A Social Work Study On The Optimization Of The Social Support System Of Laid-off Workers

Laid-off workers left from the economic reform of state-owned enterprises in China stillface many problems in employment, social security, psychological adjustment and other fields.This study studied the social support system of laid-off workers in Zaozhuang, ShandongProvince by literature, questionnaires and deep interviews. From the perspective of socialwork, this thesis, treating the theory of social support system as the point of penetration,studied the basic situation of laid-off workers in Zaozhuang, analyzed and assessed the socialsupport system of laid-off workers in Zaozhuang, discussed the application of social work inoptimizing the social support system of laid-off workers, and then explored social workstrategies about optimizing the social support system of laid-off workers.In the overall reform of state-owned enterprises, a large number of laid-off workers fromstate-owned enterprises emerged in Zaozhuang. In recent years, governments at differentlevels in Zaozhuang actively carry out the work of re-employment and social security forlaid-off workers, but some policies don’t achieve the desired results in actual implementation.From the data of questionnaires and interview records, laid-workers in Zaozhuang were older,poorly educated and had low-level income, and their employment status was mainlytemporary. The main problems they were facing were difficulties in hunting for jobs, theunsound social security system and difficulties in psychological adjustment.The social support system of laid-off workers can be divided into formal support systemprovided by governments, enterprises and community neighborhood committees and informalsupport system provided by family members, relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbors andother acquaintances. From the point of demand of laid-off workers in Zaozhuang, demandsfor formal social support system included financial support, emotional support, a sound socialsecurity system and re-employment training; demands for informal social support systemincluded financial support, emotional support and the demand for social communication. Inthe assessment of the social support system of laid-off workers in Zaozhuang, the help offormal support system was limited, and informal support system had some degree ofinfluences, mainly in the provision of financial support and emotional support. Problems about formal social support system of laid-off workers were the ignorance of spiritual support,one-way support, lack of respect and care, unsound national social security system and poorre-employment training effect; problems about informal social support system were the smallcoverage, the limited service of support and the weak will that laid-off workers seek forinformal support.As a service model, relying on its capability of integrating and expanding resources,professional values and the function of prevention and development, social work caneffectively make up problems existed in formal social support system and informal socialsupport system of laid-off workers. Case work, group work and community work caneffectively help laid-off workers to optimize their social support system. In the case workprocess, the author was in strict accordance with the case of the main services for Mrs. Wang,and intervened through increasing psychological and emotional support, providingemployment information, improving her own abilities and financial support to optimize hersocial support system. This case work achieved good results and was closed successfully. Inthe group work, social workers can optimize the social support system of laid-off workersfrom psychotherapy, guidance and counseling, and the interaction of group members. Incommunity work, social workers, in accordance with the general process of community work,can establish professional relationships, gather information, make planning, and makecommunity actions from providing employment assistance, exploring community jobs,building laid-off workers’ homes and other community organizations, improving the serviceconsciousness of community staff and other aspects in order to optimize the social supportsystem of laid-off workers.Finally, this thesis proposes social work strategies about optimizing the social supportsystem of laid-off workers from three aspects. In the mobilization and acquisition of resourcesfrom the formal support system, the social workers should play the role of good policyadvocates, sufficiently use community resources in community work, and seek support fromthe third sector and the mass media. In the optimization of informal system resource, socialworkers should strive to increase support from family members of laid-off workers andexpand the range of informal support for laid-off workers. In addition, social workers shouldimprove the psychological quality and professional competence of laid-off workers byproviding psychological counseling, providing all kinds of information, enhancing personalcapacity and skills, enhancing the legal awareness and rights awareness and mutual aid oflaid-off workers.