1. Basic knowledge of:
1.1. the European Union’s regulations in the field of integration and discrimination prevention, integration policy in Latvia;
1.2. the European Union’s financial instruments;
1.3. the European Union’s social policies, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Social Charter of the European Union;
1.4. socio-economic processes in the country (demographic processes, employment, inflation, quality of life indicators, education, culture, health care, etc.);
1.5. national policy-making and implementation process, public administration;
1.6. regional and local development in Latvia (local government functions, administrative apparatus, political parties, functions of deputies);
1.7. globalization dynamics, social change in Europe and the world.
2. Understanding of:
2.1. historical development of social work;
2.2. social development and social policy;
2.3. impact of social and environmental factors on the human (individual, family, group, community);
2.4. functional and dysfunctional relationships (partner, family, group relationships);
2.5. family sociology and psychology;
2.6. living conditions of vulnerable groups, social factors affecting them;
2.7. theories of poverty, poverty as a social problem, poverty culture;
2.8. disability, types thereof and care of persons with disabilities in Latvia;
2.9. suicide, types thereof and death;
2.10. violence, types and symptoms thereof, violence-causing factors;
2.11. addiction types and dynamics, work with people with addiction problems;
2.12. types of co-addiction and problems of co-addicts;
2.13. religions and its role in human life;
2.14. international human rights;
2.16. discrimination, social exclusion, oppression signs, process, causes, consequences and possible solutions in society;
2.17. deviance and delinquence;
2.18. social statistics;
2.19. basics of logic;
2.20. fundamentals of psychiatry, psychotherapy, anthropology, psychology (general, developmental, personality and social);
2.21. Latvian health care system;
2.22. Latvian education system;
2.23. basics of law and the judicial system in Latvia;
2.24. basics of economics;
2.25. professional terminology in the official language and at least two foreign languages (Russian and one of the official languages of the European Union).
3. Ability to apply knowledge of:
3.1. characteristics of the social worker profession;
3.2. social security system in Latvia;
3.3. theories, methods and functions of social work when working with individuals, families, groups and communities;
3.4. problem-solving in social work;
3.5. professional values and ethics of social work;
3.6. legal framework of social service providers in Latvia;
3.7. network of social service providers in Latvia;
3.8. social work with different groups of customers;
3.9. teamwork in social work;
3.10. types of social services and social assistance;
3.11. quality, assessment and provision of social services and social assistance;
3.12. interacting with different groups of clients and client counselling in social work;
3.13. conflict resolution methods in social work;
3.14. stress management;
3.15. supervision in social work;
3.16. minority lifestyle, customs, values, stereotypes, discrimination and integration process;
3.17. environmental factors in social work;
3.18. sociology basics, social research methods;
3.19. voluntary work;
3.20. street social work;
3.21. management theory;
3.22. project management;
3.23. principles of ethics;
3.24. use of information technology (Microsoft Office, databases, Web browsers);
3.25. official language;
3.26. at least two foreign languages (Russian and one of the official languages of the European Union) at the communication level.
3.27. labour protection;
3.28. environmental protection;
3.29. employment relationship.

1. To identify a client’s social problems at a micro, meso and macro levels.
2. To carry out social needs research at a micro, meso and macro levels of social work and caritative social work.
3. To support, improve and promote the social functioning of a client and his/her family members.
4. To provide assistance and support in solving social problems, providing an opportunity of participation and complying with social justice.
5. To consider and identify the compliance of the environment with a client’s needs.
6. To help clients to assess and attract resources, defend clients’ interests.
7. To promote personal interaction with the social environment, improving interpersonal support systems.
8. To plan and carry out social work with communities.
9. To plan and carry out intervention work with families and groups.
10. To identify, assess and plan activities to mitigate social risk and religious practice risk groups.
11. To develop and implement prevention programs at all levels of social work practice.
12. To analyse the formation, development and correlations of global social problems.
13. To promote respect of human traditions, cultures, beliefs and religions between different ethnic groups and communities.
14. To adhere to the principles of professional and general ethics.
15. To establish work priorities, work in a team and plan, organize and manage activities thereof, and work also individually.
16. To systematically improve professional qualification.
17. To use professional terminology in the official language and at least two foreign languages (Russian and one of the official languages of the European Union).
18. To know the official language.
19. To know at least two foreign languages (Russian and one of the official languages of the European Union) at the communication level.

1. Ability to identify, define, analyse and solve social problems.
2. Ability to manage the process of problem-solving and social cases.
3. Ability to plan, organize and manage social work with individuals, families, groups and communities.
4. Ability to identify, attract and develop resources in various areas of social work practice.
5. Ability to find alternative solutions to social problems and choose the right strategy.
6. Ability to assess the quality and efficiency of social services.
7. Ability to develop and implement social services projects.
8. Ability to analyse and assess one’s professional activities and improve them.
9. Ability to promote community development, accessibility of social services according to the social needs of the people.
10. Ability to engage in design, development, marketing and evaluation of the social policy.
11. Ability to build a supervision practice, engaging, reflecting and improving one’s competence throughout the entire working life.
12. Ability to implement a non-discriminatory social work practice, contributing to the social inclusion of socially excluded and endangered persons.
13. Ability to conduct research.
14. Ability to analyse the formation, development and correlations of global social problems.
15. Ability to communicate in the official language and two foreign languages (Russian and one of the official languages of the European Union).