Service/social work with children and girls with special educational needs in Spain

Abstract

The article presents the reality of the Service/Social Work in the educational field in Spain with respect to the centers/services in which it is integrated, needs it serves, functions performed and future expectations. In order to achieve the planned objectives, an empirical research was carried out with a mixed methodology (quantitative and qualitative), through document analysis, the administration of questionnaires to professionals, the conduct of individual and group interviews with experts. A total of 30 Labor/Social Service professionals participated in the research and work in the educational field in the southeast of Spain (provinces of Almería, Alicante and Murcia). The results achieved allow us to approach the reality of the Work / Social Service in the educational field in the Southeast of Spain. The research shows that the professional profile is characterized by a feminization of the population with an average age of between 31 and 51 years; the centers and services in which they are integrated are in their majority of public dependence, mainly in Educational Guidance Teams; they attend needs such as school absenteeism, family orientation, attention to diversity and special educational needs; its functions are intended to prevent and address individual problems of the students, in relation to the family and school context; There is a scarce presence of social workers in the education system, as well as a lack of recognition of this professional figure in education.