Skip to main content Republic of Slovenia SPOT
State portal for business entities

Informative Notice

Certain content is still being edited. Thank you for your understanding.

Professional assistant in the social security

Social security services are pursued by professional workers and professional assistants.

Professional assistants in social security are workers who pursue individual social security services and have finished:

  • social programmes of education (higher education, high education or university education) and completed the traineeship and passed professional examination in the field of employment, education, health care, justice and public administration and have adequate professional references and work experience in the field of social security or
  • other education programmes, or who acquired adequate vocational qualification and usually implement individual tasks and jobs through the direct work with the users of social security services or activities and who have proved their qualification for professional work.

Professional workers and professional assistants are obliged to regularly participate in education and training programmes.

Conditions

  • The workers are professionally qualified, if they:

    • finished higher, high or university education programme in the field of social science along with the proper work experience or
    • at least the vocational education and acquired a licence, certificate or other form of confirmation proving the professional qualification along with the proper work experience.

    The workers are vocational qualified, if they:

    • finished the secondary professional or vocational programme along with the appropriate work experience or
    • acquired the national vocational qualification.


    The procedure of establishing the qualification is initiated with the application of the candidate and the submission of evidence to verify the qualification with the Social Chamber of Slovenia (hereinafter referred to as: Chamber). 

    The Chamber notifies the candidate on the verification results within 60 days after the complete application and usually determines the date for the assessment of qualification before the commission.

    The assessment of qualification to implement individual social security services and other activities in the field of social security comprises:

    • review of evidence,
    • opinion on the candidate's qualification for the service, part of service or activity in the field of social security,
    • determination of the level of difficulty of the examination before the commission.


    The assessment of qualification is the expert task of the Social Chamber and is carried out in cooperation with the expert group for education, other experts in individual fields and the council of experts of the Chamber.

    The content bundles of the test of qualification before the commission are as follows:  

    • arrangement of the system of social security,
    • legislation in the field of social security,
    • role of a specific profession/vocation in the social security,
    • user groups (needs, methods of work),
    • code of ethics in social security,
    • operation and structure of social networks,
    • group work and work with an individual,
    • rights and obligations of users,
    • skills and techniques and good practice in working with users.  


    The candidate successfully passes the test of qualification with the prescribed framework, if the commission establishes that in conducting his work he is able to implement, apply and observe:

    • regulations in the field of social security,
    • code of ethics in social security,
    • needs and rights of users of social security services,
    • individual services or activities in the field of social security in solving the issues and distressing situations of users within the scope of his profession.


    The Chamber issues the certificate on the qualification to the workers, who prove their qualification to pursue individual social security services or activities within the scope of their profession or vocation.  

    Every year, the Social Chamber of Slovenia organises 24 free-of-charge tests of qualifications together with the preparation seminar in the field of budges means. In the case of an increased number of candidates, the test of qualification against payment is also provided, whereby the cost of test is 250.00 EUR with VAT.

    Application form for testing the qualification of professional assistants

    Evidence

    Certificate of qualification

    Legal basis

  • The traineeship is directed, planned and constant care for the organised introduction and training of young educated personnel into work, improvement and adaptation of education structure of the employees to the required conditions of work, operation and management.

    The traineeship is a form of special care for a systematic inclusion of young professionals into the working process after acquiring their education. 

    The objective of the traineeship is the education and schooling for work and personal development.  The purpose of the traineeship is the completion of the practical training programme, with which the trainee:

    • acquires general knowledge in the field of social security,
    • transfers his professional knowledge from the theoretical to the practical vocational level,
    • gains advanced knowledge, skills and techniques required to pursue the individual professional work in the field of social security and
    • gets prepared for the professional examination. 


    The trainee usually performs the traineeship with the employer with which he has signed an employment relationship or exceptionally other agreement on cooperation, or performs the traineeship with other providers of social security activity to improve himself in specific lines of training profession.

    The mentor and the trainee together prepare the documentation on the completed traineeship which is required to sit the professional examination.

     

    Evidence

    The documentation on the completed traineeship includes:

    • training programme,
    • trainee's diary,
    • mentor's assessment on the trainee's training performance

    Legal basis

  • The professional examination in the field of social security is taken by employees and other workers in the field of social security who are trained for professional work, prove at least one year of work experience in the respective field and have obtained appropriate education, and workers who want to pursue the tasks of professional manager of the provider of social security services.

    The Social Chamber of Slovenia carries out professional examinations according to the public authorisation. The professional examination is carried out at the facilities of the Social Chamber of Slovenia. The candidates send an application form (Form SZS SI-1) with evidence on the fulfilment of conditions at least one month before the desired examination period.

    Examination periods are determined once a month. The examination lasts two days.

    The written part is usually carried out in the second week in a month, while the oral part takes place in the third. Examinations are not carried out in summer time, i.e. in July and August. Examinations in the month of December are scheduled in the first two weeks.

    The written part of professional examination: the title of the written assignment is determined from the selected field which the candidate selects in the application form. The written examination means the beginning of the professional examination. Candidates receive an invitation at least 15 days before a specific examination period.

    The oral part of the professional examination: it is performed according to the programme of the professional examination in the field of social security.  The candidates who sat the professional examination in other field shall submit the evidence to their application and may thus sit an additional professional examination. The expert service of the Chamber annual reviews the programme of the professional examination with legal and other sources that more specifically define the content of the programme of the professional examination.  

    The candidates receive more detailed legal content referring to the programme of the professional examination and which knowledge a candidate shall also obtain from the preparatory seminars for the professional examination.  The list of individual preparatory seminars implemented by the Chamber throughout the year is constantly published in a monthly forecast of education programmes.  

    The price of the professional examination (also additional examination) is 225.00 EUR including 22 % VAT. If the candidates resit one of the examination fields, the price is 125.00 EUR including 22 % VAT.

    Evidence

    Certificate of the passed professional examination

    Legal basis

  • Professional workers and professional assistants are obliged to constantly participate in education and training programmes.

    Education comprises the inclusion in certified education programmes.

    Training comprises the inclusion in certified programmes for performing new, supplementing work tasks and for acquiring additional knowledge for performing existing work tasks in social security.

    Workers must participate in professional trainings, i.e.:

    • workers with high professional education must be trained at least 10 days per year or minimum 30 days per every three years,
    • workers with higher professional education at least 20 days per every three years,
    • workers with secondary professional education who have jobs where they perform services for users or institutionalised persons at least 14 days per every three years,
    • workers with jobs in 1st to 4th tariff group at least one day per every three years for jobs in the 1st tariff group, at least two days per every three years for jobs in the 2nd tariff group, at least three days per every three years for job in the 3rd tariff group and at least four days per every three years for jobs in the 4th tariff group if appropriate education programmes are organised for such jobs and when the programmes refer to the work process needs.


    Workers are professionally trained:

    • by performing practical work at other jobs in the institution where they work, i.e. for acquiring new knowledge or expanding their professional knowledge,
    • with practical work in appropriately professionally organised organisations or institutions where they can acquire new knowledge or expand their professional knowledge,
    • at courses,
    • seminars,
    • congresses and symposiums.


    Professional training also entails the participation of workers at international professional meetings. The provider of social security services sends their workers with higher or high education for professional training abroad when such training is not possible in domestic organisations. The provider of service can refer the worker for professional training abroad also if they have secondary education if this is required by the institution's specific needs.

    Evidence

    The organisers of permanent professional training programmes together with the Social Chamber of Slovenia to all participants issue a confirmation on participation and collaboration in the programme.

    Worker who has been professionally trained at a course or seminar is obliged to submit the confirmation on the form and duration of the training after it is completed, in cases when professional training includes practical work, the training organiser sends the referring organisation a written evaluation of the worker's training.

      Legal basis

    Recognition of qualifications acquired abroad

    There are following systems for the recognition of professional qualifications acquired in the EU:

    Cross-border provisions of profession

    Performance of the profession in Slovenia is not possible on Cross-border/temporary basis.