Social Work Professional Competency Framework (General)

(Tripartite, three-tier eight domains and 47 aspects) (HKASW, 2023)

1.1 Emphasize Humanity

  • Honor autonomy
  • Respect for inherent worth, uniqueness and dignity
  • Embrace diversity
  • Believe in potential to change

1.2  Promote Justice

  • Promote social justice
  • Promote economic justice
  • Promote environmental justice
  • Facilitate social inclusion

1.3  Demonstrate Commitment

  • Enhance human well-being
  • Improve global well-being
  • Develop quality service
  • Develop and advocate for policy change
  • Build healthy human relationships

1.4 Adhere to Professional Ethics

  • Practice with the social work professional code of ethics
  • Make ethical decisions in the social work process
  • Uphold professional integrity
  • Protect service users’ right

2.1 Demonstrate Knowledge and its Application

  • Use knowledge-based assessment
  • Use of theories in planning and intervention
  • Apply diverse theories to work with service users with special needs
  • Understand legal requirements relevant to social work practice
  • Know the availability of community resources
  • Possess up-to-date professional knowledge
  • Sustain understanding of socio-economic political conditions of the society
  • Understand and apply knowledge of research
  • Maintain professionalism
  • Apply a strength-based perspective

2.2 Demonstrate Skills

  • Engage service users with effective interpersonal and dynamics skills
  • Conduct assessment systematically and accurately
  • Demonstrate advocacy skills
  • Carry out knowledge-informed or evidence-based practice
  • Offer culturally sensitive practice for local communities
  • Implement critical evaluation of intervention
  • Engage in reflective practice to advance professional performance
  • Manage crisis and the unexpected
  • Proficient at task, time, administrative and people management
  • Utilize proper information technology
  • Promote community participation
  • Maintain physical, psychological, emotional and social well-being to deliver best practice
  • Demonstrate appropriate use of self in practice

3.1 Generate Societal Impact

  • Build social capital
  • Advocate for policy change
  • Develop innovative interventions
  • Promote human equity and global justice

3.2 Exert Professional Impact

  • Contribute professional expertise in inter-disciplinary collaboration
  • Expand new knowledge to advance professional practice
  • Conduct knowledge transfer

Specific PCF