More than half of people being supported by social services voluntarily seek help, it emerged today.
Child protection and the role of the social worker goes under the spotlight at a one-day conference today.
Entitled Child Protection and Welfare Social Work: A Changing Profession in a Changing Ireland,the one-day event in University College Cork (UCC) will examine the child-protection system and the contexts in which these services are provided.
There are more than 2,300 social workers practising in Ireland, with the majority employed with the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Eamonn Collier, principal social worker with the HSE South, said although in the social workers are often perceived as unwelcome in the lives of others, families themselves are increasingly seeking support and intervention.
He said the sector has experienced unprecedented growth and investment in the last 15 years as the numbers of child abuse referrals and children in need of care rise.
"Social workers are now actively engaged in preventative and welfare work, work that anticipates and avoids crisis and seeks to promote better outcomes for children," he said.