The social workers Code of Ethics are at the core of the profession. Social workers should ascertain and respect, as far as possible, each individual’s preferences, wishes and involvement in decision making, whether or not they or other persons have powers to make decisions on the person’s behalf. Being trustworthy Social workers should work in a way that is honest, reliable and open, clearly explaining their roles, interventions and decisions and not seeking to deceive or manipulate people who use their services, their colleagues or employers. Correspondence to: Sarah Banks, Community and Youth Work Studies Unit, Durham University, 45, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HN, UK. Social work grew out of humanitarian and democratic ideals, and its values are based on respect for the equality, worth, and dignity of all people. Social workers need to explain the nature of that confidentiality to people with whom they work and any circumstances where confidentiality must be waived should be made explicit. They should work towards promoting the best interests of individuals and groups in society and the avoidance of harm. The Routledge Handbook of Social Work Ethics and Values is a comprehensive exploration and assessment of current and future issues facing social work practice and education. Social workers should reflect and critically evaluate their practice and be aware of their impact on others. The NASW Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers. Challenging discrimination Social workers have a responsibility to challenge discrimination on the basis of characteristics such as ability, age, culture, gender or sex, marital status, socio-economic status, political opinions, skin colour, racial or other physical characteristics, sexual orientation or spiritual beliefs. Cross Sector Attachments. Challenging unjust policies and practices Social workers have a duty to bring to the attention of their employers, policy makers, politicians and the general public situations where resources are inadequate or where distribution of resources, policies and practice are oppressive, unfair, harmful or illegal. The Social Work Code of Ethics was last issued in 1994. Social work relationships should be based on people’s rights to respect, privacy, reliability and confidentiality. Social workers should not collude with the erosion of human rights or allow their skills to be used for inhumane purposes such as systematic abuse, detention of child asylum seekers and threats to family life of those in vulnerable positions. Social workers should contribute to the education and training of colleagues and students by sharing knowledge and practice wisdom. The following is an outline of the etiology of its creation and major points. Making considered professional judgements Social workers should make judgements based on balanced and considered reasoning, maintaining awareness of the impact of their own values, prejudices and conflicts of interest on their practice and on other people. Copyright © British Association of Social Workers The social work profession draws on theories of human development and behaviour and social systems to analyse complex situations and to facilitate individual, organisational, social and cultural changes. Sections 1 and 2 of this document draw on the background, definition and statement of ethical principles of the IFSW/IASSW (2004) document, with amendments including the addition of ‘professional integrity’ as a value alongside human rights and social justice. practice. It recognises the complexity of interactions between human beings and their environment, and the capacity of people both to be affected by and to alter the multiple influences upon them including biopsychosocial factors. Working definitions of ethics and values are given in the Appendix. of ethics in social work within the Irish context. Working in solidarity Social workers, individually, collectively and with others have a duty to challenge social conditions that contribute to social exclusion, stigmatisation or subjugation, and work towards an inclusive society. Academic Michael Preston-Shoot points to the areas of learning that need improvement if child … Exceptions to this may only be justified on the basis of a greater ethical requirement such as evidence of serious risk or the preservation of life. There will be variations in interpretation and guidance in the different countries. Standards can also be divided into two kinds, although often they are not clearly distinguished in codes of ethics: Ethical standards or rules – some general ‘do’s and don’ts’, sometimes framed as ‘standards’ for example: ‘do not permit knowledge to be used for discriminatory policies’; ‘protect all confidential information’. Its mission is to enable all people to develop their full potential, enrich their lives, and prevent dysfunction. BASW’s Code of Ethics first adopted in 1975, has been revised and updated on several occasions. Human rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. BASW expects employers to have in place systems and approaches to promote a climate which supports, monitors, reviews and takes the necessary action to ensure social workers can comply with the Code of Ethics and other requirements to deliver safe and effective practice. Social work practice addresses the barriers, inequities and injustices that exist in society. This is to make sure that ethics and values are upheld by all social workers. They should engage in ethical debate with their colleagues and employers to share knowledge and take responsibility for making ethically informed decisions. These ethics are of great importance to all social work students as well. Professional ethics concerns matters of right and wrong conduct, good and bad qualities of character and the professional responsibilities attached to relationships in a work context. "Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. In codes of ethics principles are often divided into two kinds: Ethical principles – general statements of ethical principles underpinning the work, relating to attitudes, rights and duties about human welfare, for example: ‘respect for the autonomy of service users’; ‘promotion of human welfare’. Social workers should maintain clear, impartial and accurate records and provision of evidence to support professional judgements. The Code is binding on all social workers who are BASW members in all roles, sectors and settings in the UK. Given that social workers constantly make moral judgements when they discern whether something is morally right or wrong, over the years, social work writers on ethics have argued for the importance of moral philosophy for social work (Goldstein, 1987; Gray, 1995, 1996; Siporin, 1983). They should identify, develop, use and disseminate knowledge, theory and practice. Reflect on recent decisions you’ve made Social workers should develop and maintain the attitudes, knowledge, understanding and skills to provide quality services and accountable practice. Maintaining professional boundaries Social workers should establish appropriate boundaries in their relationships with service users and colleagues, and not abuse their position for personal benefit, financial gain or sexual exploitation. Research Ethics for Counsellors, Nurses & Social Workers is designed to help you make the best start in your research career. The 1996 NASW Delegate Assembly approved the social work Code of Ethics, with revisions made in 2017.Codified as a resource for social work values and professional conduct, the code consists of four sections: a summary of the core values and mission of social work; a guide to navigating ethical dilemmas and issues; a description of the ethical principles that inform social work practice; … Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing.". The term ‘social work values’ refers to a range of beliefs about what is regarded as worthy or valuable in a social work context (general beliefs about the nature of the good society, general principles about how to achieve this through actions, and the desirable qualities or character traits of professional practitioners). Ethical considerations for social workers The considerations for social workers are based on existing professional standards and codes. Ethical behaviour is at the core of every profession. The NASW Code of Ethics offers a set of values, principles and standards to guide decision-making and everyday professional conduct of social workers. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. In social work one is forced to make decisions that involve ethical judgements. The practice principles are not intended to be exhaustive as some ethical challenges and problems facing social workers in practice are common and others are specific to particular countries and settings. Principles are essential norms in a system of thought or belief, which form the basis of reasoning in that system. They should contribute to social work education, including the provision of good quality placements, and ensure students are informed of their ethical responsibilities to use the Code in their practice. Distributing resources Social workers should ensure that resources at their disposal are distributed fairly, according to need. Principles have a much broader scope than rules (or ‘standards’), tending to apply to all people in all circumstances (although in the case of social work, principles often refer to ‘all service users’). … They should enable people to access all information recorded about themselves, subject to any limitations imposed by law. What are the roles of a Social Worker? It sheds a spotlight on the often invisible labour undertaken by social workers to respect people’s rights, weigh up risks, be fair and compassionate, and advocate for socially just change (‘ethics work’). The Association has a duty to ensure as far as possible that its members discharge their ethical obligations and are afforded the professional rights necessary for the safeguarding and promotion of the rights of people who use social work services. In everyday usage, ‘values’ is often used to refer to one or all of religious, moral, cultural, political or ideological beliefs, principles, attitudes, opinions or preferences. Ethical conflicts, and the moral distress which they may cause, can give rise to unease, guilt, and burnout (Raines 2000). In the context of professional practice, the use of the term ‘belief’ reflects the status that values have as stronger than mere opinions or preferences. On the occasion of National Social Work Week 2005, the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) adopted a new Code of Ethics and published Guidelines for Ethical Practice to serve as a companion document to the Code. Social workers should build and sustain professional relationships based on people’s right to control their own lives and make their own choices and decisions. Social work interventions range from primarily person-focused psychosocial processes to involvement in social policy, planning and development. Resources for FSCs. Social workers should promote and contribute to the development of positive policies, procedures and practices which are anti-oppressive and empowering. Email: policyadmin@basw.co.uk Social workers should take into account appropriate codes of practice, legislation, governance frameworks, professional practice and training standards in each UK country, provided they are consistent with the Code of Ethics. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Share. They should challenge and seek to address any actions of colleagues who demonstrate negative discrimination or prejudice. Respect for human rights and a commitment to promoting social justice are at the core of social work practice throughout the world. Aspects of control and dominance are inevitable in the work. For good reasons, the ethics of care perspective is compatible with the social work profession's overriding concern about human well-being, relationships, and interdependency. In social work code of ethics, an ethical dilemma is a situation requiring action on part of the social worker wherein there is no clean success – that is, two or more ethical principles are in conflict with one another. The term ‘ethics’ may be used in a singular sense to refer to the study of right and wrong norms of behaviour, good and bad qualities of character; or in a plural sense, to refer to the actual norms and qualities. Challenge ethics and values that negatively affect practice You should constructively challenge colleagues when you believe their ethics and values are negatively affecting their methods in social work practice. social work. Social workers should use the authority of their role in a responsible, accountable and respectful manner. Rather, by outlining the general ethical principles, the aim is to encourage social workers across the UK to reflect on the challenges and dilemmas that face them and make ethically informed decisions about how to act in each particular case in accordance with the values of the profession. Social workers should recognise their own prejudices to ensure they do not discriminate against any person or group. Social workers should be prepared to challenge discriminatory, ineffective and unjust policies, procedures and practice. Social work values are embodied in the profession’s national and international codes of ethics. They should respect people’s beliefs, values, culture, goals, needs, preferences, relationships and affiliations. Social workers need to acknowledge the impact of their own informal and coercive power and that of the organisations involved. They should challenge the abuse of power and the exclusion of people from decisions that affect them. The Code of Ethics states the values and ethical principles on which the profession is based. Being professionally accountable Social workers should be prepared to account for and justify their judgements and actions to people who use services, to employers and the general public. Its clarity and accessibility make it an invaluable learning source. Ethical awareness is fundamental to the professional practice of social workers. Social work in its various forms addresses the multiple, complex transactions between people and their environments. Their ability and commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of the quality of the service offered to those who engage with social workers. The ethical practice principles apply across the UK but they are not intended to be exhaustive or to constitute detailed prescription. Ethical awareness is a necessary part of the professional practice of any social worker. Search for other … Social workers should give people the information they need to make informed choices and decisions. Since its beginnings over a century ago, social work practice has focused on meeting human needs and developing human potential. Section 3 comprises practice principles which indicate how the general ethical principles outlined in Section 2 should be put into practice in a UK context. Social work bases its methodology on a systematic body of evidence informed knowledge derived from research and practice evaluation, including local and indigenous knowledge specific to its context. 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