The relevance of the study is dictated by the requirements of the modern labor and education markets and their correspondence to educational and professional standards, by the need to increase both the level of professional qualifications and the competence of social workers to improve the quality of social services. The purpose of this paper is to identify the levels of professional competence and qualification of the acting heads of the organizations of the social sphere and to define the problems and solutions related to improving the skills of managers of social organizations. The results were obtained by factor analysis as well as by analyzing the devised questionnaires, the results of testing and certification. The study was conducted by the author in the frameworks of the project “Improving the efficiency and quality of services in the field of social services on the basis of an independent assessment of the level of manager skills, human resources managers of organizations of social sphere of the Chelyabinsk region”. The clarifications on the application of the new Federal Law of 12.28.2013, N 442 are given. The law “Basics of social services for the citizens of Russian Federation” was put into action in connection with the introduction of an independent assessment of the quality of social services and the need to upgrade the skills of employees and the acting heads of the social sphere based on professional standards. For the first time to determine the qualification level of employees in social sphere the professional standard is used. The results of the qualification certification of heads of organizations in metropolis social sphere based on their experience and level of education are analyzed. On the basis of an individual professional profile a modular training program for advanced training is offered. Its purpose is to develop competences that the heads in social sphere lack. The program allows providing better quality of management of personnel development in social service organizations.