Behavioral interview questions for Social service specialist or Child Welfare Case worker

Each profession has its own set of competencies and situation specific skills and experience that will make an applicant successful. The social services profession is no exception. Here are some possible scenarios that could occur in an interview question. Try to imagine the worst challenges of the job. To answer the question, think of your own real life experience, or the best hypothetical answer of what you would do in that situation.


Confrontation will be a strong part of your challenges. How would you manage to maintain a professional demeanor under suggested circumstances.

In this line of work you will have to inquire about delicate subjects with parents. How would you be interesting or inventive when querying inquiring about private family matters of finance, sex, communications between parents and children.

In this job you may have to uncover problems that are readily evident or aren't as obvious to someone who is close to a situation. How might you probe or investigate potential hiddent problems such as an uncle too interested in his young niece, or an introverted son with a greater than normal interest in watching people.

Some questions could follow a "What if..." format in several different situations, single mother, single dad, foster parent, dysfunctional nuclear family.

The only ways to answer these are to use the STAR method (speaking from experience, or to answer the questions, hypothetically, as best you can.