A social worker is a key profession in the field of social assistance. They are responsible for the organization and implementation of social work, as well as, support for the individuals and families in difficult life situations. Requirements in terms of qualifications of a social worker and the scope of tasks should be correlated with an adequately high payment. The aim of the article is to analyze the renumeration of social workers in the local government social assistance institutions from the legal perspective and practice of local government social assistance. The article presents legal issues related to the regulation of social workers' payment and the results of empirical research on payment. It has been shown that legal regulations do not ensure adequate payment for social workers, which results in low renumeration of social workers.

A social worker is a key provider of support for people and families in difficult life situations in the Polish social assistance system. The aim of the article is to analyze the process of professionalization of a social worker's profession in terms of legal aspects and practice. The article presents an analysis of legal changes concerning the requirements related to the qualifications of a social worker, an analysis of changes in the education system for social workers and the results of empirical research concerning the qualifications of social workers. It indicates that the progressive increase in the requirements entitling to work in the profession of a social worker impact the qualifications of social assistance services.