Respecting the right to self determination Social workers should respect, promote and support people’s dignity and right to make their own choices and decisions, irrespective of their values and life choices, provided this does not threaten the rights, safety and legitimate interests of others. 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. Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles This is the IASSW version of the Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles which was unanimously adopted at the General Assembly of IASSW on 5th July 2018 in Dublin, Ireland. As part of the social work values outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics, each social worker must practice within his or her scope of competence and avoid misrepresenting his or her skills or experience to potential clients. This is common for practitioners of value-based professions, and has been widely reported. ethical. The British Association of Social Workers is the professional association for social workers in the United Kingdom (UK). Social workers should communicate effectively and work in partnership with individuals, families, groups, communities and other agencies. These key documents were reviewed and agreed in 2010 by IFSW and IASSW. 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. Social work in its various forms addresses the multiple, complex transactions between people and their environments. Social workers should support people to reach informed decisions about their lives and promote their autonomy and independence, provided this does not conflict with their safety or with the rights of others. Contact: Luke Geoghegan, Policy Team 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. The individual help seeker is in a position of weakness that is some- times very evident. 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. The Code of Ethics for Social Work Values and ethical principles wwwww British Association of Social Workers 9 2.2 Social justice Value Social workers have a responsibility to promote social justice, in relation to society generally, and in relation to the people with whom they work. Promoting the right to participation Social workers should promote the full involvement and participation of people using their services in ways that enable them to be empowered in all aspects of decisions and actions affecting their lives. They should engage in ethical debate with their colleagues and employers to share knowledge and take responsibility for making ethically informed decisions. Ethical awareness is fundamental to the professional practice of social workers. Correspondence to: Sarah Banks, Community and Youth Work Studies Unit, Durham University, 45, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HN, UK. 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. Treating each person as a whole Social workers should be concerned with the whole person, within the family, community, societal and natural environments, and should seek to recognise all aspects of a person’s life. Social workers should use professional knowledge and experience to engage in research and to contribute to the development of ethically based policy and programmes. The Code of Ethics for Social Work The secondary research method I used was semi-structured interviews with social work professionals. "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. Since its beginnings over a century ago, social work practice has focused on meeting human needs and developing human potential. 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. 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. Social workers should only take actions which diminish peoples’ civil or legal rights if it is ethically, professionally and legally justifiable. They need to keep up to date with relevant research, learning from other professionals and service users. The Code of Ethics states the values and ethical principles on which the profession is based. 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’. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. The holistic focus of social work is universal, but the priorities of social work practice will vary from country to country and from time to time depending on cultural, historical, legal and socio-economic conditions. Respect for human rights and a commitment to promoting social justice are at the core of social work practice throughout the world. Social workers have a responsibility to respect and uphold the values and principles of the profession and act in a reliable, honest and trustworthy manner. 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. Social workers should assist people to understand and exercise their rights including making complaints and other remedies. 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. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics is a set of guiding principles to assist social workers in making decisions in the best interests of their clients, even if they might contradict what we might do in our personal lives. social work. They should ensure that services are offered and delivered in a culturally appropriate manner. Broadly speaking, ‘ethics’ is about matters of right and wrong conduct, good and bad qualities of character and responsibilities attached to relationships. They should record only relevant matters and specify the source of information. Goldstein (1987) referred to this as the ‘neglected moral link’ in social work practice. 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 British Association of Social Workers is the professional association for social workers in the United Kingdom (UK). Working definitions of values and social work values. The NASW Code of Ethics sets forth these values, principles, and standards to guide social workers’ conduct. The Code is binding on all social workers who are BASW members in all roles, sectors and settings in the UK. They should value and respect the contribution of colleagues from other disciplines. Social workers should recognise the limits of their practice and seek advice or refer to another professional if necessary to ensure they work in a safe and effective manner. Professional practice standards – very specific guidance relating to professional practice, for example: ‘declare a bequest in a client’s will’; ‘advertising should not claim superiority’. The profession has an obligation to articulate its basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. Principles are essential norms in a system of thought or belief, which form the basis of reasoning in that system. Principles of professional practice – general statements about how to achieve what is intended for the good of the service user, for example: ‘collaboration with colleagues’. (adapted from Banks, S. (2012) Ethics and Values in Social Work, 4th edition, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, BASW Macmillan Practical Social Work Series), Working definitions of ethics and professional ethics. There will be variations in interpretation and guidance in the different countries. 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. 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 work values are embodied in the profession’s national and international codes of ethics. The Code is also supported by other BASW policy documents. Copyright © British Association of Social Workers, No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form without the written permission of the copyright owner, The professional association for social work and social workers, All BASW members sign our Code of Ethics, which has underpinned social work practice since 1975. Social work interventions range from primarily person-focused psychosocial processes to involvement in social policy, planning and development. His or her ability to act ethically is an essential aspect of the quality of the service offered to clients. They should analyse and evaluate the quality and outcomes of their practice with people who use social work services. Social workers should give people the information they need to make informed choices and decisions. People who use social work services may be individuals (children, young people or adults), families or other groups or communities. 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. Social workers should respect the principles of confidentiality that apply to their relationships and ensure that confidential information is only divulged with the consent of the person using social work services or the informant. Social workers should strive to carry out the stated aims of their employers or commissioners, provided they are consistent with the Code of Ethics. Distributing resources Social workers should ensure that resources at their disposal are distributed fairly, according to need. of ethics in social work within the Irish context. Social work practice addresses the barriers, inequities and injustices that exist in society. Although the subject matter of ethics is often said to be human welfare, the bigger picture also includes the flourishing of animals and the whole ecosystem. 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. 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. She is currently researching ethical issues in youth work and the changing nature of professionalism in local authorities. Copyright © British Association of Social Workers 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. Working definitions of ethics and values are given in the Appendix. Search for other … 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. Values and ethics in Social Work’ is an essential source for student social workers. They should work towards promoting the best interests of individuals and groups in society and the avoidance of harm. The ethical practice principles apply across the UK but they are not intended to be exhaustive or to constitute detailed prescription. BASW expects employers to ensure social workers’ learning and development needs are met and seek adequate resources to do so. Cross Sector Attachments. 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. Human rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. 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