A community support worker provides help to disadvantaged members in a community that are in need of ongoing help and assistance in their lives. They work closely with a wide range of social groups with the main goal being to provide the best level of support and care that they can depending on the person or group of people and their physical and/or mental disabilities and deficiencies. A support worker in a community cab be required to provide a wide range of assistance including physical, vocational, social, emotional, recreational and educational development.
A career in community support is similar to those of a caregiver or social worker but also includes an important educational component; the goal is not only to assist people on a one-off basis but to help them over the longer term to develop skills and coping mechanisms that will enable them to achieve greater independence and control over their daily lives. It requires a person who has great empathy and patience for people from all walks of life and can be a rewarding career for those that enjoy helping others.
To be successful in this role a person must not only be passionate about helping people but must also have strong interpersonal and communication skills so that they can engage with their clients successfully.
To embark on this career path a person usually undertakes a course of study in community support work at the certificate or diploma level. Education in the various disabilities and social problems that people face and the impact on their lives is critical. They must also learn to provide support to people with specific disabilities, and the problems that arise from them, and to develop and apply problem-solving strategies for issues that clients may have.
Practical experience in the field is also a vital component of becoming a support worker through career training opportunities through various organizations tasked with community support or placement in government organizations. Vocational training is just as important as classroom learning and enables practice in a real-life setting that will often correspond to what a person will do when they complete their training.
Once their education is complete a person wishing to become a community support worker should begin applying at various community support groups as a volunteer at first and then for paid positions. There is usually no shortage of vacant positions in the field and prospective employers can include youth programs, schools, rehabilitation centers, after school teen leisure programs, women’s shelters and drug rehabilitation centers among others.
