Unit Group (L4) 2635

2635 — Social Work and Counselling Professionals

Browse this Unit Group profile and explore linked occupation titles.

L4 CODE: 2635
2 PROFESSIONALS → 26 Legal, Social And Cultural Professionals → 263 Social and Religious Professionals
Summary
Social Work and Counselling Professionals (KeSCO 2635) supports outcomes in the Social Sciences, Creative & Media sector by applying job-specific knowledge, standards, and tools to deliver quality services or outputs. Duties and complexity vary by employer, work setting, and seniority level, but the occupation generally requires reliability, competence, and continuous learning.
Minimum entry
Diploma or Bachelor’s degree
Future outlook
Future trends such as digital transformation, automation, climate resilience, and changing consumer needs are shaping most occupations. Workers who continuously upskill (digital literacy, quality standards, safety, customer service, and modern tools) are more resilient and competitive.
Sectors
Social Sciences, Creative & MediaProfessional ServicesPublic SectorPrivate SectorNGO/DevelopmentSpecialised Practice
Description
Social Work and Counselling Professionals (KeSCO 2635) supports outcomes in the Social Sciences, Creative & Media sector by applying job-specific knowledge, standards, and tools to deliver quality services or outputs. Duties and complexity vary by employer, work setting, and seniority level, but the occupation generally requires reliability, competence, and continuous learning.
Employment prospects
Prospects depend on national and county demand, sector investment, policy priorities, and supply of trained workers. Job seekers improve prospects by gaining practical experience, building a portfolio or track record, earning relevant certifications, and being flexible on location and sub-sector.
Tasks
  • Plan and prioritise daily work activities to meet targets and deadlines
  • Follow workplace procedures, standards, and relevant regulations
  • Carry out core job duties accurately and safely
  • Use job tools/equipment/software correctly and maintain them appropriately
  • Communicate progress, issues, and requirements with supervisors and colleagues
  • Serve clients/customers professionally and resolve routine queries
  • Document work completed, maintain records, and submit routine reports
  • Identify errors, risks, or service gaps and propose improvements
  • Work as part of a team and coordinate tasks across units
  • Maintain confidentiality and ethical conduct where required
  • Comply with occupational safety and health (OSH) guidelines
  • Participate in training, mentoring, or continuous improvement activities
Skills
Communication (verbal and written) | Teamwork and collaboration | Problem-solving and critical thinking | Time management and prioritisation | Attention to detail and accuracy | Customer service orientation | Integrity and ethical conduct | Adaptability and continuous learning | Decision-making and judgement | Documentation and record-keeping | Digital literacy (basic) | Safety awareness and compliance mindset
Core skills
  • Communication (verbal and written)
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking
  • Time management and prioritisation
  • Attention to detail and accuracy
  • Customer service orientation
  • Integrity and ethical conduct
  • Adaptability and continuous learning
  • Decision-making and judgement
  • Documentation and record-keeping
  • Digital literacy (basic)
  • Safety awareness and compliance mindset
Technical skills
  • Use of hand and power tools safely
  • Installation, maintenance, and repair procedures
  • Reading drawings/specifications and measurements
  • Troubleshooting and fault diagnosis
  • Quality control and workmanship standards
  • Equipment handling and preventive maintenance
  • Workplace safety and PPE usage
  • Basic electrical/mechanical principles (as relevant)
  • Material handling and storage
  • Site readiness and task planning
  • Compliance with standards and inspections
Transferable skills
  • Leadership and supervision (as one progresses)
  • Negotiation and stakeholder management
  • Conflict resolution
  • Presentation and public speaking
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Planning and organisation
  • Resilience and stress management
  • Service mindset and empathy
  • Networking and relationship building
  • Analytical thinking
  • Professionalism and work discipline
Certifications
  • Trade test / competency certification (where applicable)
  • Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) certification (strongly recommended)
  • Equipment-specific operator certification (where applicable)
  • First Aid certification (recommended in many workplaces)
Education
Specialised degree in the relevant discipline | Graduate internship/attachments where applicable | Professional registration/licensing where regulated | Experience-based progression into senior/specialist roles
Pathways
  • Specialised degree in the relevant discipline
  • Graduate internship/attachments where applicable
  • Professional registration/licensing where regulated
  • Experience-based progression into senior/specialist roles
Relevant courses
  • Diploma/Certificate in Electrical/Electronics Engineering
  • Diploma/Certificate in Mechanical Engineering
  • Civil/Construction Technology
  • Welding and Fabrication
  • Plumbing and Pipefitting
  • Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
  • Automotive Mechanics
  • Plant/Machine Operation
  • Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
  • CAD/Draughting basics
Institutions
  • Universities (accredited public and private universities offering relevant programmes)
  • National Polytechnics and TVET institutions (diploma, certificate, artisan programmes)
  • Technical Training Institutes and Vocational Centres
  • Professional Colleges and Accredited Training Academies
  • Sector Training Authorities and Recognised Centres of Excellence
  • Employer-based Academies and Apprenticeship Programmes
  • Online Learning Platforms (supplementary; verify recognition for regulated fields)
  • Industry Associations and Professional Bodies (short courses/CPD)
Minimum requirements
  • Minimum education: Diploma or Bachelor’s degree
  • Basic literacy and numeracy (reading, writing, and basic calculations)
  • Good conduct, reliability, and professional behaviour
  • Ability to follow instructions, procedures, and workplace rules
  • Basic digital literacy where the role uses computers/phones
  • Physical/medical fitness where the role is physically demanding or safety-sensitive
  • Regulatory registration/licensing where required (profession-dependent)
  • Background checks/clearance for sensitive roles where applicable
Work context
Workplace policies | Team collaboration | Quality standards | Professional environment | Standards compliance | Reporting
Where they work
  • Public sector institutions, private companies, NGOs and community-based organisations depending on the sector.
Work setting
Not specified.
Schedule
Full-time commonDaytime hours commonDeadlines possible
Employment type
Formal employment possible
Earnings
Entry level
KES 50,000 – 120,000
Mid level
KES 120,000 – 250,000
Senior level
KES 250,000+
Entry-level typical range (illustrative): KES 50,000 – 120,000 | Mid-level typical range (illustrative): KES 120,000 – 250,000 | Senior/experienced typical range (illustrative): KES 250,000+ | Earnings vary by employer (public/private), location, allowances, commissions, overtime, risk factors, and scarcity of skills
How to become one
Complete a degree in the relevant discipline, undertake internships or graduate programmes and meet any professional registration or licensing requirements.
Career progression
  • Entry/Intern → Junior Practitioner → Mid-level → Senior Specialist
  • Senior Specialist → Team Lead/Principal → Manager/Head of Unit (where applicable)
  • Some pathways include consultancy, research, training, or policy roles
Related occupations
  • Other occupations within the same KeSCO major group
  • Support roles in the same sector/industry
  • Supervisory roles related to this occupation’s work area
  • Specialist variants of the same occupation (where they exist)
Occupation titles
2635-18 — Addictions Counsellor
Addictions Counsellor is a professional responsible for evaluating patients' physical and mental behaviors developing appropriate treatment and recovery plans facilitating individual and group therapy sessions monitoring patients over time to access treatment progress collaborating with psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, social workers, and departments of correction identifying behaviors that interfere with treatment and recovery.
2635-16 — Bereavement Counsellor
Bereavement Counsellor is a professional responsible for determining clients’ intervention needs and developing treatment plans facilitating individual and group therapy sessions assisting clients to overcome the loss of loved ones, monitoring clients’ progress and adjusting treatment plans facilitating sessions with family members and caregivers to better understand the stages of grief.
2635-15 — Child and Youth Counsellor
Child and Youth Counsellor is a professional responsible for provides a reliable presence in the life of children who may feel otherwise abandoned educating children about social issues like substance abuse and domestic violence motivating youth to achieve academically and/or extramurally contacting the authorities if suspect that the child is at risk in their home.
2635-26 — Children's Officer
Children's Officer is a professional responsible for rescuing children from hostile environments preparing and generating children welfare related reports creating awareness and advocacy on children services visiting homes to conduct interviews and compile reports for presentation to courts of law collecting data on children welfare matters identifying and committing children to safe places.
2635-11 — Counsellor
Counsellor is a professional responsible for diagnoses the patient’s mental and emotional disorders create effective treatment plans that include counseling, medication, discuss the treatment plan with patient on a regular basis to identify faults or room for improvement educates patients about appropriate coping mechanisms to help them through tough situations recording the patient’s progress and changing their treatment plan when needed.
2635-33 — Counsellor, Disaster & Truama
Counsellor, Disaster & Truama is a professional responsible for  plan,develop and implement stress management training mission  performs psychological first aid develops, organizes and implements a resiliencebuilding program.
2635-32 — Counsellor, Drugs and Substance Abuse
Counsellor, Drugs and Substance Abuse is a professional responsible for  managing all aspects of a case from date of entry to date of discharge  evaluating patients' physical and mental behaviors  developing appropriate treatment and recovery plans  facilitating individual and group therapy sessions  monitoring patients over time to access treatment progress  identifying behaviours that interfere with treatment and recovery.
2635-12 — Counsellor, family
Counsellor, family is a professional responsible for build a positive and trusting relationship with the family members, conducting assessments developing treatment plans provide counseling sessions to the family members to help them develop coping skills and strategies promote healthy communication patterns within the family educate family members about mental health issues and provide them with resources collaborating with other professionals: maintain the confidentiality and adhere to ethical guidelines and legal requirements.
2635-31 — Counsellor, Gender Based Violence
Counsellor, Gender Based Violence is a professional responsible for  conducting research into criminal behaviour  evaluating current methods employed by justice systems  examining trends in criminal behaviour and crime  providing information to government, law enforcement officials and policymakers about crime and the ways in which people are processed by the criminal justice system  helping to develop crime policy and preventative strategies  compiling potential motivations for criminal actions.
2635-13 — Counsellor, marriage
Counsellor, marriage is a professional responsible for build a positive and trusting relationship with the family members, conducting assessments developing treatment plans provide counseling sessions to the family members to help them develop coping skills and strategies promote healthy communication patterns within the family educate family members about mental health issues and provide them with resources collaborating with other professionals: maintain the confidentiality and adhere to ethical guidelines and legal requirements.
2635-14 — Counsellor, rehabilitation
Counsellor, rehabilitation is a professional responsible for  evaluating clients’ abilities, interests, experience, skills, health, and education  enable individuals born with debilitating conditions to live more fulfilling and rewarding lives  assist individuals to adapt to a disability acquired later in life  monitors clients’ progress and adjusting treatment plans as needed.
2635-28 — Criminologist
Criminologist is a professional responsible for  gather and analyses data about the causes and nature of crime to determine criminal patterns and common traits among criminals  research and analyses the biological, social, and psychological background of criminals to gain an understanding of the motivation behind their deviant behaviour  develop profiles of criminal types to assist law enforcement to identify potential criminals.
2635-25 — District social welfare officer
District social welfare officer is a professional responsible for to mobilize community capacity building of voluntary social welfare agencies to plan organize and coordinate social development activities to carry out the instruction of the department to be issued from time to time.
2635-22 — Parole Officer
Parole Officer is a professional responsible for collect documentation related to a convict’s incarceration and provide them to the parole board schedule eligible offenders for their parole hearing manage information regarding the offender on parole data systems monitor the location and activities of parolees in the community assess the risks and needs of parolees prior to and following release utilize electronic monitoring devices to track parolee’s notify police or parole board about technical, administrative or criminal parole violations.
2635-21 — Probation officer
Probation officer is a professional responsible for interviewing probationers regularly to evaluate their progress maintaining contact with probationers and their families initiating court action or recommending remedial action for probation violations verifying compliance with substance abuse treatment programs by administering drug and alcohol tests preparing and maintaining case files, records, and progress reports arranging courtordered treatment services and monitoring communitybased sentences.
2635-17 — Sexual Assault Counsellor
Sexual Assault Counsellor is a professional responsible for engage in counseling sessions with patients who’ve suffered from sexual abuse, encourage patients to share their thoughts and feelings openly during sessions educate patients on strategies for overcoming fear and managing thoughts and emotions that are the result of sexual abuse refer patients, when needed, to other services when counseling and behavior modifications are insufficient.
2635-27 — Social Planner
Social Planner is a professional responsible for provides education and awareness in the community provides safe places for meetings and mediation sessions responsible for building and maintaining relationships across departments to provide social planning advice on relevant plans and strategies responsible for contributing to the development and implementation of social plans and strategies.
2635-23 — Social worker
Social worker is a professional responsible for assisting clients in receiving services by telephone and in person getting clients involved in beneficial activities assessing clients and gathering relevant information offering information and supporting clients and their families contacting and making referrals to other agencies and services maintaining accurate records and preparing reports participating in training, supervision, and meetings watch for signs of child abuse.
2635-24 — Women's welfare organizer
Women's welfare organizer is a professional responsible for attend to activities relating to welfare of women such as teaching better methods of housekeeping, hygiene and sanitation helping the women learn crafts to improve their earnings, assisting in getting medical aid, conducting classes to promote and improve literacy, etc visiting the women at home or in women's welfare institutions advising the women on childcare, sanitation, diet, etc conducting community service centres so as to encourage the women to participate in them.