Modeling professional standards for experts in social services as a basis for the social practice transformation

The article analyzes the causes and conditions of development of the profes- sional standards system for experts in social services mainly by the example of professional standards for a social worker, specialist in social work and social service organization leader. The development of professional standards for experts in social sphere is objective necessity, designed to fill the gap between the competences of specialists and population needs in social services and social protection, between the employers' demands and the social education system in the Russian Federation. The remaining high level of social tension reduces the potential of the population and lead to social dissatisfaction of our citizens. The welfare system is reconstructed in accordance with the de- mands of the time, but in general is still conservative. The article analyzes the social significance of the problem and the role of scientific and theoretical research for its successful solutions, and reveals the major conceptual ap- proaches. Professional activity of experts in social work, who form the most common professional group and work in a variety of social organizations, is the research object. The research is focused on the modeling the professional standard "expert in social work". The authors emphasize not only the applied, but also great scientific im- portance of the activity for development and introduction of professional standards for the social practice transformation. Studying the experience of adaptation and implementation of the three professional standards, the au- thors reveal the contradictions of modern social protection system (lack of unified conceptual approaches, a high level of bureaucratization of the social sphere, the unresolved staffing issues). Summarizing, the authors specify problem of upcoming research.