Competencies required for Danish social and health care helpers and relevance between those competencies and training subjects

Quantitatively and qualitatively reserving good caretakers supporting the life of aged persons and disabled persons in need of care services is an issue of common concern shared by advanced countries facing the challenges of an aging population. To respond appropriately to diversified, complicated and sophisticated needs of persons requiring care services, the competencies required of caretakers are clearly identified. Consequently, it is mandatory to design training subjects which materialize and implement such competencies. This paper aims at clarifying and identifying the required competencies and the relevance between those competencies and training subjects by discussing the professional training system for social and health care helpers in Denmark, which is one of the advanced welfare states. According to documents and materials such as the “Order on professional training for social and health care helpers” (Order No. 535 of the Education and Quality Control Bureau) and the like, the job duties of social and health care helpers are independently providing basic and extensive care, personal care and practical support for persons in need and there are 13 competencies required of them including (1) for implementing, as professional social and health care helpers, their job duties independently and in cooperation with those from other fields in accordance with ethical and legal rules without disregarding the rights of persons in need and the responsibilities of specialists and authorized persons applied in the professional areas of social and health care helpers and (2) for responding to changes observed in the physical, psychological and social health conditions of persons in need independently and professionally including the use of tools for early detection. Therefore, it is evident that each competency is highly relevant to training subjects such as “Roles of social and health care helpers”, “Encounter with persons in need” and the like.