information about the paper titled "PREPARING STUDENTS TO APPLY TRANSVERSAL SKILLS - A CASE STUDY IN HIGHER EDUCATION" at IATED Digital Library