How to become a welfare support worker
Support individuals and families with emotional, financial, or social difficulties.
What does a welfare support worker do?
Welfare support workers support individuals and families with emotional, financial, or social difficulties. They may directly help secure housing or food or refer clients to agencies that can provide additional services. They also frequently do larger coordination and management work for welfare agencies.
Duties and tasks
- Counsel victims of abuse or others who need assistance.
- Evaluate community groups and social agencies for efficiency and quality.
- Interview clients to discover specific needs.
- Provide emotional support for clients going through difficult times.
- Refer clients to appropriate agencies.
- Work through channels of command and power to get clients what they need.
Industry bodies
Related jobs
- Alcohol and drug worker
- Community worker
- Recreation officer
- Social worker
- Special care worker
- Welfare case worker
- Youth worker
Discover related courses
Undergraduate SCU-SWK-DEG
Postgraduate GRF-SWK-MAS
Postgraduate FLI-MSW-MAS
Step up your career with these resources
10 fascinating uni subjects that are open to everyone in 2025
Want to understand the psychology behind Trumpism? Push for better climate action? Or improve your cultural sensitivity in healthcare? These online subjects—and more!—are now accepting 2025 enrolments.
5 small business courses for self-starters
Whether you’re a small business owner or plotting away at a side hustle, there are many online business courses to choose from to help you get in touch with your entrepreneurial side and launch your ideas off the ground.
Humans of Open Universities Australia: Meet our Content Lead, Cat
A ‘braided river’ career path, a crystal ball moment from Bill Gates, and a heartfelt letter with complete disregard for the third wall—here's Cat.
How to negotiate a higher salary
Not sure what to say when negotiating your salary? Follow these tips from career strategist Kelly Magowan next time you need to make your case with an employer.
We're here to guide you there
Our student advisors can assist you with enrolment, help you plan your studies, and answer questions about how studying through Open Universities Australia can get you from where you are today, to where you want to be tomorrow.