Brief on the Assessment of Social Workers’ Effectiveness
The Women Fund "Sukhumi" monitoring brief, based on data collected from research conducted between May and October 2024, reviews the role and effectiveness of social workers in the prevention of and response to violence against women. The report highlights the challenges impacting the efficiency of social workers, including coordination difficulties with referral entities such as schools, kindergartens, medical institutions, and local self-government bodies, which hinder the timely identification of women at risk of violence and limit their access to necessary services.
Particular attention is given to the diverse responsibilities and functions of social workers, often leading to professional overload. The brief examines structural challenges, such as limited financial resources, insufficient staffing, and the lack of transportation, which severely affect the effectiveness of their work, particularly in the regions.
The monitoring also identifies successful practices, including the high level of trust between beneficiaries and social workers, close collaboration with municipal child rights protection departments, and effective cooperation with non-governmental organizations. The report draws on the experiences of social workers from the Imereti and Samegrelo regions (Kutaisi, Khoni, Baghdati, Samtredia, Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha municipalities), and provides recommendations aimed at strengthening social services, improving coordination, and enhancing overall effectiveness.