Germany – Social work and related services – Sozialarbeit in Schulen (SiS)

The success and benefits of social work in schools have been demonstrated in the past through various funding instruments of the Wetterau district. Based on this experience, the Wetterau district embarked on a new path in the 2017/18 school year, initiating the comprehensive expansion of social work in schools, which was completed in the 2020/21 school year. Twelve school clusters were formed in the Wetterau district according to social planning criteria, each encompassing at least one secondary school and the surrounding primary schools. The current contract aims to regulate the continuation of social work in schools within these clusters (grades 8-12). As a public youth welfare provider, the Wetterau district supports the educational work of its schools by employing social work professionals and methods. This task is to be carried out by recognized independent youth welfare organizations in accordance with Section 75 of the German Social Code, Book VIII (SGB VIII), within the framework of the contract to be awarded. The primary focus of social work in schools is direct work with students. It collaborates with other stakeholders within and outside the school system, taking a situation-specific and case-independent approach. This results in complementary goals and tasks that are closely interrelated. By expanding social work in schools, the Wetterau district is fulfilling its responsibility for creating favorable conditions for the education and upbringing of young people within the district. Due to societal changes, the evolving ways children and adolescents grow up, increasing ethnic and socio-cultural diversity, and growing mobility, youth services, schools, and municipalities nationwide face the necessity of understanding education and upbringing as a shared responsibility. Greater equality of opportunity and educational equity are the common goals, while the pooling of resources and the utilization of diverse skills are the shared path to ensuring the...