Artykuł prezentuje wyniki badania jakościowego realizowanego w Instytucie Nauk Socjologicznych KUL dotyczącego doświadczeń w pracy pracowników systemu pomocy społecznej w czasie pandemii COVID-19. Przeprowadzono je od września do listopad 2021 roku wśród pracowników socjalnych i asystentów rodziny z województwa lubelskiego, posługując się techniką indywidualnych wywiadów pogłębionych. Przedstawione opinie na temat zmian w warunkach pracy, a także konsekwencji pandemii w kontaktach z klientami uzupełniają dotychczasowy stan wiedzy o instytucjach pomocy społecznej i jej pracownikach funkcjonujących w okresie pandemii COVID-19.

This paper aims to establish strategies of coping with COVID-19 pandemic adopted by the clients of social assistance from the perspective of social workers. The qualitative research among Polish social workers and family assistants was conducted from September to November 2021. Based on 30 in-depth interviews with social work professionals, groups of social assistance clients behaviours were identified and classified into the theoretical models of reactions to social change by Merton and Giddens. The following types of behaviour have been selected and categorized into four groups of reactions when dealing with social workers in a pandemic situation: coolheaded calculation, defiance, confusion, and adaptation. At the same time, reactions to the situation of social change were categorized into one of the strategies of active or passive behaviour: innovation, contestation, retreat, and acceptance. In addition, we discussed the impact of clients coping strategies on social workers and established three attitudes of the surveyed social workers: adapting to the pandemic situation and customer behaviour, assuming the role of an emotional buffer and informant, and expecting support from superiors and coworkers. Knowing the behaviour of social assistance clients in a challenging situation makes it possible to adopt tailor-made measures.

The goal of the article is to analyze the socio-professional role of a social worker, taking the theory of social roles and the main elements of the role. The result of the analysis is the model of the social and professional role of a social worker presented in the article. The article is a scientific reflection in the context of tasks, expectations and rights that are faced by social workers. The author analyzes the current literature in the field of sociology and social psychology and presents discussions on qualitative field research conducted in the period from November 2020 to January 2021. The research was conducted using the technique of in-depth individual interviews, in which social workers from Lublin, Radom and Puławy participated. As part of the research undertaken, the author analyzes the perception of the social and professional role by social workers. The article is a voice in the discussion on the professional roles of social workers and the tasks they face. The analysis of the research results gives the opportunity to indicate the needs of social workers and the challenges faced by the system in which the profession operates.

This article explores the perceived benefits and barriers associated with employing former prisoners as street outreach workers, based on the perspectives of social welfare and prison system professionals. The study aims to contribute to discussions on collaborative approaches to social reintegration and community-based support for socially excluded populations. A qualitative study was conducted between January and March 2025 using in-depth individual interviews. The sample consisted of 30 participants, including 15 social welfare workers and 15 prison officers with professional experience in working with individuals leaving prison. The findings indicate that employing former prisoners as street outreach workers is perceived as offering potential benefits, such as increased credibility, authenticity, and improved engagement with hard-to-reach groups, alongside significant concerns related to emotional stability, institutional readiness, and the risk of role strain. The results suggest that this model may represent an innovative form of support for social reintegration when embedded within appropriate structures of preparation, supervision, and inter-institutional cooperation. The study contributes to ongoing debates on peer-based support and post-prison employment by highlighting professional perceptions of both opportunities and limitations associated with this approach.

Rodzina jest fundamentalnym środowiskiem rozwoju każdego człowieka. Funkcjonalna rodzina jest podstawowym składnikiem dobra wspólnego. Współcześnie często dochodzi do sytuacji, w której rodzina nie radzi sobie z wypełnianiem ważnych zadań, staje się niewydolna, niezaradna, problemowa. Część odpowiedzialności za funkcjonowanie takiej rodziny przejmują instytucje i profesje wspomagające rodzinę, do których od niedawna należy asystent rodziny. Asystent rodziny to „młody” zawód, został wprowadzony w 2012 roku i do końca roku 2014 był rozwiązaniem nieobowiązkowym. Od 1 stycznia 2015 roku na każdą gminę został nałożony obowiązek zatrudniania asystentów rodziny. Zawód asystenta rodziny jest wciąż rozwijającą się profesją. Z roku na rok zatrudnianych jest coraz więcej asystentów, co świadczy o dużym zapotrzebowaniu. Jednak organizacyjny kontekst zawodu wciąż wymaga doprecyzowania. Takie zagadnienia, jak kompetencje asystentów rodzin, warsztat, metody, narzędzia, kwalifikacje, to szczególnie istotne kwestie, zważywszy na trudność pracy z rodziną dysfunkcyjną. Głównym celem artykułu jest wskazanie preferowanych kompetencji i umiejętności potrzebnych do wykonywania zawodu asystenta rodziny, a tym samym przesłanek do podnoszenia jakości pracy asystentów rodziny. Prezentowane stanowisko wynika z analizy badań przeprowadzonych wśród asystentów rodziny w latach 2016-2017. Badania ujawniają m.in. nowe wyzwania i potrzeby w zakresie uzupełniania kompetencji.

The family is the fundamental environment for every human being’s development. A functional family is the basic component of the common good. Presently, there are often situations when a family cannot cope with fulfilling important tasks, so it becomes inefficient, inconsiderate, and problematic. Part of the responsibility for the proper functioning of such a family is taken over by institutions and professionals supporting the family, and the family assistance profession recently joined this group. Family assistance is a “young” profession, introduced in 2012, and by the end of 2014, it was an optional solution. As of January 1, 2015, the obligation to employ family assistants was imposed on every community. The profession of a family assistant is still developing. More and more assistants are being recruited from year to year, which points to their high demand. However, the organizational context of the profession still needs to be clarified. Issues such as the competence of family assistants, their workshops, methods, tools, and qualifications are particularly important when considering the difficulty of working with a dysfunctional family. The main purpose of the article is to indicate the preferred competences and skills needed to perform the profession of a family assistant, and thus the prerequisites for improving the service quality of family assistants. The presented position results from the analysis of research carried out among family assistants in 2016–2017. Research shows, however, that there are new challenges and needs for meeting competences.