Yarve
(Jaroslav Plotnikov)

Social Work — Professional Activities

Social work and key-worker support for young people, primarily aged 16/17–21, including unaccompanied young migrants and refugees.

1. Intake and Individual Support

  1. Receiving and supporting young people admitted under Inobhutnahme (German statutory emergency care/protective placement).
  2. Conducting comprehensive intake interviews and documenting the outcomes.
  3. Acting as the young person’s designated Bezugsbetreuer (key social worker/key worker), providing consistent individual support and case coordination.
  4. Building professional relationships and identifying individual needs, strengths, difficulties and goals.
  5. Monitoring wellbeing, personal development, behaviour and adjustment throughout the placement.

2. Daily Living and Personal Development

  1. Supporting daily routines, household responsibilities, appointments and compliance with residential rules.
  2. Developing independent living skills, personal responsibility, time management and decision-making.
  3. Supporting healthy lifestyles and providing preventative guidance on smoking, alcohol, drugs and other risk behaviours.
  4. Supporting social integration, communication skills, positive relationships and participation in the local community.

3. Education, Language and Employment

  1. Supporting school enrolment, monitoring attendance and educational progress, and liaising with schools and teachers.
  2. Supporting German-language development, including arranging additional language courses during school holidays.
  3. Assisting with educational and career planning, including vocational training, further education and university options.
  4. Supporting young people in finding part-time or casual employment and approaching potential employers.
  5. Assisting with CV preparation, job applications and employment-related documentation.

4. Health and Wellbeing

  1. Arranging medical appointments and accompanying young people to GPs, specialists, hospitals and other healthcare services.
  2. Coordinating specialist treatment and travel to healthcare providers in other cities where required.
  3. Supporting young people to understand medical advice and gradually manage their healthcare more independently.
  4. Arranging access to psychological support and other specialist services where required.

5. Interpreting and Translation Services

  1. Identifying, arranging and coordinating professional interpreters for interviews, medical appointments, psychological support, legal consultations and other professional meetings.
  2. Arranging written translations of official documents, including overseas school certificates and educational records.
  3. Clarifying approval and funding for interpreting or translation services with management or the Jugendamt (German Youth Welfare Office; broadly comparable to statutory child and youth services in NZ), and assisting service providers with invoicing procedures.

6. Administration and Official Procedures

  1. Assisting young people with applications, official forms and supporting documents for public authorities, educational institutions and other organisations.
  2. Assisting with Schüler-BAföG (German financial support for eligible students; broadly comparable in purpose to NZ student financial support) and other financial-support applications.
  3. Assisting with applications for subsidised public transport passes and other relevant entitlements.
  4. Helping young people understand official correspondence and complete required administrative procedures.
  5. Providing practical support with immigration, residence and asylum procedures within the responsibilities of the Bezugsbetreuer, while legal decisions and formal representation remain with the Vormund (legal guardian).

7. Interagency and Case Coordination

  1. Liaising with the Jugendamt, Vormund, schools, healthcare providers, counsellors and other professionals involved in the young person’s support.
  2. Contributing to individual support and development plans and participating in case reviews with the Jugendamt and other professionals.
  3. Coordinating practical support and communication between the young person and the agencies involved in their case.
  4. Advocating for the young person’s needs and interests within the scope of the social work role.

8. Case Documentation

  1. Maintaining professional electronic case records in Darwin (the organisation’s electronic case-management database), including significant events, appointments, interventions, observations and agreements.
  2. Maintaining concise day-to-day records in the residential staff logbook to ensure information-sharing between colleagues and continuity of support.

9. Recreation and Community Participation

  1. Organising and participating in cultural, educational, sporting and recreational activities, including museums, sports clubs, hiking, climbing, excursions and group events.
  2. Supporting young people to join local sports clubs and other community activities according to their interests.
  3. Planning and organising individual trips and activities, including documentation and practical arrangements required for travel abroad.

10. Transition to Independent Living

  1. Supporting young people in searching for independent accommodation, including identifying suitable housing platforms and providers.
  2. Assisting with housing-search profiles, enquiries and self-presentations to prospective landlords.
  3. Supporting young people in communicating with landlords and presenting themselves as reliable prospective tenants.
  4. Preparing young people for independent adulthood through practical support with housing, education, employment, healthcare and administrative matters.
  5. Gradually transferring responsibility to young people by supporting them to communicate independently with schools, employers, healthcare providers, landlords, public authorities and other services.