Table 1Transition record

social workertogerontology social worker

A social worker already meets 80% of what the gerontology social worker role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.

From social worker

80%

Overlap1

To gerontology social worker

60 Skills carried over

12 Required, not held

35.6 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 35.6

This move: 35.6 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the gerontology social worker role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the social worker profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 60 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A gerontology social worker role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a social worker background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held support social service users at the end of life communication, collaboration and creativity
already held support social service users to live at home communication, collaboration and creativity
already held identify mental health issues information skills
already held promote mental health management skills
already held clinical social work health and welfare
already held older adults' needs health and welfare

All 60 carried skills, including the 53 the gerontology social worker role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 17 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 communication, collaboration and creativity 5 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held address problems critically required
required, not held communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields required
required, not held develop professional network required
required, not held listen actively required
required, not held work in a multicultural environment in health care required

optional, not held advise on mental health optional
optional, not held counsel on end-of-life care optional

02 management skills 3 required

required, not held apply organisational techniques required
required, not held evaluate older adults' ability to take care of themselves required
required, not held manage stress in the work place required

03 health and welfare 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held strategies for handling cases of elder abuse required
required, not held geriatrics required

optional, not held palliative care optional

04 assisting and caring 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held adhere to organisational guidelines required

optional, not held help clients cope with grief optional

05 business, administration and law 1 required

required, not held company policies required

06 social sciences, journalism and information 1 supplementary

optional, not held stages of bereavement optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a gerontology social worker role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 60 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held accept own accountability skill
already held advocate for social service users skill
already held apply anti-oppressive practices skill
already held apply case management skill
already held apply crisis intervention skill
already held apply decision making within social work skill
already held apply holistic approach within social services skill
already held apply person-centred care skill
already held apply problem solving in social service skill
already held apply quality standards in social services skill
already held apply socially just working principles skill
already held assess social service users' situation skill
already held build helping relationship with social service users skill
already held communicate with social service users skill
already held conduct interview in social service skill
already held consider social impact of actions on service users skill
already held contribute to protecting individuals from harm skill
already held cooperate at inter-professional level skill
already held deliver social services in diverse cultural communities skill
already held demonstrate leadership in social service cases skill
already held develop professional identity in social work skill
already held empower social service users skill
already held follow health and safety precautions in social care practices skill
already held have computer literacy skill
already held involve service users and carers in care planning skill
already held legal requirements in the social sector knowledge
already held maintain records of work with service users skill
already held make legislation transparent for users of social services skill
already held manage ethical issues within social services skill
already held manage social crisis skill
already held meet standards of practice in social services skill
already held negotiate with social service stakeholders skill
already held negotiate with social service users skill
already held older adults' needs knowledge
already held organise social work packages skill
already held plan social service process skill
already held prevent social problems skill
already held promote inclusion skill
already held promote service users' rights skill
already held promote social change skill
already held protect vulnerable social service users skill
already held provide social counselling skill
already held provide support to social services users skill
already held refer social service users skill
already held relate empathetically skill
already held report on social development skill
already held review social service plan skill
already held social justice knowledge
already held social sciences knowledge
already held social work theory knowledge
already held tolerate stress skill
already held undertake continuous professional development in social work skill
already held work within communities skill
already held clinical social work knowledge
already held disability care knowledge
already held disability types knowledge
already held identify mental health issues skill
already held promote mental health skill
already held support social service users at the end of life skill
already held support social service users to live at home skill

5 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held advise on mental health optional
optional, not held counsel on end-of-life care optional
optional, not held help clients cope with grief optional
optional, not held palliative care optional
optional, not held stages of bereavement optional

61 held skills the gerontology social worker role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advise on conflict management skill
not needed by the target role advise on social security benefits skill
not needed by the target role assess social work students skill
not needed by the target role assess the development of youth skill
not needed by the target role assessment processes knowledge
not needed by the target role assist children with special needs in education settings skill
not needed by the target role assist families in crisis situations skill
not needed by the target role assist the homeless skill
not needed by the target role build community relations skill
not needed by the target role carry out social work research skill
not needed by the target role child protection knowledge
not needed by the target role communicate about youth's well-being skill
not needed by the target role communicate with youth skill
not needed by the target role communication knowledge
not needed by the target role consultation knowledge
not needed by the target role counsel students skill
not needed by the target role counselling methods knowledge
not needed by the target role court procedures knowledge
not needed by the target role crisis intervention knowledge
not needed by the target role dependency on drugs knowledge
not needed by the target role determine child welfare skill
not needed by the target role empower individuals, families and groups skill
not needed by the target role engage with offenders skill
not needed by the target role establish collaborative relations skill
not needed by the target role family law knowledge
not needed by the target role manage a social work unit skill
not needed by the target role manage volunteers skill
not needed by the target role migration knowledge
not needed by the target role pedagogy knowledge
not needed by the target role perform street interventions in social work skill
not needed by the target role personal development knowledge
not needed by the target role plan youth activities skill
not needed by the target role present reports skill
not needed by the target role promote the safeguarding of young people skill
not needed by the target role promote youth work in the local community skill
not needed by the target role provide community development services skill
not needed by the target role provide domestic care skill
not needed by the target role provide immigration advice skill
not needed by the target role provide victim assistance skill
not needed by the target role raise awareness on local community's priorities skill

21 further entries not listed here

5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held company policies required
required, not held strategies for handling cases of elder abuse required
required, not held geriatrics required
optional, not held palliative care optional
optional, not held stages of bereavement optional

Index

Other moves recorded from social worker

Full index of moves from social worker

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.