-the paid professional activity that aims to assist people in overcoming serious difficulties in their lives by providing care,protection or counselling or through social support, advocacy and community work

- purposeful and ethical application of personal skills in interpersonal relationships directed towards enhancing the personal and social functioning of an individual, family, group or neighbourhood, which necessarily involves using evidence obtained from practice to help create a social environment conductive to the well-being of all(Brithis association of social workers, 1977)