Evolution of social work and other aid professions in Europe in the 20th and 21st centuries: towards a new professionalism of aid practices

The 20th century European welfare states appeared as the final products of all public activities undertaken to solve the 19th-century social issue. The welfare states’ infrastructure is founded on three main pillars: regulated labour markets, social transfers organized within social security systems and social services provided by specialists representing the variety of helping professions. In the 21st century the main field of social investment are social services and the role of professional helpers as agents of the well-being distribution is raising up. At the same time the framework of professional helping practices is reshaped due to evolution of social policy, changes of needs and expectations of citizens. The direction of ongoing changes is driven by such ideas as community-centred approach, personalization of support, concept of double empowerment (empowering both: social services users and deliverers), work on capabilities, cooperation between specialists representing the variety of helping professions and mutual consideration of competence. A special role in forming the new professionalism of helping practices is to be played by social work due to its special position among helping professions.

